McClane Creek Nature Trail

McLane Creek Nature Trail is a 1.5 mile-long trail located just outside of west Olympia inside the area known as Capitol Forest. The trail includes one large loop, which is connected to a shorter inside loop that skirts along the lake.

Although the trail is not far from the busy Westside scene, the park is quiet and secluded. It’s also a great local park option with many sights depending on the season. The lake is the residence of many ducks and other birds, and there are beavers and apparently even newts, if you can spot them. During the spawning season, salmon are running in the creek and we were lucky enough to catch that sight last time we visited the park. Jozee didn’t know what to think about all the movement and splashing going on in the water!

Along the longer outside loop, there’s a combination of boardwalk, platforms and nature paths where you’ll meet a number of beautiful trees with character. Along the creek side, there are observation platforms overlooking the water, which are helpful and great viewing points when the salmon are running.

On the shorter loop trail surrounding the lake, there are observation areas with benches where you can watch the gorgeous ducks and other beautiful birds and if you’re lucky, as we were the first time we visited, you might even spot a few turtles. Make sure to bring a pair of binoculars with you. 

Depending on the weather, keep in mind that the boardwalks may be wet and they can be a tad slippery…especially for anyone wearing shoes with no traction or holding onto a pup who likes to pull on the leash.

Another downside is that due to the smaller size of the park area and the limitations of space to roam due to the widths of the boardwalks (many of which are over water or swamp), it can feel a bit crowded if the park is maxed out. This is especially difficult during Covid times when social distancing isn’t as easy to adhere to, even if everyone is doing their best to walk in the same direction.

Overall, though, this is a nice spot to visit when you want to stay local or wish to stick with a shorter walk brimming with the possibilities of nature sightings.

Rainbow Falls, Long Beach & Cape Disappointment State Park

Some days we visit just one park, other days we cram a whole bunch into one day. On this particular trip, we ventured to three different areas and made it one long fun-filled day.

Our first stop was at Rainbow Falls State Park. It had been years since I’d visited this park, long before the original bridge over the river had been washed out, so that finding the park entrance took a little more time. Once we parked and began to explore the park’s day use area, memories flooded back to me of my visits there as a kid when we would stay in the campground. We quickly made our way to the river, after first stopping to get a look at a relic…a phone booth. The phone is missing and I don't believe the paper phone book was in the binder, but the booth was such an odd sight in the middle of the greenery at the park and seeing it just made me smile. 

The river walk was fun and the river was beautiful. We made our way down to the water to walk along the rocks and in the water and we also moved along the trail for more views of the river. Jozee enjoyed both the trail and a walk in the shallow areas of the river. The trail was easy and just enough for what we were looking for as a way to stretch our legs before hitting the road again. 

Our next stop was Long Beach, another area I hadn’t visited for quite some time. The beach is like any other Washington beach and this day was like many…cloudy and cool. But we enjoyed a walk along the boardwalk and in the sand and also had fun watching some pretty spectacular kites being flown by beachgoers that day. 

         

When we were ready to head indoors, we visited Marsh’s Free Museum, a tourist trap of the best kind. I’ve never been to Long Beach without also visiting this store. The museum is filled to the brim with your beach-related gift and souvenir items and so much more. It’s full of funky antiques and curios, to include antique arcade games and photo viewing machines, and oddities like Jake the alligator Man. It is a full-fledged curiosity shop and worth a visit. Jozee waited outside while we took turns exploring the store…I don’t think dogs were allowed inside but I also don’t know what she would have thought about some of the stuffed animals they have inside the store! 

After Long Beach we took a trip to Cape Disappointment State Park. Again, this is a park I’ve been to before but it’s been awhile and this was our first time with a pup tagging along. The park is very dog friendly and we enjoyed hiking up the trailhead past the lighthouse keeper's residence, Deadmans Hollow and an old bunker before we arrived at the North Head Lighthouse. Jozee met another pup along the way and they became fast friends. 

   

    

The weather was still cloudy when we arrived at the lighthouse but it began to clear up so that we were able to enjoy the surrounding views before we ventured back down the hill. The views from above by the lighthouse are truly beautiful on a clear day.

One note I should make is that this visit to Cape Disappointment was pre-Covid…I believe some of the park and access to the lighthouse is closed until further notice. However, when it opens up again, it’s definitely worth the visit if you haven’t had the chance yet.

We thought we were done for the day when we found another beach area nearby we’d never visited before. It’s called Waikiki Beach and it was a fun find. We had a different view of the lighthouse from across the water, rocks to explore, beach to access and it’s a beautiful beach cove with cliffs on one side and regular waves I imagine surfers often enjoy. We didn’t venture any further in to check out any trails the park might offer since it was so late in the day, which only means we have a reason to go back to this park someday.

Washington State has a beautiful coastline and while a visit to the beach is often cloudy and windy, you might get lucky with blue skies and sunshine to match the wonderful views. Since the weather can vary, it just gives you a reason to go back for another visit.

Tolmie State Park

    

Tolmie State Park is a great local park we have access to in our corner of the PNW. With three miles of hiking trails in beautiful forested land, as well as access to the beach and saltwater marsh, Jozee gave it 4 paws.

We hit the hiking trails first and really enjoyed the boardwalks and bridges, bunnies and birds and so many large beautiful trees! 

The forest in this park really is beautiful.

        

When we finally made our way down to the beach, we used the long boardwalk to get there. It made for a grand entrance. 

 

The tide was out which gave Jozee many smells and sights to see. We had to watch out for the crabs and sand dollars though, which were everywhere so that we had to watch our step. Low tide also means a large amount of seaweed left behind on the beach so we had two reasons to watch our step: not only for wildlife hiding underneath but also so we didn’t slip and fall! I regretted only wearing sandals so that I had to go barefoot rather than wear my water socks...seaweed in the toes is not a fan favorite.

          

Jozee was extremely curious about the crabs, but we made sure she didn’t get too close. A nip to the nose would have really spoiled the day! 

 

But she managed quite well and if she wasn’t sniffing out crabs, she was having a ball digging in the sand.

       

Tolmie also has an underwater scuba park, which I expect must be a treat for underwater enthusiasts, but it’s obviously not an experience you can partake in if you have pets with you.

Overall, this is a nice day park to visit, especially on a beautiful day when you can take advantage of the views across the Puget Sound.

Priest Point Park & Burfoot County Park

You don’t have to travel far from home to find great parks to enjoy with your pup…

Ellis Cove Trail

Jozee enjoying the view

Priest Point Park:

Priest Point Park is easily accessible and in a location not far from downtown Olympia, close to the marina and on the shore of Puget Sound at Budd Inlet and Ellis Cove. The trails are well maintained and a nice little hike, especially the Ellis Cove Trail, where Jozee enjoys taking a break while we have a snack. My favorite photo on one particular day is when she was gazing out at the water from the top of the bluff while we were taking a break. It really is a wonderful trail with a beautiful view. 

Beach at Budd Inlet

At the end of the trail we gain access to the beach, a nice area to walk with plenty of trees close to the shoreline if you find yourself in need of shade. We enjoy the view and Jozee enjoys playing around in the water before we head back to the trailhead.









On one particular day while we were walking this trail, Jozee met another young pup who looked like a young Husky she enjoyed playing with when she spent time at doggy daycare. When the two of them began to move toward each other, very intent on interacting, we finally determined with the owners at the other end of the leash that this was in fact her playmate at the daycare.

It’s a small world, even for dogs.

Ellis Cove Trail

The only negative we found while visiting Priest Point Park is when we accessed the water using the short trail on the south side of the park and had to walk in the mud flats at low tide. The mud flats are, well, muddy. They are also slick and slimy and after trying to maneuver through them just once, that was enough for me. I prefer the beach area further north where we access it from the Ellis Cove Trail and where the rocky shore gives us more traction.

Burfoot County Park:

While I had visited Priest Point even before Jozee, I had never taken the time to drive further along East Bay Drive to discover what might lie beyond. Since I’m always on the lookout for new parks to visit with Jozee, we finally ventured out that way and were pleasantly surprised with Burfoot County Park. 

A huge field where dogs can play fetch is close to a large playground area for kids and surrounding that field are multiple entrances where you can begin your walk either through the nearby woods or down the trail toward to the beach. 

The difference between this beach compared to the Ellis Cove Trail access is that there isn’t much in the way of shade. However, some days we have the beach to ourselves, at least for a short time period, and there are benches just above the beach where you can sit and enjoy the view for awhile. While on the beach we look for little crabs under rocks, spot evidence of what lies beneath based on holes in the sand and Jozee’s reaction to water squirting up at her when she stood over the holes was priceless.

Both parks have their own perks and both have become local favorites whenever we want to visit the water but have to stay close to home.

Jozee met a little friend

Stewart’s Memorial Park (Aberdeen, WA)

The Stewart Memorial Park in Aberdeen is a park I had never heard of and would never have known about if I hadn’t read about it. The only reason we ever go through the city of Aberdeen is when we’re on our way to the beach. Other than stopping for coffee or lunch or dinner on the go, we usually just breeze through Aberdeen and Hoquiam, intent on getting as much time at the beach as we can.

But on this particular day on our way to Ocean Shores and Pacific Beach, we thought we might check out the park we read about. It wasn’t easy to find, since directions we tried to obtain via GPS helped us bypass the park and end up lost in a residential neighborhood (a resident there told us it happens often). 

I wonder if this may be due to the confusion about the name of the park, which I tried to verify after the fact. I read about this park when it was referred to as both the Joseph Stewart Park and also Stewart’s Memorial Park. The Aberdeen park website also calls it Stewart’s Memorial Park but a brochure you can download from that same site refers to it as the James Stewart Memorial Park. 

A little confusing, to be sure.

Eventually, we did find the right road, the right turns and finally the park. It seemed like a basic park, at first, with a grassy area, a playground, and a picnic shelter. After letting Jozee sniff around a bit while we stretched our legs, we looked beyond the basic park amenities and spotted an entrance to a trail.

And then we disappeared into a wonderland…

This trail was beautiful, enjoyable and just the right length when you have limited time to spare. It’s only a mile long but the lushness of this forest and the varying types of walking platforms made you slow down to take stock not only in the beauty but also your footing as you moved along. 

Majestic trees, giant stumps, climbing ivy and mossy adornments surround a creek, and a nice trail accessorized with bridges, raised boardwalks, and wooden stairs to help you along the way.

It really was a beautiful walk and a nice place to take a break during a long drive.

But then we had to move along. After all, Jozee was going to experience her first time at the beach!