Eagle Island State Marine Park is an excellent little kayaking adventure that only takes a couple…read morehours. It is a gorgeous location, just off Anderson Island, with views of the Olympic Mountains, McNeil Island ("Alcatraz of the Northwest!), and the Key Peninsula. This little island is uninhabited. Nice beaches, jillions of seabirds, seals with their pups, and a short wooded trail to explore. To get their, take the Anderson Island Ferry from Steilacoom, just south of Tacoma. Drive to the old boat launch at the north end of Anderson Island. It's a short paddle there. It was an easy paddle out to and around the entire island. Lots of fun! Here's a great aerial/action video of the island. https://youtu.be/hA6BcJmaqGM Check out this video on Anderson Island https://youtu.be/SzqhN0pg_1Y Learn more about Anderson Island - http://andersonisland.org/

We were at the lower park playground it was nice and clean…read moreWords words all ljgdssdgjlkgfds

This is an excellent park for locals and tourists alike. This is a privately owned park, it is not…read moreowned by the city. It is well kept and beautiful. During salmon season it is fun to watch the salmon make the long hard swim upstream to the hatchery. Great place for senior pics, wedding pics or family photos. The duck dash the first weekend of June is a lot of fun. Seeing thousands of plastic ducks make their way down the falls is so cool for kids and adults. Paths are easy for walking, we even wheeled my grandma in her wheelchair years ago. Mind you, up hill was a bit of a workout but she enjoyed the scenery. The falls are fun to see year around. Different landscapes for different seasons. It loses a star because the kids playground stinks. They need a serious update and refresher. Just a few chunks of cement shaped like a boat. Lock your cars and hide your valuables- occasional break ins by lowlife thieves.

This park is AWESOME! Nice views and the beach is rocky, not very sandy, if you prefer that.read more

What a nice little chill park! The beach is rocky and not sandy. Nice views. It's a good chill…read morespot.

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.

Jacob's Point is a small preserve on Anderson Island with a 3 mile walking path that illustrates…read moreboth the beauty and the history of the island. There are many stops along the path, mostly to see the Puget Sound and Mount Rainer in the background. I'm always impressed with Mount Rainer because it seems to poke out of the skyline from nowhere. There are certainly Cascade Mountains that border Mount Rainer, but they are not nearly as high and nor are they visible unless you head towards the mountains. There is one stop showing the remnants of one of the first homesteads on the island. The only thing left is the brick chimney. Apparently, it was a hay farm for a few years before the family moved off the island to find work elsewhere. I can't imagine how hard it would've been to have a hay farm on the island. You would essentially have to provide all the food for yourself and figure out how to transport your hay to market. The most interesting part of the trail was the old brickyard. The mud in the area provided good brickmaking material and the cove on the Puget Sound enabled the brickmaker to ship the heavy bricks to buyers elsewhere. Initially, it didn't make sense to me to have a heavy brickmaking facility on a hard to reach island but if your mode of transport is feet away from the facility, it makes more sense. The boats would float into the cove during high tide before settling on to supports at low tide. At that time, they could fill the boat with bricks. The boat would raise off the supports at high tide and head to market. For someone like myself who grew up in the Midwest, it was interesting to see how businesses could use the tides to their advantage. Unfortunately for this particular brickmaking company, the brick market collapsed a few years after they started operation and were forced to shut down.

Although you can map the GPS coordinates, there is no precise address for the park entrance. From…read morethe ferry dock, take Yoman Road south, then when it turns into Eckenstam - Johnson Road (keep left at the Y-intersection) continue south. It's about 2.7-3.2 miles from the dock, depending on how you map it, with the trailhead and small parking lot with signage on the left. Anderson Island is worth a trip just to visit this pretty little trail. It begins by winding through a marsh on a boardwalk, then proceeds through open woods to the chimney and the site of the Jacob family pioneer family. From there, the trail leads to a clean, waterless composting pit toilet. and to some cutbanks overlooking the south side of Oro Bay. At low tide you can explore the kelp-y, pebbly beaches. I heard tell of a sea cave (also mentioned on park websites), but I did not see it for myself. I did however see the sea. The website also warns of being trapped by "sucking mud" and the tides. Certainly, when the tides are coming it, be sure to know where you got down to the beach and keep it in sight, as the banks are steep all around and access points are limited. Even if the tide is in, the end of the point features a stunning view of Mt. Rainier, shining bright, or reflecting brightly, rather. The trail is mostly level with a few bumps, well maintained, and easy to follow.

This hidden park in the community at the edge of Steilacoom is a real true hidden gem this place is…read morean absolute slice of heaven perfect in every way it has a barbecue grill. It has the beach access. The only hard part is the stairs going down are very very steep and could definitely prevent anyone with a walking disability. there is parking at the top of the beach, but I will definitely be back and this will be a hidden secret that I won't share with many it would be a shame for this to be overpopulated

It's beautiful , tranquil and rocky. Not a lot of people come here I think cause of the fricken…read morestairs! Whew they are steep! I was hoofing down a chair, umbrella, floatie and bag... yikes. Then I had to climb back up ... yikes. Lol Had to say I was the only one for about 1 1/2 hrs then a few more folks. Group with Inflateable paddle boards, few kayak. Not a lot of people sunbathing. Just me haha. Water was cold but on a hot day was inviting. It was also pretty calm at this beach as well so floating was excellent! It was peaceful. I got lucky and hit low tide too. Nice view to Narrows bridge tho too!

Returned to this location and lots of updates to share. The trail, larger porta-potty and new…read moreoverlook of falls. They also put in a old style designed cabin. So cute and loved it. Two different areas to view Falls. Both muddy. Still bring your rubber boots or old shoes. Several benches, tables and doggie bags. Many visitors bringing their pups for this walk. East hike but prepare for muddy areas and slippery rocks. The view of the falls is divided left and right side. Right side is not as muddy as the left.

One of my favorite waterfalls. There's a new viewing deck in place since the last time I visited…read more It's not a far walk, but could be considered somewhat challenging to those who have any kind of mobility concerns. There are no stairs, decline can be steep. But for those who can, it's beautiful to see, and an adventure. Make sure to wear good shoes, or take water shoes for wading or swimming. The trail is easy, but getting to the river and views (in all areas) can be difficult due to the rocks.

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.