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    Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

    559 Reviews
    #2 of 45 things to do in Olympia
    Features Animals
    Nature & Parks, Nature & Wildlife Areas
    Closed Now: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
    100 Brown Farm Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98516-2302
    Open today: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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    256
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    Traveler Overview
    4.5559 reviews
    • Excellent68%
    • Very good25%
    • Average5%
    • Poor1%
    • Terrible1%
    Travelers talk about
    “bald eagles”(35 reviews)
    “bird watching”(21 reviews)
    “high tide”(20 reviews)
    About
    Located on the Nisqually River Delta in Southern Puget Sound, this refuge consists of three thousand acres of salt and freshwater marshes, grasslands and mixed forest habitats that provide a resting and nesting area for a wide variety of migratory...more
    Closed Now
    Hours Today: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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    Contact
    100 Brown Farm Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98516-2302
    Website
    +1 360-753-9467
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    Reviews (559)
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    Show reviews that mention
    All reviews bald eagles bird watching high tide bring binoculars visitor's center puget sound parks pass tidal flats boardwalk trail spring and fall beautiful nature long boardwalk natural state duck beautiful walk salt water mt rainier
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    1 - 10 of 556 reviews
    Reviewed 4 days ago via mobile
    Peaceful, educational activity

    3 highlights: -Great variety of wildlife (birds & mammals) -easy hiking trails -it’s a worthwhile activity no matter the season

    Date of experience: December 2018
    Thank r4mbler
    Reviewed 1 week ago via mobile
    Nice place

    Beautiful area. I walk the entire boardwalk and it was a very long walk but well worth it and I'm glad I did

    Date of experience: May 2018
    Thank Passenger648601
    Reviewed 1 week ago
    very quiet and pleasant

    beautiful easy walk, a little tough for parking on weekends sometimes. Can be a little cold with the wind but otherwise pretty easy walk.

    Date of experience: January 2019
    Thank brucewhittle
    Reviewed 1 week ago
    Gorgeous and Kid Friendly!

    There's something different at Nisqually every time you go. It's never the same trip, but it's always beautiful. Kid and Stroller friendly too which is a huge plus.

    Date of experience: November 2018
    Thank Kristy K
    Reviewed 2 weeks ago via mobile
    Peaceful

    We enjoyed our visit to this peaceful location. It was a good start to our stay in the area as it provided some insight into local geography. We saw some waterfowl. We didn’t explore the hiking trails as one member of our group had some...More

    Date of experience: January 2019
    Thank KansanLisa
    Reviewed 3 weeks ago
    interesting wildlife refuge

    A nice hike to the water to see the birds, hopefully otters, beavers etc. We always try and take our out of town company there. They have all seemed to enjoy it. Don't be in a hurry and allow time to enjoy.

    Date of experience: July 2018
    Thank treadingon
    Reviewed January 15, 2019
    Relaxing!

    Very enchanting and peaceful. The long walk along the wood decking is amazing! I loved seeing the wildlife.

    Date of experience: May 2018
    2  Thank Dreamer00974568191
    Reviewed January 15, 2019
    Relax and enjoy

    Safe place to work. Great photo opportunities. Knowledgeable staff and volunteers. Not a place for joggers, Great place for bird watching. Great place for families of all ages.

    Date of experience: October 2018
    Thank Bevierae
    Reviewed January 14, 2019
    Birds Birds Birds

    This refuge has lots of birds. The walking paths are clean and nice boardwalks and clean restrooms. We saw lots of Wood Ducks, Mallards, Songs birds, Sea Gulls, Pelicans, Several Great Blue Herons, Bald Eagles & Turkey Vultures, etc. Nice viewing areas. Would visit this...More

    Date of experience: December 2018
    Thank luv2travelkelly
    Reviewed January 7, 2019 via mobile
    Nature around a Boardwalk!

    This is a truly beautiful experience to walk out over the incoming or outgoing tide. You feel so embedded with the tidal experience by being able to walk out on a completely elevated walkway, very even, no elevation walk over the tide flats of the...More

    Date of experience: January 2019
    1  Thank theofog
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    Questions & Answers
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    Doxagirl
    September 2, 2018|
    AnswerShow all 5 answers
    Response from Bill C | Reviewed this property |
    To my knowledge, the trails are open every day, the visitor's center does not have to be open for you to walk the trails. I do know the visitor's center is only open from Wed thru Sunday
    1
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    Doxagirl
    September 2, 2018|
    AnswerShow all 4 answers
    Response from Kausar786 | Reviewed this property |
    You can meat in the reserve ground about .5 mile or less walking on the trail close to the historical barn. However you may not light up the grill. I am not certain but you may ask at the reserve office. There are about 4... More
    1
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    Randy B
    March 19, 2018|
    Answer
    Response from MariaT3 | Reviewed this property |
    Daily fee is $3.00 per four adults. An Interagency Annual Pass (old Golden Eagle), Senior Pass (old Golden Age), or Access Passport, Federal Duck Stamp, or an Annual Refuge Pass will admit the pass holder and 3 additional... More
    1
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    1234
    Travel Forum Posts
    Simone C
    South Australia, Australia
    Trail walks/hikes around Dupont, Tacoma etc. to do solo? (3 Replies)
    I'll be staying around DuPont for a short time and am looking to do some trail walking/hiking in the surrounding area on one of the days. I was thinking of visiting Point Defiance Park as it is not too far. Just wondering about safety. From what I can gather I'm sure i'd be fine but I keep coming across posts that state that Tacoma has a high crime rate? Would these park trails be okay for a solo female? Here at home I wouldn't hesitate at all to go walking/hiking on trails by myself, the...More
    May 20, 2017|
    Response fromglaciermeadows|
    Your chances of a bear encounter are about as good as running into a Koala one the trail. Even in our National Parks your chances are slim. Since I spent so little time in Tacoma I will let others comment. You should be just fine in Port Defiance and also at Nisqually. To bad you are not visiting any of our National Parks.