Such a beautiful trail! I have lived in the area forever and never knew about this gem of a trail!…read moreIt's a great place to walk and ride bikes because it's paved. We take our baby there for some afternoon strolls. Its nice be cause some parts are shaded and others are bright and sunny. The trail is located on the way to Evergreen College right off of the main road. I have driven by this trail a thousand times and I'm so sad I never knew about it. I love reading all the plaques explaining the different parts of the trail and when the trees were planted. If you're in the Olympia area it's a great place to go for a walk with your family.

Was on a drive from Portland to Tacoma, and I need to stop and stretch my legs so I found this…read moreshort hike right off the freeway and it is wonderful for a nice break. You can hear the traffic on the five freeway, but you are in the woods And you are able to get off and take a short hike without getting too far from your trip. I'd recommend this stop to anyone that needs to get out and enjoy the woods. Trail is very well-maintained and I haven't seen a soul. Old growth forest, all surrounding me. And while you're here, go see the state capital of Olympia.

It's a short, paved trail that has bikers, pedestrians, and pups making their way around. Beautiful…read morescenery, especially when there's snow. If you squint you can see some of the homeless camps in the distance and sometimes you'll see a bag of abandoned clothes or a transient sitting near the entrance or a broke down car with a homeless couple sitting in it so it can be a little sketch and you don't want to go alone. In spite of that, the place is lovely.

Breathing views of the river. The bridge is so beautiful. Very safe to walk over even with a…read moretoddler. Easy 6-mile bike ride. Bring a lock to put on the bridge.

The city has updated this trail by extending it to the Nisqually. It's a bit more shaded because of…read morethe tree line which is great in the summer. Flat walking trail and great area for exercising.

Love this trail so much. During my time in Olympia I found it highly convenient to bike it to the…read moretarget plaza. Loved the highway overpasses as well. Highly recommend this trail.

The trail is lovely! be careful sometimes the concrete can…read morebe alittle bumpy in certain spots It tends to be VERY busy on some days and popular times but everyone is very considerate Sometimes you get to see people on horses

A very nice relaxing trail down to the water, that has more than one trail to choose, coming up or…read moredown. Haven't came across any rude people on the trails or beach, everyone is always respectful of each other's space. Bathrooms are not always clean, but I don't go to experience that.

Great park with trails through second-growth woods, a tiny bit of elevation change, picnic…read moreshelters, a flower garden, a beach, and most importantly, toilets. Love going here with the family for a bit of fresh air and some rock hunting.

Jacob's Point is a small preserve on Anderson Island with a 3 mile walking path that illustrates…read moreboth the beauty and the history of the island. There are many stops along the path, mostly to see the Puget Sound and Mount Rainer in the background. I'm always impressed with Mount Rainer because it seems to poke out of the skyline from nowhere. There are certainly Cascade Mountains that border Mount Rainer, but they are not nearly as high and nor are they visible unless you head towards the mountains. There is one stop showing the remnants of one of the first homesteads on the island. The only thing left is the brick chimney. Apparently, it was a hay farm for a few years before the family moved off the island to find work elsewhere. I can't imagine how hard it would've been to have a hay farm on the island. You would essentially have to provide all the food for yourself and figure out how to transport your hay to market. The most interesting part of the trail was the old brickyard. The mud in the area provided good brickmaking material and the cove on the Puget Sound enabled the brickmaker to ship the heavy bricks to buyers elsewhere. Initially, it didn't make sense to me to have a heavy brickmaking facility on a hard to reach island but if your mode of transport is feet away from the facility, it makes more sense. The boats would float into the cove during high tide before settling on to supports at low tide. At that time, they could fill the boat with bricks. The boat would raise off the supports at high tide and head to market. For someone like myself who grew up in the Midwest, it was interesting to see how businesses could use the tides to their advantage. Unfortunately for this particular brickmaking company, the brick market collapsed a few years after they started operation and were forced to shut down.

Although you can map the GPS coordinates, there is no precise address for the park entrance. From…read morethe ferry dock, take Yoman Road south, then when it turns into Eckenstam - Johnson Road (keep left at the Y-intersection) continue south. It's about 2.7-3.2 miles from the dock, depending on how you map it, with the trailhead and small parking lot with signage on the left. Anderson Island is worth a trip just to visit this pretty little trail. It begins by winding through a marsh on a boardwalk, then proceeds through open woods to the chimney and the site of the Jacob family pioneer family. From there, the trail leads to a clean, waterless composting pit toilet. and to some cutbanks overlooking the south side of Oro Bay. At low tide you can explore the kelp-y, pebbly beaches. I heard tell of a sea cave (also mentioned on park websites), but I did not see it for myself. I did however see the sea. The website also warns of being trapped by "sucking mud" and the tides. Certainly, when the tides are coming it, be sure to know where you got down to the beach and keep it in sight, as the banks are steep all around and access points are limited. Even if the tide is in, the end of the point features a stunning view of Mt. Rainier, shining bright, or reflecting brightly, rather. The trail is mostly level with a few bumps, well maintained, and easy to follow.

My family did not camp here, but I absolutely want to someday soon! It looks as if most of the…read moresites are close to a rushing creek ! So gorgeous! . I brought my children here as a last minute decision but we'll worth it . It's only about 1.8 miles out and back . This is not a loop trail. It's a great trail for young ones and pets. Another family brought there two dogs and two goats ! The trail is lightly trafficked. The trails are visible but the pathway is very narrow deeper into the forest. On wet days it is very muddy and can be a bit slippery! Hiking boots would be a definite on this trail. Lots of birds and slugs and other insects along the path keeping it fun for kids ! We did a little scavenger hunt which made it super fun ! The water falls were small but very beautiful! To get the best effect you have to climb down to where it forms a triangle then you can see both falls at the same time and the vibe is magical! When your driving to the campground the paved road does turn into a gravel road . There are signs and the gravel was well kept. You'll pass the first camping section then come to a second section and there is a bit of parking . Your only on the gravel road for maybe 2 miles .

We have camped at Porter creek several times over the years. It has always been an enjoyable time…read moreup until the past couple years. There has been no camp host for the last three years And the area is showing the results. People are leaving their trash behind, I won't even try to explain how the outhouses get and there has been multiple occasiona with people shooting guns at the sites #15 up through the off road sites past the campground. racing by on their atv's through out the night. I doubt my husband and I wI'll camp there again which is sad as I've said we had really enjoyed this campground over the years.

Gorgeous hidden gem. Not a long hike but definitely steep. Your quads will feel it. It's on a…read morehillside so you're going mostly up or mostly down depending on where you start, and it has a few turns you can take to mix it up. Kids and dogs will love it. Great workout and SO beautiful. Huge ferns and maple trees, moss, mushrooms, snails, etc. Thank you to the first reviewer (Chris) for your description, this is a perfect little workout, and easy access from west Olympia.

Local walking trails on the southwest portion of Tumwater Hill. Access from the north or "top" of…read moreTumwater Hill Elementary School or from Ridgeview Loop in between some of the homes; enter from the south or "bottom" of the hill from Vista Loop SW, just off Crosby Blvd, near 2 lone homes. Open all year long, it's a step into the wilderness amidst this suburban community. It's kid & dog friendly too. I've spied rabbits, deer, salamanders, mushrooms & toads along the trails at different parts of the year. Ferns, evergreens & big leaf Maple trees line the well defined walking trails.