Sequalitchew Creek is a pet friendly and an ideal easy stroll for families. It is a total of 3…read moremiles round trip. Half a mile of it is paved and the remaining mile is rock path. Decline going there and incline on the reverse. You'll see beautiful views of the puget sound at the end. Most of the trail is surrounded by trees. If you decide to go there to watch the sunset, you'll have to use your cell phone flashlight. There is no lighting on the path. Respect the aina (land, earth, environment) and take your trash back with you since there are no trash cans.

Beautiful hiking trail that is only 3 miles in total - out and back with great views of the Puget…read moreSound. Plenty of free parking available and restrooms on site. I would recommend if you are looking for an easy hike. My kids and I enjoyed this trail a lot plus it wasn't crowded at all on a weekday!

All stars Team DuPont…read more Hey guys, We need to step up our game when it comes to timing. As you've probably noticed, other groups are taking over our field, so we're moving our start time to **9 AM sharp**. We're going to be serious about punctuality--if you're still sitting at home when it's time to play, you might end up sitting on the sidelines instead. Let's lock in, show up on time, and keep our spot. See you all at 9!

Not a bad park. It's located in DuPont and nestled in-between housing developments with walking…read morepaths leading to them as well as more meandering ones to explore the park and the nearby Memorial Trail if you are looking for a longer walk. This park covers the necessities as it has playground equipment and areas to play ball games. I didn't necessarily find anything too terribly unique about this park as far as sightseeing goes but it's still a very tranquil place to spend time at.

The Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is incredible! The best $3 (cash deposit) I…read morehave ever spent! Over 3 hrs of birdwatching, deer sighting, eagle watching, heron mating dances, moss, frogs, snakes, and more. The brackish water and estuary allow for diverse life cycles across fresh to salty habitats. The boardwalk is well maintained, gravel moving into wooden slits. Incredible! Highly recommend. Big parking lot, fairly busy on a Monday in March.

Always a great solitude hike to clear my head and solve my problems. Frankly, I like to talk with…read moreGod out here. Somehow, I feel closer to him when surrounded by the beautiful Nisqually nature trails. Only $3 to gain access (honor system drop box), there are miles of gravel trails and boardwalks to enjoy. No biking, no jogging, and no pets allowed, but plenty of bird enthusiasts taking pics with long lens cameras. It's a quiet place to be in your thoughts. Occasionally, you see deer, rabbits, seals, coyote, lots of birds, and awesome eagles! Makes it so worth it? I highly recommend coming out here for a low effort hike, the quiet, and all things beautiful in nature!

This hidden park in the community at the edge of Steilacoom is a real true hidden gem this place is…read morean absolute slice of heaven perfect in every way it has a barbecue grill. It has the beach access. The only hard part is the stairs going down are very very steep and could definitely prevent anyone with a walking disability. there is parking at the top of the beach, but I will definitely be back and this will be a hidden secret that I won't share with many it would be a shame for this to be overpopulated

It's beautiful , tranquil and rocky. Not a lot of people come here I think cause of the fricken…read morestairs! Whew they are steep! I was hoofing down a chair, umbrella, floatie and bag... yikes. Then I had to climb back up ... yikes. Lol Had to say I was the only one for about 1 1/2 hrs then a few more folks. Group with Inflateable paddle boards, few kayak. Not a lot of people sunbathing. Just me haha. Water was cold but on a hot day was inviting. It was also pretty calm at this beach as well so floating was excellent! It was peaceful. I got lucky and hit low tide too. Nice view to Narrows bridge tho too!

This is our favorite dog park to take our pup. Simply put, it's MASSIVE. Our dog can run, play, and…read moresocialize with so many different dogs all over this park and he comes back exhausted and so happy from his fun filled day. Worth the drive no matter where you are in WA. Rain or shine this park is always open. Just don't be surprised if your pup comes back covered in mud on a rainy day .

This is on the site of a former territorial military fort, then a state mental hospital and work…read morefarm (c.1868). With the farm's closing in the 1970's, a wonderful gift to the people of Lakewood and Washington state grew out of the distress of those hospital days. A diamond rising from the ashes, so to speak. There are a few of the farm buildings remaining plus the foundation to the barracks for the hospital's farm workers. More over there is tons of room to spread out, no matter what your activity might be (sports fields, trails, picnic areas......)

Freedom Park is my favorite place on JBLM to bring my kids on a nice spring or summer day. There is…read morethe main playground with a section for bigger and younger kids, swings, splash pad, skate/bike park and plenty of picnic tables/benches to sit. There are restrooms also and they've always been clean when I've used them. This is a good place to bring your kids so they can have fun/get their energy out. The children's museum and bowling alley are in the same parking lot area too so the possibilities of fun are endless. Overall: I have been here many times and I've never had any complaints. I will definitely keep returning!

Best park in the area for military been here for years and years and it's still well taken care of…read moreexcept........ I just wish there were more trash cans or at least one!!! The trash surrounding the park sometimes can get wildly out of control and the worst park is we want to help pick up but there's not a single can in the surrounding park ? Sometimes one and sometimes none ‍

At the top of Chambers street in Steilacoom, lies 62 acres of hidden paradise with a 15-acre pond…read morecalled Farrell's Marsh. This treasured wetland and park is home to a diverse biosphere of native plants, birds, mammals, and amphibians. The main trail of the park is a vestige of the historic road between Fort Steilacoom and Fort Nisqually constructed in the 1830s by the Hudson Bay Company. A pre 1917 Assessors Map shows the marsh, then known as Light's Swamp, as a continuous swamp of approximately 40 acres. Around 1917 the marsh was drained to create a pasture for livestock. In 1930 Fort Lewis bisected the land with a road off Union Avenue. By the 1960s pastoral farming ended to urbanization as Steilacoom expanded. The new developments increased street drainage and outflow, partially reviving the marsh. In 1975 it was purchased by the town with a State grant to be preserved as a protected wetland. Kill Trap Wetlands are ideal for beaver, natures ecosystem engineers, and provide habitat for many endangered species. The algae and plants in the pond improve water quality by absorbing dissolved nutrients, processing organic wastes, and detoxifying toxic street runoff (e.g. heavy metals, pesticides and fertilizers). Through the years beaver have inhabited the marsh and in December 2019 returned, strengthening the derelict dam at the 1917 man made outflow. During the wet months of January, the dam held fast with heavy rains exceeding 5.5 inches in just 5 days, while still allowing a continuous flow of water. The park has recently become a local controversy over how the town plans to mitigate the beavers and the dam. The concern is the potential to downstream flooding, should the dam break. Past flooding has occurred largely due to undersized, substandard and blocked culverts along Union Avenue. Kill Trap Mayor Ron Lucas confirmed he hired a trapper to trap and kill the beaver after a park visitor discovered a lethal "Conibear" kill trap and surveillance camera near one of the trails. There was an immediate concern for public safety since no warning signage was posted and these dangerous traps which could easily kill a large dog or injure a child. The traps, according to the mayor, have been removed with the plans on hold, but as of 29 May, the trail camera remains. COVID-19 has restricted wildlife management from dispatching specialists to the field. However, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) advised council woman Nancy Henderson that the impact of the beaver should be objectively assessed prior to implementing any further plans. Pursuant to RCW 77.55 a Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) permit must be issued by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) to remove or modify a beaver dam on a natural or modified watercourse. Trail Surveilance Camera Dees and Associates 1998 Farrell's Marsh Basin Study advised to effectively achieve flood control a 2.25-foot-wide outlet should be installed. Driveway culverts should be up sized to between 36-42 inches. None of the recommendations were implemented. WDFW stated beaver trapping is both costly and temporary, as beaver will return. Other mitigating more effective measures are available such as a flexible pond leveler or a beaver deceiver. So where are we today? Before further public monies are expended on trapping, subject matter experts must conduct a risk assessment of the current ineffective culvert drainage system on Union Avenue. WDRW Region 6 habitat biologists should be consulted regarding all recommended interventions. Decisions on the long-term impact of this wetland park should be discussed in public forum, including the elected members of the city council; not the unilateral decision of one person. Let's learn to live with them, not without them. Those who wish to remain current on this issue can join the Facebook Group, "Citizens for the Protection and Preservation of the Farrell Marsh."

This is a tiny hidey-hole of a portal in a forgotten corner of Steilacoom. Enter this dark forest…read moreand you will immediately be surrounded by a sense of enigma...and foreboding... Tiny paths digress from the main trails and dead end at the moor's edge. Tangles of ivy and prickly things will grasp your arms and legs whilst curiosity leads you forward like a coy, evil faery with a casual giggle and a curled-finger. Onward, ever onward, you seek to know what lies just beyond the next bend in the dense hedges until you find yourself stepping into a circle of giant mushrooms, onto a muddy clearing that seems just slightly out of place. What looks like a path beckons from the other side, you take a step, then another. Your nervous bae fidgets behind you like a colt that smells a faint trace of blood spilled by some predatory feline. "Can we go back now?" she says, trying to mask the fear, the adrenaline that closes around her throat like icy fingers. "Let me just take a peek around this shrubbery. I see something weird...these roots...what?" "Bae?" "I'm sinking! My feet! Oh my god..." "BAE!!!!" "The blue lights, I see the blue lights. Run, J-Bae! Run!" "AHHHHHHH!" MEOW! A portal opens. The faery laughs and laughs. Your curiosity is sated...forever...

Beautiful lake! Clean water. Can get very busy!! Not great for littles but older kids is great time!read more

I thought this park was reasonable. There is a skate park, a baseball field, ample parking,…read morerestrooms, playground, access to the water and docks and a few shady areas to just throw out a blanket and chill out. If the other parks on American Lake get full, come here. I agree that several of the people that come here don't know how to drive or park, but again there is always plenty of room in any of the lots to park if you don't like the way someone is parked. I will also agreed that after driving though Tillicum, I didn't expect this park to be in any good condition. It's not hyper-ghetto but I did detect a bit of sketchiness the later the day became. So, I wouldn't leave valuables in the car. I didn't see that cops patrol around either. The grass is well kept on the steep hill that leads to the docks and is perfect for picnicking. There isn't much of a beach and there wasn't a lifeguard available. If you're not all about sitting on the ground, there is a pavilion as well with benches and trash cans. I didn't see a place to grill anywhere, but I may have missed it. Still overall a decent place to relax during the summer.

Out of all honesty I'm hovering between three to four stars on this park. Much of it revolves…read morearound the timing of when you go here I imagine. Most of the surrounding shore that makes up American Lake looks to be private and this park seems to be more of a boat launching point for the general public to use for utilizing the lake. The park itself is quite small and that also goes for the parking lot as well. The day I went was a warm day so the park was full as well as the designated lots. Filled lots for certain parks often times in neighborhoods aren't really that big of a deal because you can use curbside parking that is usually nearby but in this part of Lakewood there is no curbside parking at all and it looks like parking in front of someone's house doesn't seem like it's a good idea because one gets the idea you are parking in their yard and not on a curb. So what I did was park in an area that was designated for a school and carefully looked for any parking restrictions given the amount of time it would take for me to walk to the park, check it out for a bit then walk back. This proved to not be an issue parking here but the walk was a bit long. Fortunately the day that I picked to go to American Lake was a clear day and if you walk to the boat docks you can get a good view of Mount Rainier and the the lake itself is very pretty. But don't assume you can get a clear view of the mountain all of the time. Overcast is not unusual. There is also a decent looking beach here as far as lake beaches go but like everything the day I went it was fairly crowded. The boat ramp was in full use as well and a line of cars were waiting to unload as well. Definitely a very busy park the day I went despite it's size. Aside from the crowds this park isn't too bad and if you can enjoy the view of Mount Rainier and the water I'd definitely bump that aspect of the park up to four stars.

I can't believe I haven't been to this park sooner. It's just the right size and not overcrowded…read more It's a small nice park with lots of parking and boat/dock access for fishing and boats. I bet it probably gets kind of busy in the warmer months but it's perfect in the spring to just grab a folding chair and just sit out by the lake unhampered. There isn't much actual beach, but rather the green grass steeply slopes down hill directly into the reasonably clean water. There is signage that there is no lifeguard on duty, so swim at your own risk. This would be a perfect free place to cool down if you're too hot and it's a small enough roped off swimming area that it may be more hard to lose your kids. You should still keep an eye on them though as any good person should. There is also a small playground as well if your little ones don't want to go near the water. There is also a single outdoor show for rinsing off before you head on home and the restrooms with handicapped accessibility are reasonably clean. I didn't see a doggy doo bag station though which explains the few spots of dog turds near the beach which kind of makes me think the water is icky if that runs off into the water. I just really think this is an excellent place to come and get an unobstructed view of the lake. So often do all the houses block bodies of water as the land is coveted. I will definitely be back with a picnic blanket and maybe a good book.