Lakewood, WA Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Open campfires
- Prohibited in all Lakewood city parks
- Barbecues/stoves
- Allowed per manufacturer instructions only
- Coal disposal
- Must use approved receptacle
- Governing section
- LMC 8.76.160
- Maximum fine
- $125.00 civil infraction, LMC 8.76.570
Summary
Lakewood, Washington bans open flame campfires in all City of Lakewood parks under LMC 8.76.160. Barbecues, camp stoves, smokers and similar cooking devices are allowed in park facilities, but only when used exactly as the manufacturer instructs and only if hot coals are disposed of in an approved receptacle. The rule applies to Parks and Recreation Department property across Lakewood's Pierce County city limits.
No open flame campfires are permitted. Barbecues, stoves or similar devices or uses are permitted in park facilities if used in accordance with individual manufacturer instructions and coals are disposed of in an approved manner.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 852, passed June 15, 2026).
Full Breakdown
160, in the Administration article of the parks and recreation chapter, states plainly that no open flame campfires are permitted in any Lakewood city park or park facility. 050. Propane and charcoal barbecues, camp stoves, and similar cooking devices are treated differently: the code allows them in park facilities so long as they are used in accordance with the individual manufacturer's instructions for that device, and so long as the user disposes of coals afterward in an approved manner, meaning a designated ash or coal receptacle rather than the ground, a trash can, or a natural area.
00. Wildfire-prone outdoor conditions, common on the American Lake and Gravelly Lake shorelines in the dry summer months, are the practical reason the City draws a hard line against uncontrolled open flame while still accommodating contained grilling and cooking equipment for picnickers and event permit holders. 010.
Violations & Fines
Lighting an open campfire in a Lakewood park, or using a barbecue, stove or smoker against its manufacturer's instructions or leaving hot coals improperly disposed of, is a civil infraction under LMC 8.76.570. The maximum fine is $125.00 per violation, and repeated or serious violations can be cited alongside other park-use offenses under the same chapter's Article II and III infraction provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a campfire at a Lakewood park?
Are propane grills or charcoal smokers allowed at Lakewood parks?
What is the penalty for an illegal campfire in a Lakewood park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
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