Prohibited
Birch Bay State Park
Washington, Whatcom·Beachcombing
Beachcombing for souvenirs is more restricted at Birch Bay State Park than most tourism guides suggest. Washington's own park rules prohibit removing driftwood and wood debris beyond a designated firewood-permit process, and the state's general natural-resource rule treats rocks and shells the same way — a real correction to the common 'gather shells as you go' assumption.
- Washington State Parks' own park rules prohibit collecting firewood or wood debris — driftwood included — anywhere in the park area, except in pre-approved sites during a specific window under a paid wood-debris permit issued by the park manager (WAC 352-32-290)
- A broader state rule (WAC 352-28-010) restricts cutting or removal of natural resources on state park land to what's part of an approved resource conservation plan, with only narrow, specifically named exceptions (seaweed harvest, certain edible-plant gathering, specimen collection under protocol) — no comparable exception for shells or beach rocks was found published for Birch Bay specifically