Great place to take a leisurely walk throughout most of the year. Check out the river or wander down to the boardwalk to the end passing waterfowl along the way. Rarely crowded even if the parking lot seems full.
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Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
100 Brown Farm Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98516-2302
Open today: Closed
marye1231
Olympia, Washington
2449
Nice boardwalk to great views of Puget Sound's Nisqually Inlet.
Date of experience: May 2018
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Ernie K
Olympia, Washington
8838
This estuary was returned to its natural state when the levees were removed a few years back. It is amazing how it has been transformed. Walk ways and informative stops lead you along the way. Worth the stop off of I5. The whole family will enjoy it. If possible seasonal visits really tell the story of how the estuary works.
Date of experience: June 2018
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lorilL9036YY
Olympia, Washington
448
Great place to walk Very flat! Beautiful views of the surrounding area Can be very warm on a sunny day!
Date of experience: July 2018
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cynthia W
Freeland, Michigan
595386
Flush toilets at visitor center. Parking is limited. No parking for RV's. Porta John's in the middle of the hike. Tide out: NOT much to see. Tide IN: Lot's more to see. This is a marsh area, that is affected by the tide. Do yourself a favor; spray at least your ankles for bugs. More birds and animals are present when the tide is in. The hikes are reasonably marked and great for a family outing. Most of the hike out to the sound is NO SHADE, so wear a hat, and take some water. There are a few benches for setting along the way, but not a lot. This is dog on leash area, so keep your dog on a leash. There are a few pavillion type covered areas on the long walk out to the sound. We visited in July, very hot, and not much animal activity. Keep an eye out for any animals, including baby skunks.... Oh so cute. There is a small gift shop here that had a great variety of items.
TIP: PLAN AHEAD: check out the tide chart,, more to see when tide is in. Spring or Fall is best. Wear a hat, mostly sunny areas on the hike. Put on bug spray.
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Date of experience: July 2018
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
madcheddar
Chicago, Illinois
14144
If you enjoy hiking or are a birder, Nisqually is great. It's easy to access off the highway, has a lot of trail to hike and is set up to attract a lot of wildlife, oh, and it's a cheap trip.
Take note: Birds are fickle and you are likely to notice a big difference in what you see depending on time of year. We were there in February a few years back and saw dozens of Bald Eagles, Hawks and other raptors, where during our recent trip, in July, we saw only some little song birds and one impressive toad.
Date of experience: July 2018
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airedaleluva
Litchfield, Connecticut
11246
My sons and I enjoyed walking on the trails, many shaded during the hot weather. We did not see much wildlife that day but enjoyed our visit.
Date of experience: July 2018
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.