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.

This place is great! The staff are extremely helpful and kind. Sites are large and clean. Bathrooms…read moreare really nice with great showers. Highly recommend! We'll definitely be back.

We had a wonderful time, the place was very spacious in private, lots of areas for taking a walk…read moreand playing games, etc. even a dog park! They have all the maintained areas, bathroom, honey, bucket, etc. The staff is very friendly here and they genuinely love everyone.

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!

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.

OMG!!! This place is so nice if you are into "camping lite" it is a camp ground reserved for…read moreTeamsters and their guests. It is clean, it is convenient and close enough to get to for a day trip and far enough away to feel like you have gotten away from the stress in your life. This is a very large beach front community that boasts its own caretaker, restroom and shower facilities. A public clubhouse/kitchen, walking trails, boat launch seafood cleaning station, and more. Steve and I often take the camper there and or the jetski and just enjoy the weekends. Often on sunny summer weekends it can be crowded and have a bustling party Atmosphere. But even on dreary spring and fall weekends it is nice to curl up and watch the occasional boat drift by from your camper or the clubhouse. There often special events that take place here during the holidays etc. that are privately hosted but often everyone gets included. It is is just a great place to meet up with friends and meet NEW friends.

Well this trail is cute. I had avoided going on the trail because usually I am in the area at night…read moreand there aren't any lights down on the trail at night so it's kind of spooky because you don't know what's lurking down below. I parked at the West Bay park and walked up and over to the trail. I did like that the trail has direct access to water. The land next to the water wasn't too muddy or loose where your shoes might get stuck either, so that was nice. As there is nothing preventing your from walking up to the stream, watch your kids to make sure they don't fall in. The trail is just wide enough for a stroller, but it's uneven in sections and has steps and bridges so be aware of that. I think the stream is feed by water that runs off the streets as there are large black plastic tubes running down the hillsides carrying street water to disperse into the stream. I guess that's why it's important to watch what you throw into the gutters and streams. Even though this trail is short there are no shortage of inclines, stairs, bridges, and declines. It's a lot of variety in a short stretch. Although the sign says no running there were several people running or with their dogs. At the end of the trail furthest away for West Bay there are steps that lead up to a bus station just in case you're trying to catch the bus. Overall, it's a cute & short trail which may be just enough to get your heart pumping.

This is a super short trail, less than a mile round trip, but a nice way to escape the heat of the…read moreday and enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. I parked for free at West Bay Park and crossed the main road at the pedestrian walkway to find the trailhead. There is a bench at both ends of the trail as well as one other at the halfway point. Signs at both ends clearly indicate the rules of the park including leashed dogs allowed; but no jogging is permitted. Seriously? I'm not sure why that last one is an issue. There were very few people, mostly women of all ages, that I saw on the trail, but perhaps the no jogging rule was implemented because the path is narrow and could be slippery when wet. I met two leashed dogs on trail with their responsible owners. The trail winds down from the road at both ends and follows a creek bed. There are bridges, retaining walls, wood planks, steps and dirt path that make it easy to follow this trail from start to finish. You will be surrounded by large trees throughout that provide a canopy blocking out the sun and heat of the day. At a few points, you can see water trickling through the brook below. I imagine that it is more powerful during and after a few days of rain. I could hear the stream and birds squawk. This easy trail basically offers a nice, short stroll through the woods to breakup the monotony of the day.

***Patented pre-review tips: The parking lot is very small, and a Discovery Pass is required. No…read morebikes allowed on the trail, but there is a covered rack to store them. NO DOGS, EVEN ON LEASH, allowed. Don't know if that includes service dogs, but the point is to keep wildlife from being disturbed. The trail from parking lot to the bay is paved, but the one mile loop trail isn't.*** This is a great, short, low-intensity walk in nature. It was formerly a railroad terminus where trains would dump their loads of logs into the bay to be taken by boat up north. There are still some tracks and lots of historical placards telling about this, and there are more placards about the many kinds of wildlife in the area. The paved trail and maintained spur are both fairly low elevation and provide views of the water as well as surrounding woods. All-in-all a great short nature walk close to Olympia and Lacey!

Love this place. Seal breeding ground in the summer and and amazing mushroom and slug trail…read more There are two ways to get to the end of the trail. The paved trail is about a 1/2 mile and is a very easy walk. Dogs and bikes are not allowed on these trails. The second trail is approximately 1.6 miles long and weaves along the inlet. This is a mild hike, but it is more difficult than the paved trail (not for strollers).

Very cool to have a horse riding area available to all.. lots of land. Recommend watching the…read morehunting schedules. Cool place

Well I've been trying to try different parks in the area and decided to head to Scatter Creek…read more Sigh! The only wildlife that I saw readily accessible here were birds. There may have been some gophers or prairie dogs or something, but I didn't see anything. You will need a Discover Pass. The parking lot is just that a big unpaved dirt lot with huge pot holes so watch out if your car sits low. There are two trails reasonable in length that you can walk around within the recreation area. There are also some historical items within the fenced area. I will admit that I felt a bit uneasy at the fact that there are warning signs everywhere to let you know that you're in the "safe zone" or to wear "hunter orange" as it's a live bird hunting area between 8-430 M-F. So every couple of minutes you hear the shot guns go off. The bird hunting is by shot gun only and the hunting area is the larger portion of the recreation area. Just watch your kids and dogs and wear bright colors if you can.