‘Senseless’ vandalism causes thousands in damage to popular King County yurts

Vandals struck King County’s Tolt-MacDonald Park near Carnation on earlier this week, causing several thousands of dollars in damage to public camping facilities, including two of the county’s popular yurts.

Vandals broke windows, cut holes, and damaged a futon and the insulation fabric in two of the six yurts. A fire extinguisher, portable heater, dehumidifier and stool were also stolen from the yurts.

In addition, the vandals broke an exterior light in a restroom, stole two carts that guests use for transporting gear, knocked over sign posts and tossed road barricades and traffic cones into the Snoqualmie River, which bisects the 574-acre park. A complete damage estimate has not been made yet, but parks officials believe the total could exceed $5,000 or more.

King County Parks is working with the King County Sheriff’s Office to identify the vandals, who will be prosecuted as soon as they are identified.

“This sort of senseless vandalism is just incomprehensible,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “We must now spend our limited resources on repairing the damage and replacing the stolen items, which takes funding away from other projects.”

The four undamaged yurts remain available for rent.

“Despite this act of vandalism Tolt-MacDonald Park remains a beautiful place to spend a day or a weekend, and our yurts are a terrific option for a quick family vacation,” Sims said.

Providing yurts at Tolt-MacDonald Park is just one of King County Parks’ enterprise activities that are aimed at increasing amenities for parks users, while reducing the Parks Division’s dependence on taxpayer funding.

Citizens interested in taking an additional step in supporting Tolt-MacDonald Park and other parks and recreation facilities should check out the King County Parks Legacy Fund, at http://www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/legacy.aspx. Information on the yurts and activities that are available at Tolt-MacDonald Park is available at http://www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/rentals/camping.aspx.

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King County Parks - Your Big Backyard - offers more than 25,000 acres of parks and natural lands, including such regional treasures as Marymoor Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, 175 miles of regional trails, plus pools and a world-class aquatic center. By cultivating strong relationships with non-profit, corporate and community partners, King County Parks enhances park amenities while reducing costs. Learn more at http://www.kingcounty.gov/parks/.