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.

The park and lake were clean and beautiful, not unlike many other Washington parks. However, it…read morewas a unique feeling to stand next to a freshwater lake on a small island in the Puget Sound. We were next to freshwater, yet a short drive away in any direction would lead us to saltwater. Based on the number of homes on the opposite side of the lake, many people enjoyed that feeling. We were there on a Fall weekend afternoon and the island was quiet, including the park. I wonder if it is much more active in the Summer.

An absolutely pristine little family park, located on a tiny lake, at the terminus of a long, shady…read morelane. There is a pontoon raft, a small beach, a hilly embankment, picnic tables and barbecues on metal posts. I rode my bike over on the ferry with a beach towel around my neck, prepared for a swim. The beach is very clean and sandy--not pebbly. There was only a dollop of mucky bits, and those were easily avoided. Be careful if your preferred mode of ambulation has two wheels. You'll earn your swim after coming over the hills, and there a few blind spots, twisty corners, and roundish things. Come thither. Bring a sandwich. Enjoy life!

Last time I visited was in the summer when the water had really receded. It was lovely, but dry…read more This current visit was in the winter so the tide was high. We walked down to the beach and my niece had a fun time scooping up sea life from the sand and she found things like baby crab legs and shellfish so we got to talk about what was in the water. People were kinda standing around or taking pictures since Mt. Rainier is in the distance, since there's nowhere to sit to relax. There are lots of signs telling you to respect private property, so I imagine the residents get frustrated when people wander over the line, but that's what you get if your property is right next to a state park. The path over was nice, with netting on slippery spots and there are a couple of Pokemon Gyms and Pokestops so its a pretty good place to play. Just be mindful that they require you to carry your trash out of the park with you, so there's nowhere to leave your dog poop bags if your pup does his business. We obediently took our stuff with us, but I wonder how many people don't honor the request.

Belted Kingfisher, Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Belted Kingfisher, Belted Kingfisher! And so my…read morebirding went when I visited Tolmie State Park the morning of the 25th of June 2020. I arrived in the 9:00 a.m. hour and parked at the upper parking lot by the entrance to the park. There is a second parking lot further down the road once inside the park that is closer to the beach. By the upper parking lot there is a restroom building, covered picnic area, and abundant picnic tables with grills interspersed in the woods. There is also an area with benches facing the water in an amphitheater-esque seating style. In my exploring this area I found some cool plants including foxglove plants with cusped blossoms. A Goldfinch flitted across my path and made a getaway before I could get a picture of it. Fun to see the state bird in a state park! Making my way down the trail to the beach was quiet, and I was pleased to see that it was high tide when I arrived at the waterfront. Walking along the waterfront I notice what looked like a Kingfisher so I decided to approach and see if it was. Indeed it was! Slowly I waded out in the water along a muddy part and realized the mud was teeming with crabs. I was careful to watch where I stepped so as not to smoosh any of them. Once I reached the Kingfisher (a Belted Kingfisher specifically) it flew off across the spit of land I came across to get to it. I watched where it landed on a tree branch and then followed the Belted Kingfisher. The Belted Kingfisher was along the creek that flows to the Puget Sound at high tide, at low tide the creek dissipates. Another Belted Kingfisher arrived and they both started diving in the water for fish and other food. Turning my head left I noticed a Heron in the water and waded back out in the water to join it. After wading around with the Heron for a while I made my way back towards where the first Belted Kingfisher had perched to watch for food in the water. The tide was going out as I was wading with the Heron and making my way to the perch. The crabs were not happy about this. The ground glistened with movement, not sunlight, and there were 100s to 1000s of tiny crabs running to take shelter under the seaweed, in the mud, and yes trying to pinch my feet and legs. As I neared some crabs they would burrow backwards into the mud, put their pinchers up, and open them... I was careful not to step there. Eventually I made it back to the Belted Kingfisher perch and what did I find?! Not one, but two Belted Kingfishers watching the water!! So very cool. After admiring them for a little bit I started making my way back to my car. The beach and the parking lot by the beach were starting to get busy, so it was my time to go. A perfect morning adventure in the Puget Sound area.

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!

Eld Inlet is located at the Southern Edge of Puget Sound in Olympia. It's about 6 miles long. The…read moremost southern edge of the inlet is called Mud Bay. We stayed at a beach house here during the long 4th of July weekend for some much-needed relaxation. It's so close to the city yet secluded enough so it feels like a small vacation away from home. The weather was perfect. We took advantage of paddle boarding and kayaking. We were even greeted by a curious Sea Otter and a humongous Jelly Fish that seemed like it was 2 1/2 feet wide. *shivers* The water and the view were amazing!! There's a considerable difference between low tide and high tide so I'd keep an eye out for the tide tables. During low tide, you can go for long walks along the beach and do some beach combing. During high tide, that same beach is non-existent. Perfect time to take the paddle board or kayak out so I don't have to walk the length of the beach to get in the water. I would frequently see Oyster boats go by. Apparently Eld Inlet is known for growing the richest oysters. Something about the algae in the inlet gives the oyster meat its yellowish creamy color... buttery. The same conditions in Eld Inlet that grow sweet oysters also produce very thin shells. There are also several Sandy beach areas in Eld Inlet that are open to the public.

Nice beachfront. Parking can be tight in warm months and securing covered bar-b-Que....get there…read moreearly. Please don't play loud music in car or waterfront. Lots of folks go there to relax and enjoy sound of beach water but most times others just intrude on your space w their sounds of music they want. Why can't natural settings be just that.

Sunnyside Beach Park is a nice spot to bring your family, friends, etc to spend some time in the…read morewarmer months. The paid $5 lot fills up fast in the summer however there is street parking only 1/2 mile away and you can just park/walk over. You have to cross train tracks to get over to the beach and park which is worth mentioning. The playground has an area for older and younger kiddos. Restrooms are available, but not always well kept. A lot of picnic tables throughout and space to make your own picnic area if you wanted. Overall: I recommend in the summer - come earlier if you prefer it a little less crowded!

This area and park are exquisite. Wow. The views are absolutely spectacular. The water clear and…read morebeautiful. There are ample trees providing shade. The beach is rocks. Some areas more smooth than others. We are looking forward to returning.

Great hidden park! It looks like it's in someone's backyard but it's an actual park! There's a cute…read moreswing where you can swing into the water and look over at point defiance. I'm so glad I found this place and hope I can keep this secret place between us

Follow the main roads through the island and you end up here at the fishing pier. Good amount of…read moreparking with stairs and a wheelchair ramp to get you down to the pier. Beach access available, follow the sign. Great view of the surrounding area!! Fox Island really doesn't have anything unless you're visiting someone, but either way it's a lovely place.

Nice pier. Great place to view Orcas, porpoises, and eagles. Sometimes there's decent dogfish shark…read morefishing.

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.

A beautiful park and a must see in the Olympia area. I've come here since childhood. Excellent…read moretrails and views of the Puget Sound.

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!