- Mission Creek Nature Park
This small nature park is perfect when you’re short on time and just want a quick flat, easy trail walk with your dog. The park is hidden in the middle of residential streets and so several streets will lead you to one of the many park entrances. Max and I do a loop throughout the entire park that ends up being about 1.3 miles. There is a bridge over a small creek and a large grassy area with park benches. One of my favorite trails in the park takes you through a beautiful grove of birch trees. This is a popular dog walking park and you will most likely come across other leashed dogs here.
2. Tumwater Falls aka Brewery Park
Tumwater Falls is located in Brewery Park, where there is a large parking lot. The trail is a 0.8 mile mostly paved loop that runs along both side of the river, connecting via bridges. There are multiple waterfalls and cascades to view along the trail. Nearby the parking lot is a large grassy field with some picnic tables. This is a short, but scenic trail.
3. Squaxin Park
Squaxin park spreads across either side of a busy road. There are parking lots on both sides of the road and a bridge that connects the two sides of the park. One side of the park is on the coastline and the trails there will lead you to a rocky beach. The other side of the trail is on the inland side with some shorter, flatter trails through the woods and a grassy area with a gazebo. The coastal side of the park has trails with more elevation gain and feels more like hiking, where as the inland side feels more like nature trails. We do encounter some off leash dogs here sometimes.
4. Burfoot Park
We love Burfoot Park. As you enter the park you will drive around a large circle and can park in the designated spots along the circle. In the center of the circle is a very large grassy field and a playground. On the outskirts of the driving circle are the trailheads that lead to the beach. The trails here have lots of stairs and boardwalks and come with some elevation gain on the way back from the beach. I love the many tall red cedar trees in this park. This park seems to be popular amongst dog owners. We encounter other leashed dogs here a lot. When the weather is exceptionally rainy I find this park to be completely empty and will then take Max for a quick offleash romp through the trails.
5. Pioneer Park
Pioneer Park is located in Tumwater and features a massive parking lot alongside baseball fields. Dogs are not permitted on the sports fields, but there is a path around the field as well as trails branching off from the parking lot. The Deschutes River borders one side of the park, where you will often come across people fishing. These trails are flat and easy and wind through the forest and along the river. I have come across both leashed and unleashed dogs here.
6. Watershed Park
Watershed Park offers a 1.5 mile loop through a dense, dreamy forest. There are lots of streams and bridges along the trail. The path is mostly flat aside from one section that has a steep incline and then descent as you make your way up and then down a large hill. We encounter lots of leashed dogs at this park.
7. Wanschers Park
This park is very small and will not give you a workout if that is what you are looking for. I mainly use this park for very rainy days where I don’t want to do a long hike in the rain with Max. This offers just enough smelling and walking to satisfy him without spending too much time getting soaked in the rain. The park is located in a residential area with a small parking lot. To the left of the parking lot is a large grassy area that also has a section of tall trees that Max enjoyed exploring. Straight ahead from the parking lot are some picnic areas and then past those is a sandy beach with lake access. By the beach is a short trail through the woods that will take you back to the parking lot. So there you have it: a small park perfect for when you are short on time or a rainy day that offers a field, a beach, and a short forest trail.
8. Tolmie State Park
Tolmie State Park requires an Explorer pass to park. There are 3 trails in this park but they pack a lot of punch for such a small state park. Two of the trails take you to the beach, where there is so much room for exploring and beautiful views of the water. There is a gorgeous bridge right by the water that will take you towards the forest trail known as Four Cedars Loop. This trail is a twisty, turny, winding trail with lots of boardwalks and some inclines. This park is truly gorgeous and one of our favorites. We typically get in about 2 miles at this state park as well as some fun beach time. We often encounter other leashed dogs on the trails.
9. LBA park
LBA park is a huge park that has multiple baseball fields, grassy areas, and playgrounds. There is a paved path around the park, but then you will come across trails that branch off into the woods. I highly recommend using the All Trails app when branching off into the wooded trails because there are so many criss-crossing and intersecting trails that it is easy to get lost if you don’t know the park well yet. This park is so much fun with so many trail options. The trails in the far back of the wooded area are labeled off-leash. The off-leash area is not very big and the off-leash trails are on the shorter side, but it is still a hidden gem as the majority of Olympia does not have off-leash trails. We had a lot of fun exploring these trails and just getting lost in the woods and then finding our way out on the All Trails Map. We ended up hiking about 3 miles.
