I drive into this park on a whim last weekend and think I've found a gem hidden in Olympia,…read moreliterally minutes from downtown. Straddling Boston Harbor Road, the park has a bridge that connects both sides of the sprawling property. On the East side of the park, you immediately feel like you've driven into a forest. Big and old trees line the park roadway. Several picnic areas are available, I assume by reservation, at least for the covered areas. I found a restroom building and took advantage. This place is well maintained. More picnic areas. Nd two more restroom buildings are on the West side of the park, and so is the Sound. Lots more parking, and a kids playground. Squaxin has something for everyone. Lots of hiking paths on both sides of the park that are now on my to do list. Squaxin is an oasis in Olympia!

Squaxin Park is a wonderful place to spend the day at and there is plenty of things to do! I have…read morelived in this area for many years, have heard of and seen this park as we've been around town, but never actually visited. I can confidently say that after being there yesterday that my boys and I will be back! I decided on taking the kids there because I was looking for a new playground space. We had usually gone to other parks/playgrounds and we were all getting a wee bit tired of the same old, same old. I showed the pictures of the playground to the kids and they thought it looked fun too. We went there and were pleasantly surprised at what all else they had to do. The playground itself has a big toy that's shaped like a large ship, which they had fun playing on. However, it was the walking trails and beach access that they enjoyed the most. The trails are partly paved and partly unpaved (so do remember to wear your boots). They lead you through the woods, along and close to various benches and covered pavilions, and down the hills to the beach. The trail hills are not that steep, so it's doable and not extremely strenuous (my 6 year old made it around easily - and the 3 year old mostly was good ... just got tired near the end, after a couple of hours of walking and playing). The best part of the walk was getting down to the beach! It's a beautiful view and very easy to walk around. Hard-packed sand, shells, and flat made for a nice walk. Because of all the recent rain, it was a wee bit sloppy; but fun. My kids had a wonderful time walking/running around and watching the water, looking for shells, and just being kids! We felt very safe there and I never felt like I needed to be "on guard" like at some parks. Overall, the park is large enough to spend a couple of hours there, and yet small enough to not get lost of feel overwhelmed with the number and length of the trails. I asked the kids if they had fun and would want to come back again. They both immediately said yes to both questions. There you have it. We'll be back!!

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

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.

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.

Nice playground for kids my daughter and her friends love going there a lot. Have a big run around…read morein the back and trail to get them to walk and seek some leaves.

Awesome clean and safe park. Very large and has something for everyone. Not too many people around…read morewhich made for a nice time.

The Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is incredible! The best $3 (cash deposit) I…read morehave ever spent! Over 3 hrs of birdwatching, deer sighting, eagle watching, heron mating dances, moss, frogs, snakes, and more. The brackish water and estuary allow for diverse life cycles across fresh to salty habitats. The boardwalk is well maintained, gravel moving into wooden slits. Incredible! Highly recommend. Big parking lot, fairly busy on a Monday in March.

Always a great solitude hike to clear my head and solve my problems. Frankly, I like to talk with…read moreGod out here. Somehow, I feel closer to him when surrounded by the beautiful Nisqually nature trails. Only $3 to gain access (honor system drop box), there are miles of gravel trails and boardwalks to enjoy. No biking, no jogging, and no pets allowed, but plenty of bird enthusiasts taking pics with long lens cameras. It's a quiet place to be in your thoughts. Occasionally, you see deer, rabbits, seals, coyote, lots of birds, and awesome eagles! Makes it so worth it? I highly recommend coming out here for a low effort hike, the quiet, and all things beautiful in nature!

We wanted to explore more of our city. I've never been to this park even though I grew up in the…read moreOly/Lacey area. This is a great 1-mile loop trail. Easy to walk/hike because there are no large hills to maneuver. A majority of the trail is shaded with trees so if you need a nice walk/hike on a warm day check-out this park. A few things to note: there is limited parking here, only about 4-5 cars can fit in the parking area (free parking), no dogs are allowed, and also the trail is not paved and I feel is not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers. Some of the trail is pretty narrow. My son is three and he was able to hike the trail with ease. There are better parks in the Oly/Lacey area (in my opinion), but nonetheless this is a nice park, especially on a warm day when you want to get outside and stay cool.

Great hidden park, actually pretty big but unassuming from the outside. Not much open space and no…read moreamenities, but you feel like you're in the middle of the woods and end up doing dome bushwhacking if you take some of the trails. Olympia's hidden gem!

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.

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.