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Capitol Lake Park

4.4 (29 reviews)

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Washington state capitol in background.
Jesse S.

An easy walk on a paved path around Capitol Lake. Convenient parking. Grassy areas for picnics. Benches facing the lake on which to take sit and take in the beauty.

View of Capitol Lake/Heritage Park.
Leah W.

Great way to spend the fall morning checking out the capitol campus monuments, memorials and markers. Bathrooms located on both sides of campus and the capitol tour museum was open. We ran out of time. I have done the tour several years ago and would love to go again. Stunning fall colors and low volume of crowds. Good for strollers but currently the trail down to lake was closed. Parking $2 hour unless you find free parking further down town. Several state patrol driving around the area. Pack water and or snack not many areas to get food around these locations. Weekends would be ideal due to state workers and would be even harder to find parking.

Josh B.

This park is super great. The grounds are usually well kept (trash cans all over the place, doggie doo bags strategically placed, grass cut to a nice length, bathrooms are....ok). I know they had to block off several sections of the park a while back since they were heavily damaged by the "Occupy Olympia" movement. I was kind of said I was unable to use a public park based on damaged grass and possible contamination by waste. Anyway, this park is perfect for throwing a picnic, of riding a bike, or running more than a mile. The actual lake is man made and is fenced off I believe due to contamination or invasive plant species so whomp whomp to that. And the water is a bit smelly in places. I will also say, the park is nice at night as well, but I wish they had a little bit more lighting in places because sometimes I come across some people hanging out in the dark spots and it surprises me a bit and makes my doggies go off. You do run across a few homeless folks on the benches but I don't ever feel threatened at night or during the day. There is a great view of the Capitol building and a small trail that leads up the Capitol if you want to include that in your run. I believe the circle around the lake is about 1.5 mi., but the biking/running trails go on for several miles so it's good for all levels. The do have bathrooms but I think they close at dusk. And the park is in the heart of Olympia so that makes it even better.

Capitol Lake Park has a large walkway.
Andrea H.

This is a wonderful place to walk around the lake with views of the Capitol building reflecting in the water. The pathway is wide and flat making it ideal to walk or run side by side with friends or family for a quick loop around the water. Leashed dogs are also permitted, and there are plenty of grassy fields and trees next to the dirt path that make it enjoyable for four-legged, furry friends. Part of the path was paved sidewalk and part of it was dirt/gravel, but all of it was accessible for those pushing kids in strollers. There were benches along the way if you needed to rest. A bus stop is located on the far side. Public restrooms are available at both Heritage Park and Marathon Park which are on opposite sides of the lake. Metered, street parking surrounded Heritage Park, but it was free on the weekend. The lot at Marathon Park appeared to be free. County plaques with interesting facts were placed along the base of stone walls throughout the path, but I couldn't read most of them because of the accumulation of dirt and their close proximity to the ground. If I lived here, I would probably walk/run this path everyday.

Right before sunset.
Amanda M.

First time running around the lake. It's a pretty straight forward, run around the lake, type of path. There are bathrooms located at both sides of the lake, maybe at a mid point. Parking is free after 5 on weekdays and free on the weekends. I'm not sure what the distance is, but it's fairly easy to run around. There are lots of water fountains, trash cans and doggy bag stations. I feel like the good people in this city do actually care about the ground they run on because it looked well kept to me. There's a water fountain/spray thingy located across the docking area. This place has a great view from almost any angle and allows for some pretty nice photo opportunities during sunrise/sunset.

Azis V.

Nice view, the environment is friendly and peaceful. Tips: watch out for dog poopoo.. They're everywhere.

I heart this park and my state's Capital City!
Cami G.

Lovely constructed pathway that wraps around the lake. I appreciate that it is gravel, and not purely cement. Fantastic view of the Capitol Building.... a few blocks from the downtown core. I just wish they'd have some clean-up mission there soon as it's kind of..... dirty. You know, trash and ickiness flailing about. But it is Olympia after all.

Blaze V.

Nice clean lake/park! Great place to take a walk or run or let your children ride your bike around. It's about 1.55 miles around the lake. Very scenic. Usually at big parks like this, you would have a handful of bums but not the case here. .. maybe they out and about...

Rikk Beatty Band at Capitol Lakefair.

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7 months ago

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8 months ago

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1 year ago

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8 months ago

Great space to visit with a friend or solo, enjoy lunch at a bench or table, then have a great walk around the lake.

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11 months ago

Nice park for walking/running, just wish people can do a better job of cleaning up after dogs.

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2 years ago

Love the park and its ambience will visit again when in the city. Did a good mile long loop around the water

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2 years ago

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8 years ago

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14 years ago

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12 years ago

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15 years ago

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17 years ago

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10 years ago

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13 years ago

A really nice place to stroll around on a warm summer night. Clean and well kept, a good park to read a book in!

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14 years ago

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17 years ago

love the waterfront by the capitol building. on a nice day it looks amazing.

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Capitol Lake Park Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Capitol Lake Park

Does anyone know if the Capitol Lake park is open now or is it closed now due to everything going on?

Its still open. You should check https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article241282361.html for daily updates.

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Review Highlights - Capitol Lake Park

The pathway is wide and flat making it ideal to walk or run side by side with friends or family for a quick loop around the water.

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Millersylvania State Park - Our site July 2022

Millersylvania State Park

4.2(55 reviews)
8.9 mi

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.

Photos
Millersylvania State Park - Campsite

Campsite

Millersylvania State Park
Millersylvania State Park - Looking straight up at dusk

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Looking straight up at dusk

Long Lake Park - winter 2014

Long Lake Park

4.5(6 reviews)
5.8 mi

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.

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Long Lake Park - Swimming w/ lifeguard on duty

Swimming w/ lifeguard on duty

Long Lake Park - Long Lake in winter

Long Lake in winter

Long Lake Park - My son enjoying a Hawaii snack (spam musubi)

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My son enjoying a Hawaii snack (spam musubi)

Capitol Lake Park - lakes - Updated June 2026

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