Nisqually State Park

Just a few miles west of Eatonville, off Highway 7, is Washington's newest state park. Created thanks to a partnership between the Nisqually Tribe, Washington State Parks, and other local agencies, the park provides 1,300 acres of forest, prairie, and riverside trails to recreate in.

Tucked on a spit of land between the Nisqually and Mashel Rivers, and adjacent to Ohop Creek, the new park is off Mashel Prairie Road. Here, visitors will find old graveled logging roads and narrow footpaths lacing through woodland and open fields.

The park has been 30 years in the making, and continues to develop. The trailhead boasts an ADA-accessible restroom and paved parking area, as well as room for six horse trailers and a hitching post. Additionally, an interpretive kiosk tells of the way the native people in this area use and care for the land.

If you're comfortable with more of a ramble than a directed hike, the trails here offer a lovely opportunity to brush past salal and other understory plants as they make their way through prairie and forest to the rushing river.

For a less rugged experience, stick to the wide gravel road. You may see horses in the park during your visit. Step to the side and talk to the horses (and their riders) as they pass by.