Tanis L.

Belted Kingfisher, Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Belted Kingfisher, Belted Kingfisher! And so my birding went when I visited Tolmie State Park the morning of the 25th of June 2020. I arrived in the 9:00 a.m. hour and parked at the upper parking lot by the entrance to the park. There is a second parking lot further down the road once inside the park that is closer to the beach. By the upper parking lot there is a restroom building, covered picnic area, and abundant picnic tables with grills interspersed in the woods. There is also an area with benches facing the water in an amphitheater-esque seating style. In my exploring this area I found some cool plants including foxglove plants with cusped blossoms. A Goldfinch flitted across my path and made a getaway before I could get a picture of it. Fun to see the state bird in a state park! Making my way down the trail to the beach was quiet, and I was pleased to see that it was high tide when I arrived at the waterfront. Walking along the waterfront I notice what looked like a Kingfisher so I decided to approach and see if it was. Indeed it was! Slowly I waded out in the water along a muddy part and realized the mud was teeming with crabs. I was careful to watch where I stepped so as not to smoosh any of them. Once I reached the Kingfisher (a Belted Kingfisher specifically) it flew off across the spit of land I came across to get to it. I watched where it landed on a tree branch and then followed the Belted Kingfisher. The Belted Kingfisher was along the creek that flows to the Puget Sound at high tide, at low tide the creek dissipates. Another Belted Kingfisher arrived and they both started diving in the water for fish and other food. Turning my head left I noticed a Heron in the water and waded back out in the water to join it. After wading around with the Heron for a while I made my way back towards where the first Belted Kingfisher had perched to watch for food in the water. The tide was going out as I was wading with the Heron and making my way to the perch. The crabs were not happy about this. The ground glistened with movement, not sunlight, and there were 100s to 1000s of tiny crabs running to take shelter under the seaweed, in the mud, and yes trying to pinch my feet and legs. As I neared some crabs they would burrow backwards into the mud, put their pinchers up, and open them... I was careful not to step there. Eventually I made it back to the Belted Kingfisher perch and what did I find?! Not one, but two Belted Kingfishers watching the water!! So very cool. After admiring them for a little bit I started making my way back to my car. The beach and the parking lot by the beach were starting to get busy, so it was my time to go. A perfect morning adventure in the Puget Sound area.

Jboogie L.

We got clams! Easy to park and plenty of spread out space for people.

Pat K.

Fantastic state beach on the Puget sound! We walked to this beach from the house we were staying at everyday. Nice to hike into this location without having to pay for daily parking of $10. Very unique, quiet, and relaxing beach. Kids love it for the multitude of marine life. Perfect for fishing, clamming, oyster gathering, mussel gathering, and crab catching. This is the only beach in the south Puget Sound that has clean waters all year for safe consumption of clams, oysters, and crabs.... We ate a huge feast one night after gathering up fresh seafood from this beach. Just make sure you have a WA Shellfish or combination license on hand plus a catch record card for Puget crabs - the game warden visits quite frequently!

Don M.

Beautiful waterfront park. Trails, rocky beach, nice views across the water. Some picnic areas and a clean restroom near the beach area. Get a Go Pass or pay the $10 day use fee. Small parking lot near the beach area. Maybe 15-20 cars can park in this spot. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. We usually go on a weekday and never been a problem. We take our dog with us which is allowed. As long as they are on leash.

Melissa H.

This is our second time visiting Tolmie, and we liked it a lot - just as much as last time. It's pretty close to the main drag in Lacey, which is great for hungry kids post-hiking and swimming. I highly recommend going early for a couple reasons: 1. The parking lots (2) fill up super fast 2. You want to be there when the tide is out at least once. When the tide goes out, you'll find yourself in sand dollar Mecca! We left with about 50...dead ones, mind you. You'll also see thousands of live ones (you can tell bc they're black and covered in spines.) I digress. The hiking trails are easy and well-marked. Kid and dog-friendly. $10 for a day pass, or do yourself a favor and just buy a yearly Discover Pass for $35 which is good at a ton of the parks.

Donna E.

Visiting from out of town. Beautiful, very short walk to beach. Lots of people clamming and walking along the shore. Shaded picnic benches. A great place to eat lunch and take a walk.

Leah W.

Great 3 mile hike. Good for kids and dogs. Not wheelchair accessible. We went on an overcast morning but fresh air was wonderful. We came across a lady with small children and her dogs off the leash. Signs stating must be on leash or a fine. Friendly dogs but not really fair for others. Other dog walkers had leashes and some even muzzles. The Twin Creeks trail does a loop to the parking area. Water faucets near bathrooms are turned off....so always pack extra water. After the trail towards the bathrooms you can walk another small trail toward more picnic table and area to walk out on the bay.

Josh B.

This park is oddly serene. There are two parking lots, both with beach access, but the lower lot may have easier access directly to the water if you've brought a kayak or watercraft of some kind. There are water fowl like ducks and bald eagles. And you can gather oysters and other bivalves per the state restrictions posted near the water by the lower lot. There are several trails for the walkers/hikers. There is also a pavillion available for reservation with running water and grills for use. Of course the Discovery Pass is required but there are several stations to pay for day use @ $10/day. You also have to pay for mooring your watercraft. Overall I was satisfied with this park. It is a bit smaller than many other parks, but that's okay. I like that if you park in the lower lot, the water is basically right there. You don't have to walk a super far distance to the water. Also, it's very very quiet, which helps you reflect on the beauty around. I also didn't have very good cell service while I was out there, hope your service is better. But hopefully you won't need to call for an emergency or get mugged or anything. I felt really safe out there.

Amanda N.

Small park, but with nice facilities and great beach space. The biggest plus for me is that it is dog-friendly, as long as they are on a leash. There are some short walking trails in addition to the picnic and beach areas. Parking is very limited down at the beach level, but there is another lot up above with a short (but fairly steep) walk down to the beach. There are restroom facilities adjacent to both the upper and lower parking areas, as well as two covered picnic areas, one that I believe has a kitchen. Unfortunately, I spoke to a park ranger the last time I was there in July '09, and he said that this park would likely lose its state funding later this year. Hopes are that the county will take it over, so it won't be shut down, but he expects that without full-time staffing the facilities won't be as nicely kept as they are now. I really hope that the county is able to work something out so that we can keep bringing our dogs and family here year-round! It's a beautiful, quiet spot to enjoy the South Sound.

Fengie O.

I LOVE Tolmie State Park. You can walk trails, go to the beach, dig for clams (during the season, of course!), and have a cookout. The beach access doesn't require steep wooden stairs, long trails, or slogging through mud and stumbling over rocks. It's a nice stroll from the parking lot. I wouldn't say it is wheelchair friendly, but iI have seen folks off road it a tad on a hard path and grass in order to reach the beach front picnic table. I think this park is beautiful. The trails are fun, but the waterfront is my absolute favorite. I'm getting my money's worth from the Discover Pass! DISCOVER PASS For those of you who do NOT have a Discover Pass: Definitely get one if you plan to visit our State Parks more than 3 times in a year! OR if you are not able to plan ahead for the free days. FREE THINGS Free Beach Naturalist programs are available during the summer.

Sonia S.

Nice park to hike around. Beautiful scenery on a nice clear day. Need discovery pass or pay $10 for the day...they do come out and check several times a day to write tickets. To keep the kids busy you can do a "scavenger hunt". The day we went, there were lots of sand dollars. Bring sandals or water shoes...lots of algae and sand fleas.

Jenelle C.

This is a very nice park and the hiking trails are well taken care of. It had plenty of tables and the bathrooms are clean. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that parking is very limited. Also they only take cash or check if you don't have a pass. Overall, my daughters loved it.