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.

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.

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.

We recently visited for one night. We stayed in one of the few open spots, right near the front of…read morethe campground. The only sections open for winter were the small section we stayed in and the open field area. Unfortunately for us, the sections closed for the season were the prettiest...much more treed and private feeling there. We enjoyed one hike, the boardwalk-old growth-orchard sections and back to the campground. Apparently there is some damage to parts of the trail system here, but those we took were in good shape, just a bit muddy. Although we didn't get around to the lake, it looked gorgeous when we passed by driving in. Aside from the site across from ours after the teens left that morning, the grounds were all very clean. Pretty area and park...although I probably would only return if I could stay in the closed sections. :)

I moved up from SoCal where I have access to beaches and pools and easy access to the airport so I…read morecan be somewhere tropical in the winters when I want. Moving to Olympia, I was near none of that. So how cool was it to discover we lived almost around the corner from a nice park that has access to a lake where you can rent kayaks and duck boats or swim in the lake. Yes, after a couple months of summer, the water is a little gross from all the lie bottom being stirred up and mixing with the sunscreen and people soup, but if you want to get a cool dip on a hot day, it's nice (just don't dip your head into the water). Lots of picnic tables, but they do run out on weekends, so when we want to go we bring our own tables and can park it underneath the forest shade). On the first lake side parking lot when you come in, you're close to a place that serves beer and pizza. Halfway down in the next parking lot, you're near the place that sells nachos and ice cream. The parking is limited to the point that on the busiest summer days, they have to refuse entry and tell you to come back in the afternoon. For all the problems, it's a good park and one of our favorite places to hang out with our dogs.

We stayed and camped here for 4 nights total leading up to the 4th of July. The park was mostly…read moreempty when we were there and overall was not too noisy. Most of the noise were children playing around during the day but most got very quiet once dark. The park is nice and well kept, this is a newer section that I stayed at. They do have an older side that is a bit more rugged and off grid. The new side spots have power and water. They do provide a sewer dump station which is out off the street. The power hookups had both 30 and 50 amp and it had 2 normal 120 plugs which is what I used to run things. Most of the sites are decent size, not all of them are leveled though, the one I was in was a bit steep and the one next to me even steeper and they had a trailer they had to fight to level. Some of the sites are easy pull thrus but only a few. I noticed at least one ADA site that also has concrete around the pit for those with disabilities. They also had several first come first serve sites. The new side also has a brand new bathroom which is pretty nice and it has multiple bathrooms multiple showers available all newer and upgraded. I am missing those as I am in the grayland state park now where nothing is very new and there seems to always be a line to use one of 2 toilets in the loop. The park is along the river and you can get to it very easy with a couple of trails they have. There is also a trail you can enjoy that goes along the river between it and the campground that is very green. As for staying connected to the world at this park.... you cant unless you bring Starlink, I was able to get pretty decent speeds with my starlink but it can be a challenge depending which site you get and how many trees are in line of site. I was in 2 different sites during my stay and one was easier than the other. None of the cellular networks were working from what I was able to see, T-Mobile was a dud for sure with SOS the whole time, the park wifi allows you to load a page or two for checkin but nothing other than that if you can even get it to connect. Overall it was a pleasant stay and a campground I would possibly consider again in the future. Its a bit more remote for those who need to be connected.

Clean restrooms and plenty of water faucets with camp ground areas. Park staff was courteous and…read morehelpful. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate but we enjoyed our four day visit. The adjoining stream was refreshing. Would recommend!

I have to give this campground a five star rating because it is very beautiful and so fun to be at…read more Lots of things to do around the area being in Olympia area. And, inside the campground with the water activity rental equipments. Have a nice little store, friendly staff, very clean and organized. Plan to come back!

Staff was the best, fishing superb. We will return for a longer stay, my wife loved the new…read moreLovelock fence with padlocks.

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.

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 park is nice to go fishing or take your dogs for a walk on/off leash or watch your kids play…read moreor have a big family reunion under one of the many pavilions. The bathrooms are clean and the walking trail is nice. Grass can be a little muddy sometimes though. You can also watch the ducks swim or sometimes catch a view of a couple getting married at the Community Center. As I am a stickler for parking, if the park is busy, as it has been since it's summer and Washington has been getting it's 10 sunny days out of 365, people are out and about and grillin' n chillin'. So, the parking lot lately has been full, so you have to park in the grass directly behind the regular parking spaces. As mentioned, the grass can be muddy so if your car has a tendency to get stuck, you may not want to chance the grass. Overall, it's a great place to bring a lawn chair or a blanket and just relax.

Lovely park. Huge grassy area, great playground. Lots of wasps trying to share our food, though.read more