I like early morning walks and exploring new areas. Capitol Lake was perfect spot to view the government buildings and do some site seeing. Lots of people and furry friends on the trail. Please come and create your own adventure. read more

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Capitol Lake Park is such a beautiful park and I am kind of surprised that I didn't write a review for it before. Granted I have actually done the circle of the lake nestled in downtown just once by foot but I have driven past the lake many times and have always admired it's beauty and location. There are lots of signs and plaques to stop and read when doing the circle...and since you are right downtown if it suits you you can sneak off and grab a snack or drink since you are literally right downtown. You get good angles on your walk around the lake of the Capitol building which are worthy of some snapshots. *Update * I'd love to post the pictures that I took to go along with my review but unfortunately after lengthy scrolling on my Instagram account I was unable yo find them...sadly it looks like they got lost. read more

I always start my visits here by parking at the lot and having brunchat Octopas. Mmm, those brown butter pancakes are heavenly. Then I release the hounds from my car and Sis and I will walk the pups around the park. It's nice and friendly there and people admire the pupps even though our dogs are rude and barky, so thanks Olympia for being classy even though our dogs aren't. The pathway is clean and sometimes they'll have events like marathons or church revivals or the fair, so i's fun to see what's going on. They also have doggy bag stations, so please, they can't make it any easierfor you so clean up after your dogs! The water is a little funky which is why you only see a few birds and no people in it, but it's a nice view of the Capital building and a clean, safe place to take a walk. read more

An easy walk on a paved path around Capitol Lake. Convenient parking. Grassy areas for picnics. Benches facing the lake on which to take sit and take in the beauty. read more

Capitol Lake Park - Washington state capitol in background. - Lakes Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Great space to visit with a friend or solo, enjoy lunch at a bench or table, then have a great walk around the lake.

Nice park for walking/running, just wish people can do a better job of cleaning up after dogs.

Love the park and its ambience will visit again when in the city. Did a good mile long loop around the water

The food is the bomb!! Burritos are vegan and delicious! And BIG and love the flavors. We shared two different burritos and they were so different yet absolutely divine. Seriously, if you are vegan and you love Mexican tastes...go to QB! read more

Great way to spend the fall morning checking out the capitol campus monuments, memorials and markers. Bathrooms located on both sides of campus and the capitol tour museum was open. We ran out of time. I have done the tour several years ago and would love to go again. Stunning fall colors and low volume of crowds. Good for strollers but currently the trail down to lake was closed. Parking $2 hour unless you find free parking further down town. Several state patrol driving around the area. Pack water and or snack not many areas to get food around these locations. Weekends would be ideal due to state workers and would be even harder to find parking. read more

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This park is super great. The grounds are usually well kept (trash cans all over the place, doggie doo bags strategically placed, grass cut to a nice length, bathrooms are....ok). I know they had to block off several sections of the park a while back since they were heavily damaged by the "Occupy Olympia" movement. I was kind of said I was unable to use a public park based on damaged grass and possible contamination by waste. Anyway, this park is perfect for throwing a picnic, of riding a bike, or running more than a mile. The actual lake is man made and is fenced off I believe due to contamination or invasive plant species so whomp whomp to that. And the water is a bit smelly in places. I will also say, the park is nice at night as well, but I wish they had a little bit more lighting in places because sometimes I come across some people hanging out in the dark spots and it surprises me a bit and makes my doggies go off. You do run across a few homeless folks on the benches but I don't ever feel threatened at night or during the day. There is a great view of the Capitol building and a small trail that leads up the Capitol if you want to include that in your run. I believe the circle around the lake is about 1.5 mi., but the biking/running trails go on for several miles so it's good for all levels. The do have bathrooms but I think they close at dusk. And the park is in the heart of Olympia so that makes it even better. read more

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This is a wonderful place to walk around the lake with views of the Capitol building reflecting in the water. The pathway is wide and flat making it ideal to walk or run side by side with friends or family for a quick loop around the water. Leashed dogs are also permitted, and there are plenty of grassy fields and trees next to the dirt path that make it enjoyable for four-legged, furry friends. Part of the path was paved sidewalk and part of it was dirt/gravel, but all of it was accessible for those pushing kids in strollers. There were benches along the way if you needed to rest. A bus stop is located on the far side. Public restrooms are available at both Heritage Park and Marathon Park which are on opposite sides of the lake. Metered, street parking surrounded Heritage Park, but it was free on the weekend. The lot at Marathon Park appeared to be free. County plaques with interesting facts were placed along the base of stone walls throughout the path, but I couldn't read most of them because of the accumulation of dirt and their close proximity to the ground. If I lived here, I would probably walk/run this path everyday. read more

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First time running around the lake. It's a pretty straight forward, run around the lake, type of path. There are bathrooms located at both sides of the lake, maybe at a mid point. Parking is free after 5 on weekdays and free on the weekends. I'm not sure what the distance is, but it's fairly easy to run around. There are lots of water fountains, trash cans and doggy bag stations. I feel like the good people in this city do actually care about the ground they run on because it looked well kept to me. There's a water fountain/spray thingy located across the docking area. This place has a great view from almost any angle and allows for some pretty nice photo opportunities during sunrise/sunset. read more

Capitol Lake Park - Right before sunset. - Lakes Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Nice view, the environment is friendly and peaceful. Tips: watch out for dog poopoo.. They're everywhere. read more

Capitol Lake Park - Lakes Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Lovely constructed pathway that wraps around the lake. I appreciate that it is gravel, and not purely cement. Fantastic view of the Capitol Building.... a few blocks from the downtown core. I just wish they'd have some clean-up mission there soon as it's kind of..... dirty. You know, trash and ickiness flailing about. But it is Olympia after all. read more

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I walk around this lake for miles every day. It's clean and safe and pretty. There are a couple of stinky spots, but it's a man-ufactured lake, so I don't expect much. It's the best place to watch and pet dogs in Olympia. They are everywhere. Plus, the restrooms are always clean and there are garbage cans and doggy-dung bags all over the place. Some places are inviting to everyone. This is one of those places. read more

It's a pretty little lake that has a walking path around most of the lake. It does not go all the way around the lake due to the forest. There are benches, public washrooms, and garbage cans around the lake. I can see people working at the capital to take a break by walking around the lake or having their lunch at the benches. Check out the website! I guess in the summer, bats comes out at night?! read more

A decent place to take a walk. It can be very atmospheric at Capital Lake Park given just the right weather. Say, an autumn walk with a bit of wave action on the lake, an eagle swooping, some heron and a variety of ducks. Take your binoculars. You can get some wildlife viewing done . The only downside is the traffic running along at least 1/2 of the loop trail with its noise and fumes. Not pleasant esp. on a warm day. read more

Nice Place to Walk around in Morning or at Sunset. Like the tiles they name all the counties and there history that run around the lake. Also year also the place had very bad drainage it improved now no more wet feet during my walks last few time i visited there. read more

Nice clean lake/park! Great place to take a walk or run or let your children ride your bike around. It's about 1.55 miles around the lake. Very scenic. Usually at big parks like this, you would have a handful of bums but not the case here. .. maybe they out and about... read more

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Great for a stroll, jog or dogwalk. Complete loop around the Deschutes river drainage area. Welcome to the butthole of Puget Sound. read more

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This is a really nice park surrounding Capitol Lake. It has a path that encircles the entire lake, which I run on weekly. It's well-kept, has nice gravel for running, and is generally pretty devoid of people (not sure why that is!). While I'm in favor of the city tearing down the dam to reestablish the natural estuary, I do find the lake to be pretty (though it can smell at times since it is so stagnant). The park has lots of grassy area for picnicking, playing sports, or fetch with the dog. It also is minutes walking from downtown, so there is plenty to do nearby. read more

I love this park and the walk around the lake. There are always birds, especially during migration times. One summer, I had a birthday party here - just brought a canopy and food and had friends meet me there. The walk is enough to get your heart going, and people are friendly. Sometimes I just walk the parts that aren't next to the road, but the only really noisy part is about a block by the bridge up to the westside. read more

Capitol Lake Park is great for taking a walk or having a picnic. Many days I would do both! It's fun to walk in a group or alone. You can take your time and enjoy the lake. Sometimes there are quite a few waterfowl bobbing in the water. The park is well maintained and the grass is green. It's a good park and I'm fortunate to live close by. read more

Such a beautiful park, great summer walk around the lake. TONS of pokestops. The bathrooms are a bit sketch, but the city does what they can. read more

A really nice place to stroll around on a warm summer night. Clean and well kept, a good park to read a book in!

Lovely place to bring your dogs, children, friends. My dad came to visit for his birthday and had so much fun walking and talking. Beautiful water and nature everywhere. This place truly captures the essence of Olympia, with the towering Capitol Dome reflecting in the shimmering lake. What a great place to live. read more

This is such a great walk either me for exercise or a nice casual family walk. It is always clean. It is well lite in most areas. There is a fare amount of parking. I like that there are bathrooms in two places makes it great when I have my kids since they are younger. read more

love the waterfront by the capitol building. on a nice day it looks amazing.