Beautiful Lake for swimming. I was able to go off a private dock, but there's also a public access…read moreboat launch.

Love this little lake. Great for fishing not much though besides a boat launch, small area but love…read moreit for being pretty small and private. Not really meant to be a big public swimming hole.

Fun to kayak out to! The bathrooms are a bit gross. Neat little island to explore. Be careful…read moreduring windy days. Kayaking the sound can be dangerous. There are a lot of weird currents around Steamboat Island and the bridge.

This is now my favorite state park. We tied-up to the last mooring buoy available on the south end…read moreof the island then paddled the short trip to shore in our kayaks. Our mooring ball was a little exposed and we endured a few large wakes, but the visit to the island more than made up for it.

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!

This was my first time swimming in a lake. And I think the lake life is the life for me!…read more Weather was a perfect 87 degrees and little humid so jumping in the water was so refreshing and much needed. So much fun jumping in from the decks. I was shocked at how deep the lake was -- 15 feet near the dock and 25 feet towards the buoy. Many lifeguards and use of life jackets for the kids. So they could enjoy the deep end, as well. I wish we came to this lake every day of this trip :) instead of my last day :( We brought some pizza to eat for lunch and was here for hours. I had the best time!

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.

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.

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.

came here with Adam for veterans day because I have been saving this place for when the weather is…read morenice. did not get to bike here, so :(, but it was still a really good time with getting to know Adam. very serene with the calm waters. lots of ducks, especially nearing the state Capitol building side, and I think that there were two of them fighting. Straight up pecking at each other...and not the sweet, cute kind. Adam and I just watched like :( because why can they not click with one another? The fight was so deep for what? Anyway, there is a mini hike from here and up to state Capitol building, if you want some sort of challenge, but there is a paved sidewalk to go along if you just want to enjoy the nature and take cute pictures like Adam and I did. parking availa Le, but quite a bit of visitors, so had to park in a lot that was $1.10 an hour (it says $0.75 an hour on the sign, but not true). speaking of parking, the parking timer for that website where you pay actually started at 58 minutes, smh. would rank higher if parking more readily available and if they made it clear with signs about how the mini hiking trail goes.

Since there aren't really any public outdoor pools and the weather usually isn't cooperative to be…read moreconducive for a public pool, the Heritage Park Fountain is a perfect place to cool down for free. It's nestled between the roads that lead in and out of downtown Olympia. The fountain shoots water jets up from the pavement at different intervals so it keeps you guessing where the water will come from. I believe I've seen signage that they do treat the water so it's sanitary as well. It stops the water jets every couple of minutes to keep up with the filtration. One thing I love about this park is that there is a variety of people of all ages and backgrounds that come to play in the fountain or make use of the park benches. Young couples, hipsters, older married couples, families, all the single ladies, non-binary folks, and even people in business suits. It's not just a cool fountain that lights up at night, it's a place for people to commune and I think that's great since downtown Olympia often gives off that vibe. So, If you don't feel like going over to the plaza in front of the Children's museum to get wet during the summer, head over to the Heritage Park Fountain right across the street from Capitol Lake Park.