The gates and restrooms are open only from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but don't let that stop you…read morefrom enjoying this park at any time of year. There is ample free parking across the road. A 0.7 mile paved footpath circles the pond and is a favorite of the locals. Four floating piers welcome the fisher. Non-motorized boats are allowed in the pond, but I have seen only one there in all the years I have visited. A few ducks, geese, and coots live here year round, and many more visit in winter. For info about the fish stocked in the pond see http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/washington/749/

Such a wonderful place for peace and quiet. Enjoyed watching the birds and hanging out by the…read morewater. Very few people and just a few folks fishing. Great place to relax and spend some time and lots of room to social distance.

Fantastic playgournd with a ton of different areas for the kiddos to play…read more There is a covered seating area which is great for parents on sunny and rainy days. My kids enjoyed the ziplines and bonus they set it up so I didn't have to pick up my kids to get them on it. There were bathrooms outside the fence area by a playfield which was nice to have avaliable.

Awesome playground! There are so many different structures & climbing options, slides,…read moremerry-go-round, swings and some zip-lines. Suitable for toddlers through big kids. The ground is the squishy astroturf stuff, which I think is nicer and more kid friendly than woodchips. There are clean restrooms available right next to the playground, with a water bottle filling fountain on the backside of that building. I've never seen a water bottle station at a park before (only normal water fountains) so that was cool. My only downside here: The playground area is completely open with no shade, so bear that in mind on hot days! When we visited it was in the mid-80's and we all got toasty quite quickly. There are two shelters with tables/benches available along the side, presumably mostly for parents and caregivers as the playground is so fun - good luck getting your kids to take a break from playing!

I really wish we had a better experience at this campground. We were looking for something near…read moreMount Rainier, and this fit the bill. Some of the sites were basically right in the parking lot, but most of them were really nice. Ours was a walk-in site up the hill with lots of trees and greenery. It had a nice flat area along with a picnic table. The bathrooms were close and clean, and I loved having the lake nearby. However, the campground was really loud and rowdy. We stayed for two nights, and each night there were two to three large family groups that were loud until after 11 pm. We heard a car playing music with loud bass. A groups of kids entered the echoing bathroom and played, screaming, turning on the hand blowers, and spraying water everywhere. It was just really loud and the quiet hours were not enforced. The campground had all the ingredients to make a great stay. We just had a few loud groups that disturbed the otherwise quiet campground. I hope we just had bad timing.

Nice little stop over on the way to Mt Rainier or if you are exploring the area…read more We went on a weekday in the fall so parking was plentiful and it was very quiet. The weather was also clear enough to see the lake, with a dock to walk around and stretch our legs. I didn't see much else to do aside from exploring the lake and whatever other water activities are involved like fishing, kayaking, etc. The restrooms are actual flush toilets with soap and water, and they were pretty clean aside from the hard water stains on the toilet bowl that is inevitable with park bathrooms. Still a better option that pit toilets. Fun Fact: The code name for Intel's 12th gen desktop processors was based on this lake.

What a wonderful under the radar waterfall this is...Beaver Falls!…read more Located 6 miles east of Clatskanie, Oregon, this area near the Columbia River is beautiful. Let's get straight to the heart of what Beaver Falls is all about... If you plug "Beaver Falls Trailhead" into Google Maps, you'll have no problem finding it. Then just park along the side of Highway 30 and hike 1/3rd of a mile through the forest to the base of the falls. It's that easy. When I visited on a Thursday in early afternoon of July, there was hardly anyone around which was good for taking quality photos. Best of all, you can swim in the waters. So definitely bring a bathing suit, towel and a pair of water shoes so the rocks won't hurt your feet while entering the pool beneath Beaver Falls. The water is cold but once you jump in and get comfortable, it's a terrific setting. There's also a long rope where you can swing across and splash down below. It's great for kids (and adults too, lol) to have playful times. For me, I was content soaking in the pool and appreciating the surroundings. More info... - It's free to visit. - Cell phone reception works fine. - You can walk underneath the falls! This is a Must-Do. You can capture some amazing moments standing beside Beaver Falls. It's not hard or dangerous and offers a unique perspective. - Beaver Falls is just one of many outstanding waterfalls situated around Oregon and especially near the Columbia River. There's also Lower Lewis River Falls, Panther Creek Falls and Spirit Falls, to name a few. - You can spend a few hours hanging out or as little as 30 - 40 minutes. It depends on your time horizon. But overall, it's really pleasant to be here that I'd suggest bringing snacks, lunch and maybe having a picnic. This Beaver Falls is absolutely so much fun to hang out at. When you can swim in the waters, swing from a rope and even walk underneath the falls, It makes for a worthwhile summer visit.

We were passing through after visiting Olympic Park and looking for a hiking spot in the area. Lake…read moreSylvia seemed like a possibility so we stopped off last Sunday around 10am. There were a few hikers there, but otherwise mostly those preparing to fish. We didn't visit the camping section, but they've got a decent sized day-use area with a good amount of parking, tables, and restrooms. We took the forest loop trail that leads from the lake along the stream through the forest and back around to the day-use, about 2 1/2 miles. There are sections of the trail that are simply gorgeous, and other parts not quite as pretty. But the trail is pretty fun, ups and downs, winding with steps and bridges. While the path is completely passable right now, it was very muddy in many places. A bit precarious at times, as some of the soupiest, slickest spots happened to be on inclines and declines. You'll definitely need waterproof shoes and prepare to get dirty, but Sylvia is good for a quick hike. They've got some interesting educational info along the trail too...and the lake has a very peaceful feeling.

This place is quite the gem for a family trip ! Camping is very reasonably priced. Our walk in…read moreprimitive sight was $20 a night. If you have children the walk in spots are best because the are closest to the swimming and playground and bathrooms! There are plenty of amazing trails and all well kept! ***WATER FALL ALERT*** yes there is a waterfall and also a really neat dam that creates a man man water fall affect . Fishing is aloud (no motor I believe) Dogs on leash Swim at your own risk Drinks aloud (I think ... I see lots of them) Also a group camping site that is at the top of a hill and looks down at the water. Easily fits 8-10 tents and has a covered shelter ! Perfect for a family reunion camping trip and honestly a beautiful place to even consider as a wedding venue.

I'm on a mission to stay active during this pregnancy, and have been hiking every Saturday morning…read morefor the last month or so. Last Saturday we went to Little Mashel Falls, and it's the first "new" hike I've done in a while (one that I haven't done before). The information on AllTrails & WTA is kind of confusing and daunting to follow regarding parking, so let me make it easy for you - PARK AT THE BUD BLANCHER TRAIL. It directly takes you to the falls trailhead, you don't have to be out of the lot by 2:30 (it's open til dusk) and it's right off a main road so you're very close to civilization and not in the middle of a forest or random highway. You can easily GPS Bud Blancher Trail by name and have no issues. There is a portable bathroom at the trailhead that is clean & maintained regularly, so if you really need to go, it's not the worst. This trail is fairly easy. There were a few times that my heart got pumping, but overall it was a great morning workout. I didn't hike to the Upper Falls as I've heard the views weren't that great. I did the Middle & Lower falls. The lower falls is a steep descent and coming up is probably the most incline you'll deal with the entire hike. Middle Falls is very easy to get to but be VERY careful on all the big rocks as they are very slippery. We had someone in our group fall (they're okay) and I slipped a few times myself. That being said, it's gorgeous and you can go underneath/behind the falls for a deafening experience if you so desire! Highly recommend this trail. Dog-friendly, kid-friendly (I'd say 6 and up), and great for beginners.

We really enjoyed exploring Middle Mashell Falls. We learned a lot by reading previous posts…read more Nicely maintained. Pet friendly. Next time we will pack a picnic & stay longer!! There is a bit of an incline before you get to the falls. Signage is very small & easy to miss on your first visit. We parked at Bud Blancher Trailhead

This is a fun playground on the oregon coast. Lots of play structure to run about on. Featuring…read morebalance beams, monkey bars, and slides. My kids had a lot of fun, the problem came when they had to go the bathroom... It looks like the bathrooms at the park are closed for vandalism so that was inconvenient for us.

Was visiting Astoria for a day and my toddler needed to burn off some energy. Lo and behold, we…read morefound this park with an AMAZING play structure. Hands down one of the better ones we've seen. There's a separate areas for very young kids and another area for bigger kids. Also has convenient bathrooms. Our 2 year old had so much fun. We had no trouble finding parking right on the street. Will definitely come back here again.

How many times have we driven past the sign on the freeway but never stop? So we finally did and it…read morewas a fun place to explore and spend an hour or so. We are looking into maybe camping here soon, just to get out of the house for a night and bring the dogs. The campsites were clean and spacious. Very pretty!

I want to start by saying this is a great state park! For many reasons... amongst those reasons the…read moremost prominent one being, Will. Oh, Will the man you are. If you are looking for the top graduate of Park Ranger Academy, he lives here. We arrived and Will was quick to be posted up with a welcoming aura. Oh, Will. We will miss you dearly.

2 years later and we went back and guess what? It's still fun? I actually think it is one of my…read morefavorite places to visit. I really like the beach area. Unfortunately, it rained the majority of the time we were there, but since we had a travel trailer, we just played games inside all day. The great part was that we knew the rain was coming so on day one, we went to the beach and enjoyed every minute in the warm water. The water is seems clean, the waves are great. Even though it's a river, I did not worry about floating away. I still enjoy watching the ships. One of my nieghbors showed me an app that gives you info on the ships that pass. I still recommend this place. Unlike lasdt time, no barking dogs nor car alarms. Even my neighbor had dogs and they were so well behaved. Great time! Definitely visit if you have a chance. This time we parked down by the restrooms (near tents). Okay, little kids don't know better and kept running through our spot, but when their parents saw them, they corrected them.

I. own the 503-acre tree farm bordering the park. The park is underutilized which is ok lol but it…read morehas really nice beach which you can enjoy often with no or litlte company. There are tennis courts - campsites. Its really undiscovered as is SW Washington. In a couple of years I will have to sell my farm but meanwhile its a great place to go. Photo is from my land overlooking the river. The area is perfect- not totally empty but not full of tourists either. I

My favorite place to swim. $5 and hardly anyone around? A real bathroom? Picnic tables? Amazing! A…read morehidden gem well taken care of by the hosts.

Can confirm that the parking is strictly enforced, they threatened to tow us. Otherwise a lovely…read moreplace to spend an afternoon.