Capitalization: "Washington state parks" Not "Washington State Parks"

Do not capitalize "state parks" in "Washington state parks."

Rule

• Proper noun: "Washington" (state name) — capitalized.
• Common noun: "state parks" — generic category, not a proper name.
• Exception: If part of an official agency name — Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission — then capitalize as a proper noun phrase.

Examples

• ✅ "We visited several Washington state parks last summer."
• ✅ "The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission manages 120+ parks."
• ❌ "We camped at Washington State Parks." (unless referring to the agency)

Style Guides

AP, Chicago, MLA agree: generic geographic/institutional terms (state parks, national forests, city halls) are lowercased unless part of a formal title.