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.

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.

I spotted this area as we were driving along and we pulled into check it out. It was actually such…read morea nice stop and we probably spent at least 30 minutes here exploring. There's a big parking area where people can stop and you can take some steps down to a cemented area where there were multiple people fishing. You can see the huge cement damn across the water and it's actually really peaceful. We let our dog run around a bit and read about the dam. This was a totally impromptu stop but definitely a memorable one. For me, some of the most enjoyable things you can do is to learn about nature and science in a real life beautiful setting and Mossyrock Dam is a good example of that.

I have always enjoyed exploring different dams in the many states that I have traveled to…read more Mossyrock Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam and is the tallest dam in Washington state. It is 606 feet high and opened in 1968. Its purpose is to produce renewable hydroelectric energy to supply energy to several homes in the Tacoma area. Mossyrock Dam impounds Cowlitz River which created Riffe Lake. I was able to stop at the overlook and spend some time walking around the top of the dam. There are some really pretty views of Riffe Lake from this location. There are two parks in the area around the lake that provide outdoor recreation. Both Taidnapam and Mossyrock Park have day-use facilities, camping, fishing and boat launches.

This place is so beautiful and right off of the trail and the water is so clutch if you're outread more

This place is soooo awesome!! The owner opened up the art exhibit for us & was happy to explain…read moreeverything. Then we headed out along the trail of sculptures on the property. This place is so cool and so family friendly. They had cornhole, badminton, ring toss and other along the way. There are peacocks that live there and also a maze that wasn't open when we're there. If you're in the area you have to check it out!

At the bottom of the lake lies the small town of Riffe which was sacrificed for the good of all…read morewhen the lake was formed in 1968 with the construction of Mossyrock Dam, the town was covered with about two hundred feet of water although the deep end of the lake is approximately three hundred and sixty feet deep. The lake was originally named Davisson Lake after a Tacoma utilities director, who had no significance to Lewis County, as you can imagine this was about as popular as a fart in church so after years of petitions and resolutions the name was officially changed in 1976 to honor the small pioneer town that was drown so now it's known as Riffe Lake. Historic Facts: The town of Riffe was named for one of the original setters, Floyd Riffe, who was postmaster when the town formed in 1898. Floyd Riffe arrived in the area in 1895 after coming west from the Appalachians in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. Many settlers who came to Riffe originated from the same Appalachian region as folks went west seeking prosperity and then sent word back home about the opportunities in Lewis County. The way of life in Riffe as well as the mountainous topography would have reminded many migrants of their former homes in West Virginia. Buddy Rose wrote a book call "Stories from Riffe, Washington" this is just one of many books written throughout the history of the United States regarding extinct cities sacrificed in the name of progress - none of the town's went quietly but none can win the war when Eminent Domain is used as the government's weapon of choice - "the right of a government or its agent to expropriate private property for public use, with payment of compensation". Buddy Rose grew up in the town of Riffe and lived there until 1963 when, at the age of 15, he and his mother were forced to sell their condemned home and property to the City of Tacoma and move to Centralia, Washington where he finished high school. After retiring from a 30-year career with the U.S. Forest Service in 2003, Rose took up free-lance writing, and wrote hundreds of outdoor articles for The Chronicle newspaper in Centralia. He is now a popular contributor of outdoor and local history articles for the East County Journal in Morton, Washington but there one thing that's certain he can never go home...

Really nice and clean park. The playground is fully gated. Which is really cool. Especially if you…read morehave a kid that loves to run.

This is a tough one to review. We had a horrible time trying to park here. We have a 32 ft travel…read moretrailer and driving through the park looking for a spot was an utter nightmare. The roads are super narrow gravel roads and the spots are mostly very small. We tried unsuccessfully to park in various spots with no luck. After a long time driving around and about ready to give up and go elsewhere we found a spot I was able to back into. Not sure if they have full hookup sites, all we saw was water and 30 amp. The park itself is very nice, trees everywhere, looks like a state park or something like that so the park itself would be 5 stars. If you have a smaller RV or are tent camping you may have a better experience. Also just about 1:30 from Mt St Helens which you should definitely check out!

We loved staying here! They do a "creepy camp out" near Halloween and the kids get to trick or…read moretreat around the different sites. The bathrooms were very clean and the staff was kind. It's a bit hilly throughout the campground and the signage isn't great but I think they're still renovating so that may be why. We will definitely be back!

I absolutely loved this place for our daughter's 2nd birthday. They have amazing packages for all…read moredifferent prices. The staff was amazing, Two young ladies, unfortunately I did not get their names, they made sure everything was above & beyond. They were also very efficient. They set everything up so perfectly, as we chose the all inclusive package. The ambiance of everything was beyond perfection. I couldn't ask for anymore, I was absolutely speechless from the performance. If you have a little one, this is definitely worth it. All children had so much fun, including the older children who attended and adults as they got the time to relax! Thank you so much Mad Hatter Play Cafe! P.S- If you have a creative design, do not worry! They communicated beforehand to make sure they had the theme, or design perfect all the way down to the chair sashes!

We've been here many times and can't wait to see their new location! The coffee is always…read moreconsistent and very good, and it's legitimately one of the only places my kids never want to leave.