I drive into this park on a whim last weekend and think I've found a gem hidden in Olympia,…read moreliterally minutes from downtown. Straddling Boston Harbor Road, the park has a bridge that connects both sides of the sprawling property. On the East side of the park, you immediately feel like you've driven into a forest. Big and old trees line the park roadway. Several picnic areas are available, I assume by reservation, at least for the covered areas. I found a restroom building and took advantage. This place is well maintained. More picnic areas. Nd two more restroom buildings are on the West side of the park, and so is the Sound. Lots more parking, and a kids playground. Squaxin has something for everyone. Lots of hiking paths on both sides of the park that are now on my to do list. Squaxin is an oasis in Olympia!

Squaxin Park is a wonderful place to spend the day at and there is plenty of things to do! I have…read morelived in this area for many years, have heard of and seen this park as we've been around town, but never actually visited. I can confidently say that after being there yesterday that my boys and I will be back! I decided on taking the kids there because I was looking for a new playground space. We had usually gone to other parks/playgrounds and we were all getting a wee bit tired of the same old, same old. I showed the pictures of the playground to the kids and they thought it looked fun too. We went there and were pleasantly surprised at what all else they had to do. The playground itself has a big toy that's shaped like a large ship, which they had fun playing on. However, it was the walking trails and beach access that they enjoyed the most. The trails are partly paved and partly unpaved (so do remember to wear your boots). They lead you through the woods, along and close to various benches and covered pavilions, and down the hills to the beach. The trail hills are not that steep, so it's doable and not extremely strenuous (my 6 year old made it around easily - and the 3 year old mostly was good ... just got tired near the end, after a couple of hours of walking and playing). The best part of the walk was getting down to the beach! It's a beautiful view and very easy to walk around. Hard-packed sand, shells, and flat made for a nice walk. Because of all the recent rain, it was a wee bit sloppy; but fun. My kids had a wonderful time walking/running around and watching the water, looking for shells, and just being kids! We felt very safe there and I never felt like I needed to be "on guard" like at some parks. Overall, the park is large enough to spend a couple of hours there, and yet small enough to not get lost of feel overwhelmed with the number and length of the trails. I asked the kids if they had fun and would want to come back again. They both immediately said yes to both questions. There you have it. We'll be back!!

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.

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.

This is the biggest national forest I've ever visited! There are many ways to get in, but one thing…read moreis for sure..do not follow this Yelp address. It will only take you to the headquarters. The forest is an hour away from this building. You can type in the name into any map and choose one of the entrances. The way we went was through a back road passing several homes in the flat valley that's surrounded by mountains and woods. It will lead you to the welcome sign, then you'll pass a camp ground. There are less people going this way, so the hikes might only have 1/2 a dozen people on it. You will see many trails options, and they will all be gorgeous! The Skokomish Lower South Fork Trail is a great one. It has a very small gravel parking area, and it is a 6 mile hike in total. You'll go in 3 miles to Brown Creek, and then back 3 miles. I would say it's a semi strenuous hike. There's some down hill, and uphill, but mostly its level. Bring plenty of water, SPF, and snacks. Also stop at the restroom just before heading up the gravel road to the beginning of the trail. You'll pass a few little ice cold babbling brooks that will be very easy to walk across without getting your feet wet.

went here with Brandon and it was so nice with the clean air coming in at any elevation. There are…read moreshort and long hikes, so up to you what you want to do. There are levels to the hiking trails if you want steepness or not. Just do your research beforehand where it is you want to go and what it is you want because there is no signal here at times. this is a reeaaalllly big park, so a lot to do, but also a lot where you could get lost. there are winding roads to drive through and it gets a bit scary if you going during nighttime because the downhills make u go fast...especially with the snow ;-; watch urself and have gps on!!!!

Beautiful place on a gorgeous day! I'm new to the area and am glad I found this place. I will…read moredefinitely be back!

Came out for the middle school concert at the Shelter. Beautiful backdrop with the sailboats…read morefloating past being the kids. They need more chairs, but I brought camping chairs, so I'm good. It's very clean and the restroom is surprisingly clean too.

Dropped by for the annual Dog Day in the Park event and it was great. Lots of freebies for your…read moredogs from the sponsors and vendors at the event. The Tumwater police will usually do a meet and greet along with doing a talk. There is an off leash watering hole for the dogs to run around in, so they have lots of fun.

Great place to take the dogs in summer to cool off in the river. They've got a nice walking track…read morethat is about a quarter mile around so you know your distance walked. Soccer and baseball fields are well maintained. Playground for kids and plenty of picnic tables too.

I love this park! It's in a great spot, has great views and places to sit like benches and picnic…read moretables, and it is flat and accessible with great views of Budd Bay.

Usually this place is a quiet laid back place to visit with the dogs who love sniffing all the…read morepuppy activity in the area, but wow. Come in mid to late April when the cherry blossoms have bloomed and it looks magical. They don't have a lot of cherry blossom trees at the park, but they have benches under the few trees they do and it's so pretty to look at them and the petals that are sitting on the ground.

Long Lake Park is one of our family's favorite spots to spend a sunny day in Lacey! The park has…read moresuch a peaceful vibe with its big open spaces, tall trees, and of course the beautiful lake. The swimming area is perfect for kids and families--it feels safe, clean, and the water is refreshing on hot days. We love that there's plenty of room for picnics, whether you want to grab a table or just spread out a blanket on the grass. The park gives kids plenty to do when they're not splashing in the lake. Parking can fill up quickly on nice days, but that just shows how popular the park is. Once you're set up, it's such a relaxing place to spend the day together as a family. We always leave feeling recharged and grateful to have such a gem right here in Lacey. If you're looking for a family-friendly spot to enjoy the sunshine, swimming, and some simple outdoor fun--Long Lake Park is a great choice!

Definitely would come here with friends for a picnic or like a lake day with friends or my husband…read more It has two volleyball courts which I thought was awesome, people were already there playing their games so we just kinda observed as we passed by. Just fair warning, dogs are not allowed at the beach (on the gravel) but can be walked technically on the paved grounds and on the grass. It's a pretty small lake but has lots of grass and places to sit. Just gotta get there early if you want a good spot. Also no lifeguard is on duty there.

Such a great little hidden gem. They offer a military/veteran discount which is so nice. It's very…read morefamily friendly. Dog friendly on leash (Check in breed type). Great lighting and clean restrooms & showers. Little creek running in the park and nice common areas for kids to play. Super reasonable. It's rustic and quaint.

It's 12:50am and there are multiple groups of campers who are having loud conversations. The staff…read morecame at 10:15pm to ask one of the groups to turn down their blaring music and the campers started arguing with the management. I feel bad writing a review for the business as it's not their fault their patrons are terrible. Be warned whoever visits this campground about who you are camping next to. I'm a seasoned camper at a variety of different sites and this is the worst experience I've ever had.

Lovely and quiet. NOT accessible. You cannot drive to where you can see, let alone dabble your feet…read morein, the water. You can not drive to a restroom. The road going in is too steep for a wheelchair or a scooter. There is 1 picnic table at the parking lot, but no water, restroom, or garbage can. I was so disappointed that I couldn't access the water. The website didn't mention lack of access.

Frye Cove County Park is on the Eld Inlet, which is close to Olympia as the bird flies, but driving…read morethere gives you the feeling of seclusion. There is one main road, Steamboat Island Road, heading up the peninsula that has consistent traffic, but not so much to think that you are actually close to the state capital. Leaving Steamboat Road, you head deeper into this forest. Frye Cove lies at the end of one of these roads. There were an assortment of smaller trails at the park that ran along the water. We did see one fisherman there, a fly fisherman, and I was going to ask him if he was having any luck but I noticed that he was trying to finagle his fly out of a tree. This didn't seem like the ideal time to ask him if he was having any success, so we kept walking. My inclination was confirmed in the parking lot. He didn't have any success. Except for the truly knowledgeable fly fishermen, flyfishing is more of a way to appreciate nature's beauty rather than to reel in big fish.