Visited this lake for the first time in the 9 years that I have lived in Lacey. Very clean and well…read moretaken care of. People out fishing were friendly including some friendly pets out and about walking the trails. Gorgeous lake.

This park is small but has great access to the lake. It's kind of a weird location as it's right…read moreoff 26th Ave and Ruddell. There is a paved trail for biking or rollerblading or just plain ole walking. There are also several "off the beaten path" trails so you can kind of venture off into the more wooded area. It's not too overgrown with foliage though, so you'd have a hard time getting lost or injured (unless you're not paying attention). All the trails lead back to the paved trail so you have zero chance of getting lost and the back end of the park is fenced, as it faces a street, so it's so small you cannot get lost. Seriously. As mentioned, there is access to the lake. I think it's Hicks Lake, but I'm only going off the street name. You can feed the ducks or maybe go swimming. There obviously is no lifeguard and I'm not even sure you can go swimming here. Do your own research. After you're done swimming (if it's allowed), which I'm not sure how toxic the water is, you can come up the hill a bit and picnic on one of the two picnic tables. There are no pavilions or covered tables so it may not be the best when it's raining or if you're hosting a big party. You might want to try the Woodland Creek Community Park since they also have a community center for like if you're doing a wedding or something. http://www.yelp.com/biz/woodland-creek-community-park-lacey The parking area is small as well with maybe no more than 10 spots that are not angled. The general feel of this park is just enough to make you sit right after a short stroll. Hold your pee as there are no bathrooms, or just pee in the water or woods (don't hate). The park is well kept and there have trash cans and doggie doo bags. It's not as lengthy as I would like. I like to have at least 2 or 3 miles so I can burn off some energy. That's one reason I like Grandview Chambers Bay Bike and Hike Trail . Now that is a park! http://www.yelp.com/biz/grandview-chambers-bay-bike-and-hike-trail-university-place. But anyway this park is about the same distance as the I-5 park but there is a lot more room to play football or horseshoes or whatever.

Even though we used Google Maps, we still got a bit lost trying to find this spot. I think we ended…read moreup adding 30 minutes to our driving time because we had to make a bunch of U-turns. Anywho, eventually, we found this spot, and it was exactly how my aunt and uncle described it. Lots of nature and walking paths, and gorgeous views of the water. The campgrounds are also sizeable, and there were plenty of campers and families hanging out and enjoying the sunshine. There's also a little amphitheater area made of tree stumps and wooden benches with a wooden stage. I think you have a reserve that area if you wanna use it, though. This place is chill and great for passing the time (maybe like 2 hours or so if you meander through all of the walking trails). Also, it's pet-friendly.

Top notch camping site. In wet weather, the conditions can be a little marshy, but theres tent…read morecamping down the hill a bit that appears to be nice. It rained the whole weekend we were here but the host was pleasant and friendly, the people there definitely maintain the park beautifully, and the ranger came by several times which made us feel remotely safe. Plenty of fun in the area for boating and swimming, two spots for RV/Travel Trailer camping. It's a serene and beautiful site that was more than adequate for a weekend away. If you're looking for just a night or several weeks, this campground is well maintained with beautiful views, and friendly and hardworking staff members. Truly a gem.

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.

Pioneer Park is AWESOME! I love going here with fellow doggy owners so our pups can swim in moving…read morewater.

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.

A very beautiful park in downtown Olympia/Port of Olympia! I love walking down here with my dog and…read morefellow doggy friends.

We ended up stopping here just by happenstance because we needed to let our dog out to potty when…read morewe were in the area. However, we probably spent an hour here overall, just enjoying the park. There was plenty of parking here and they have a nice little waterfront boardwalk where you can enjoy the breeze and check out some of the boats. There are also benches and grassy areas where you can stop and relax. I always appreciate a dog-friendly area when I'm traveling with my fur baby. They had some sculptures scattered around the area which were lovely. They had picnic areas, a small playground and restrooms as well. It was easy to spend a lot here just relaxing and taking it all in.

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

This is a great park to walk, though it is somewhat often littered with trash. The city workers do…read moretheir best, but if you have kids or dogs, please be aware of the trash issue.

This is a very small park with a couple of shaded picnic tables, a play structure and a restroom…read moreand doggie poop bag station, limited parking and that's it. It's a very small footprint for the park itself, but go down one path and it opens up to a nice sized shoreline. There are signs saying that you can't do any shellfish harvesting, so don't come with your clam digging equipment, but it's a nice place to walk along the water. I came on a gray day, so it was damp and cold, but this place is probably really nice during the winter. There are also signs that you can't shoot off fireworks, so be good. Even though you're near the water, it would be a bear to get fire trucks into the park if a fire broke out.

Cute little water front park. Great to take a stop at and relax with some food or bring the small…read morehumans to play on the jungle gym.

This is a very easily walkable 1.1 mile trail that leads to a spawning ground for wild chum salmon…read more The trail is very well marked and level. I visited during mid December, so there were still a handful of salmon making their way upstream and spawning in the gravel beds. There's a little footbridge spanning over the stream and so you can get a good look at the fish swimming without being tempted to wade into the water itself (which is highly, highly discouraged since it's very easy to crush fish eggs and disrupt the migration). I would describe this as a multisensory experience as you can see the fish, hear them splashing in the water...and smell the dead fish. I wouldn't advise going if you have a sensitive nose! This was a cool experience otherwise.

What a gem in our back yard! Easy, flat well maintained…read moretrails, good for the whole family. No bikes allowed so safe for the little ones. A bird watcher's paradise any time of the year. Presently, lots of ducklings swimming amongst the water lillies that are in bloom. Lots of old timber and vegetation to walk through In the fall, spawning salmon in the creeks that have look-out platforms for your viewing Swimming in the main pond are beaver and other aquatic animals. A couple of modern outhouses that are fairly well maintained too. And for the price of a Discover Pass ($35 annually that covers 2 cars) you can visit 7 days a week. You can also buy a day pass on line. The penalty for no pass is quite expensive - $99 !