So you want to visit King Creek Pit or Kapowsin Quarry. Maybe you want to hand select some rockery rock or you want to pick up material and save on delivery costs.
Visiting a mine site can be exciting, but there are also many hazards like steep hills and machines the size of houses. This guide will help you prepare to have a safe and fun experience.
We also prepared a PDF that you can print prior to your visit called “The Washington Rock Quarries Visitor’s Guide.”
How to Prepare for Your Trip
Call King Creek Pit or Kapowsin Quarry to determine if the product you need is in stock. You can also ask which mine has the product you need. King Creek Pit is the source for all of our sand, soil, and round rock products. Kapowsin Quarry is the source of all our quarried rock products like driveway gravel and rockery rock.
Please wear boots you aren’t afraid to get dirty, especially steel-toe boots if possible. Make sure that all of the lights on your vehicle are in working order.
How to Get to King Creek Pit and Kapowsin Quarry
Both mine sites are located off of old logging roads, so sometimes it can be intimidating to find your way. We’ve provided directions to both King Creek Pit and Kapowsin Quarry on our Contact page.
What to Do When You Arrive On Site
Washington Rock’s mine sites are regulated by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). This means that everyone who visits the mine sites must follow certain safety protocols and heed the instructions of the mine crew.
Safety Rules
- While driving to the mine, be sure that your headlights are on as soon as you reach a graveled area.
- Do not leave your vehicle’s cab at any time, unless you are going inside the scale house.
- If you have permission to leave your vehicle’s cab, you must wear a hard hat and safety vest.
Get your vehicle lightweight. When you arrive at the mine, the first thing you will do is stop by the scale house onsite (also known as the weigh station). The scale house looks like a mobile trailer. You can either park outside and head into the scale house to receive assistance, or you can pull onto the scale next to the scale house. When you pull on to the scale, make sure that you pull onto the side from which you can see the reader board that shows your vehicle’s weight.
Pull up to the very end of the scale where the scale master’s window is. Tell the weigh master which product you would like to pick up and how much you need.
The weigh master will record your vehicle’s lightweight (or “tare”) in the computer system as well as the product type and cost. If you have a 3-way radio, the weigh master can also give you a sheet with call-out instructions.
Drive to the correct area to be loaded. Follow the weigh master’s instructions and head to the product’s location. While the loader operator is loading your vehicle, please put your vehicle in park. Do not leave your vehicle at any time. If you need assistance, honk your horn and wave at the driver. Heed all of the loader operator’s instructions.
Return to the scale and checkout. With your vehicle loaded, head back to the scale house and drive on to the scale. The weigh master will print out a ticket that includes your lightweight (“tare”), your loaded weight (“gross”), and total material weight (“net”). The ticket will show the cost per ton (or the cost per cubic yard on some materials) and your total overall cost, including taxes. Once you pay, you’re ready to go.
Washington Rock accepts the following forms of payment:
- Cash
- Debit Card
- Credit Card*
- Checks with a valid form of ID
*Note that a 3% fee is added to credit card transactions to cover the processing fee the credit card company charges us.
A minimum $35 purchase is required for each load.
Keep your headlights on and use caution during your departure. Leave your headlights on until you have left the graveled areas. Follow the speed limit. There may be narrow sections of roadway where you must stop or slow down and allow other vehicles to pass you.
Handpicking Large Landscape Rocks
Visitors sometimes come to the mine to pick out large landscape rocks for rock walls, gabions, or other projects. We ask that these visitors call before coming onsite and make an appointment to visit the mine. This ensures that a team member will be available to assist them and that there are enough hard hats and safety vests for visitors who need them.
Once onsite, visitors will need to go inside the scale house. The weigh master will have you review basic safety information and sign in and out on a visitor’s log. The weigh master can provide you with hard hats and vests if you don’t have any with you.
Before you leave the mine, you will need to check yourself out on the visitor’s log.
Gathering Samples
If you need samples of materials under 3” in size, Washington Rock can prepare these materials for you and have them ready for you at either the scale house or corporate office.
To learn more about Washington Rock, visit Our Company page. If you would like to get a quote or request an appointment to look at landscape rock, use the form on our Contact page.
We’ve also created a printable guide, “The Washington Rock Quarries Visitor’s Guide.”