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Hike Report: Deep Lake at Nolte State Park

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Nolte State Park offers an easy, 1.4 mile trail that is family and dog friendly. With an elevation gain of only 52 feet and peek-a-boo views of the lake, this loop makes a lovely walk.

To park in the lot you will need a Discover Pass.  At the entrance there is a booth with an attendant, so be sure and have your pass ready. You can also purchase a day pass for $10, but at $30 per year, an annual pass is a darn good deal.

The trail head is located in between the restrooms and the play structure and is clearly marked. We noticed that they have a receptacle for micro filament recycling (the white container in the picture) –pretty cool!

The gravel path is pretty wide and you could definitely take your all-terrain stroller on this walk, and we saw folks riding bikes, too. There are occasional offshoots from the trail that go to picnic tables or the shore of Deep Lake.  Just stay on the widest path. There are a couple of small hills, but otherwise it’s pretty flat. We saw lots of huge trees, root balls with hanging moss, butterflies and dragonflies.

Although the trail takes you through the forest, you will catch glimpses of the lake.

The trail takes you right back to where you started, and the whole 1.4 loop took us about 40 minutes to walk, with plenty of breaks when the kids were checking out trees or wildflowers or chasing butterflies…  Now that you’ve gotten in some exercise, enjoy a swim in Deep Lake, go fishing, check out the play set or grab a snack at the picnic tables.

The restrooms were really clean and parking was plentiful. This is a great walk for the whole family and an excellent starter hike.

Nolte State Park   36921 Veazie Cumberland Rd SE, Enumclaw, WA 98022

Check out our park and swim report for Deep Lake

 

Hike Report: Twin Falls in North Bend

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This is a great family hike at Olallie State Park in North Bend. There are plenty of shady areas on the trail, places to stop and play by the river, a giant tree, huge rocks, wildflowers and of course– waterfalls!

To get there, take exit 34 from I-90. Turn right onto 468th Ave SE, then left on SE 159th st. This road ends in the Twin Falls trailhead parking lot.

You’ll need a Discover pass to park at the main Twin Falls trailhead parking lot, but if you don’t have one, there is street parking along the road before the entrance. The trailhead offers a restroom and a map kiosk, it’s a good idea to take a phone picture of the map in case you need it later.

Start out on the main trail which runs alongside the river. You’ll go through a swampy area that has lots of different plant life including skunk cabbage and –when we went in May– lots of wildflowers. Along the river part of the trail, you’ll see lots of smaller paths going down to the riverbank. If you ever want to make it to the waterfall, do what I did and tell the kids you’ll go to the river on the way back. If you stop, they might have so much fun playing that your hike will end there!

You’ll cross a wood bridge, then the trail heads away from the river and into the forest.

The trail winds through the woods until you come to a giant rock at the base of a hill. After you pass the rock, the trail continues up, up, up in a series of switchbacks.

Your first break will be a scenic viewpoint of the lower falls. There is a bench there, but as of my last visit, no trash can- so come prepared to pack out what you pack in. The falls are fairly distant, but still impressive! This is a perfect spot for a water or snack break. You can choose to turn around here or continue to the next, closer view of the falls.

View of lower falls from “The Benches”

From the benches you will continue down a hill where you will find Big Tree.  I found out after I took this picture that you aren’t supposed to walk around the big tree, whoops! There is no fence or sign, but I read that hikers walking around the tree compacts to soil, which isn’t good for the tree. So don’t do what I did- don’t let your kid go right up to the tree.

Big Tree

 

The Upper Falls

After you’ve enjoyed Big Tree, take the trail up a few more switchbacks. When you come to a short wooden bridge, you are almost at the next stopping point. You will see stairs off to the right that descend to a wood platform and an amazing view of the falls. The deck is pretty small, so on crowded days, you may have to wait.

We turned around after the second view of the falls, but you can continue up the hill to a bridge which offers a third view of the upper falls. To get back, go back the same way you came. On the way back, we stopped to relax by the river.  We saw a few people playing in the water, but of course, keep a close eye on your kids– the river runs deceptively fast and it is cold!  

Need more kid friendly hiking?  SFM loves the new edition of (my affiliate link)  Best Hikes With Kids.

For still more ideas, see our round up of favorites here! Note you’ll need to wait until summer for many of these; we always recommend checking trip reports at the Wta.org site for latest conditions and tips.

Tiffany Doerr Guerzon

Hike Report: Fairy Trail in Black Diamond

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If you’ve never hiked in Black Diamond Open Space,  you should check it out! There are miles and miles of trails shared by pedestrians, bikes, and sometimes even horses. ** This hike is an easy one and is more of a nature walk, suitable for younger kiddos or folks that don’t want too much elevation. This trail is called the Lake Sawyer Railroad Company Trail, but it is nicknamed the “Fairy Trail” because there are fun fairy doors on the trees.

Here is a good trail map. As always, we suggest you prepare for your hike by packing the Ten Essentials.

** Keep in mind that this is a multi use trail, and you should be ready to yield to horse or biker riders.  We heard from one reader who was concerned about hikers with young ones not being able to get out of the way of bikes, so keep that in mind if you decide to try this one.

 

The parking area is located off of Highway 169, at the north edge of Black Diamond near Maple Valley. If you are driving south on Highway 169, there is a small, gravel parking lot on the west side of 169 soon after you pass 288th street in Maple Valley. There is no sign. If you reach the larger parking area on the other side of 169 (like I did) you’ve gone too far. Just turn around and go back.

To find the trail head, take the trail that starts just past the Port O’ Potty. You won’t see any signage or trail markers until further in. When you come to the first intersecting trail, stay straight. At the next intersection, you will see the Lake Sawyer Railroad Co sign on a tree.

Turn left onto Lake Sawyer Railroad Co trail. Once you are on the path, keep your eyes peeled! These fairy doors are tiny, only an inch or two in size. They are stapled onto the trees. Be sure to look high and low! This is a short stretch; once you get to the next trail sign, just turn around and go back.

I’d heard that there is sometimes fairy furniture too, but we didn’t see any. Unlike the Gnomes Trail, which has actual gnome statues, here you will only find the doors to fairy homes. I guess fairies are shy!

We found several painted rocks too!

Just FYI, other than the aforementioned portable potty, there are no facilities. We brought our dog, but there were no trash cans or waste bag stations. The trail is not gravel, so there are roots and rocks, but overall it was a pretty easy walk. If you want to walk a bit more, one offshoot from this trail goes to Ravensdale Creek. (Marked Ravensdale Creek). It will add about a half mile to your trek. As always, make sure this hike is a good fit for your hikers and their needs and abilities.

Enjoy!

Tiffany Doerr Guerzon

PS If you like this hike, don’t miss the Gnome Trail! 

Park Report: Clark’s Creek Park South, with a Bonus Hike

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Clark’s Creek Park South:

1700 12th Ave SW, Puyallup (12th Ave SW and 17th St SW)

This beautiful park has paved paths, a creek, hiking trails, a play structure, an off leash dog park, picnic shelter and lots of open, grassy space. The whole family can enjoy a day here–even the family dog.  

Clark’s Creek Park has a north and south entrance. The south entrance is where you want to go for playing. Once you arrive, there is a good amount of parking and clean restrooms.

The play structure has several levels and offers various climbing structures, monkey bars and two slides. The play set is surrounded by paved paths for trike riding or a game of hopscotch. There are plenty of benches for parents. You’ll find lots of open grassy area for picnics or running around as well.

If you take the wide path behind the playground you will see a bit of the creek on your right and if you continue around to your left you’ll find an off leash dog park.

 

Bonus hike for two parks in one playdate:

If you want to take a short hike, you can walk to the next park, DeCoursey Park. The walk is flat and about 1.25 miles round trip. To go to DeCoursey, continue past the dog park until you reach Clark’s Creek Park North -you will know it by the baseball fields and tennis courts. Keep on the path that goes along the right side of the tennis courts. Go straight until you reach a big yellow gate. Go around the gate and cross the street-use caution here, of course.  The trail entrance is a little to the left of where you cross and you will see a wooden bridge going over the creek.

 

Cross the bridge and take the dirt path that loops around to the left. You’ll cross another small bridge then arrive at the park. Since both parks have restrooms and benches, this is a perfect 2 in 1 park play date. To return to Clark’s Creek South Park, reverse the directions. Once you cross the street the yellow gate isn’t immediately visible, but the trail is marked by a Clark’s Creek Sign.

Read more about DeCoursey Park here! It has a great, all ages playground.

Both these parks are also popular spots for hiding and finding painted rocks! 

 

Let’s Hike with the Kids: Grove of the Patriarchs

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If you’re making a visit to Mt. Rainier with your kiddos, a great place to start is by hiking at Grove of the Patriarchs, where you can see 1,000 year old trees!

To access this hike, enter the park at the Stevens Canyon Entrance of Mt. Rainier National Park. Continue west until you see the Parking lot with the helpful sign.  There may or may not be a couple of sillies hanging out around there.

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Take a potty break in the mostly clean bathrooms before hitting the trailhead. The Grove parking lot is also used by visitors to access Silver Falls, which is another great hike that goes a much farther distance. The Grove of the Patriarchs hike is a 1.1 mile mostly flat trail that includes a suspension bridge to a magical island of giant, old growth trees.  The trail is well maintained and easy for little ones to traverse. You could bring your jogging stroller if necessary, but you will need help lifting it over some of the inclines that include steps.

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Along the hike, you will see many fallen trees with giant root systems. Your kiddos won’t be able to resist a photo op!

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You’ll spy the Ohanapecosh River from the trail, too!

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The highlight for the kiddos on this hike is definitely the suspension bridge that allows crossing over the Ohanapecosh River. The sign alerts that only one person should pass at a time, so be prepared to wait your turn if it’s a particularly busy day at the Grove.

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Once you’re on the other side, you will come to a boardwalk that winds through the old growth forest. There are benches for resting along the way, or simply sitting and taking in the grandeur of the forest.

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Continue walking along the boardwalk, which is a loop and you will see this giant 1,000 year old tree that measures more than 7 kids across, or more precisely 40′ in diameter.

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This hike is ideal for all ages, and is a wonderful start for little legs. Older kiddos will also enjoy the adventure of the suspension bridge, and the magnificence of the giant trees.

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Looking for even more fun at Mt. Rainier with kids? Here are some other posts you might enjoy:

Hiking Mt Rainier with Kids

Hiking Mt Rainier with Kids

South Sound Summer Hikes with Kids near Tacoma, Bonney Lake, Mt Rainier

Looking for a closer adventure?   Our favorite south sound Washington State Parks are Saltwater State Park in Des Moines and Dash Point State Park in Federal Way.

This post has information on state and national parks FREE days. Got a 4th grader? You can get free entry to national parks all the way through August!

Ten Easy Hikes And Walks That End In A Beach!

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We love an easy hike that ends in a beach! Here are ten options that offer a walk easy enough for the whole family with the, “Wow!” factor of a beach at the end. We’ve tried to stick to the South Sound, though I admit we’re pushing it a bit with a couple of these. If you have another favorite you’re willing to share, please leave a comment!

Hidden Beach Trail   Tacoma Take a pretty forested path and find a secret slice of Titlow Beach. Note-Thursday would be a good time to come for tide pooling!

Trail to beach by Titlow Park

Sequalitchew Creek Trail   Dupont An easy hike that starts right behind Dupont City Hall and ends at a rocky beach with lots of possibilities for exploration

On Sequalitchew Creek Trail

Dash Point State Park Federal Way You can head straight to the beautiful, sandy beach here, but there are also 11 miles of hiking trails here well worth exploring.

The nature trail at Dash Point State Park.

Saltwater State Park  Des Moines  There are over 1,400 feet of saltwater shoreline at this park, which is also a  popular camping spot. You can also hike through the trails and see scuba divers going in and out of the water near the artificial reef.

Des Moines Creek Trail  You can begin or end your hike at Des Moines Beach Park for a hike of up to four miles.  Find directions and options at the WTA.org site.  Young children might get enough of a walk going out on the fishing pier and back.  I haven’t done this one personally. If you have, leave a comment for us!

Bicyclists & trail at Historic park on Puget Sound

Marine View Park  You’ll descend a steep but sturdy wooden staircase at the end of this hike that takes you to a fine gravel beach. This is another I haven’t done personally, but it sounds worth the exploration! Most reviews note steep bluffs, so keep that in mind. This one is in Normandy Park. Note that all the South King County/South Seattle walks mentioned here are subject to some airplane noise.

Kopachuck State Park  Gig Harbor  It’s a short, 1/8 mile walk down to the beach here. There are also other trails through the forest for longer exploration. During a Very low tide it is sometimes possible to walk out on a normally submerged sand bar between the main part of the park and Cutt’s Island (also park property).

Priest Point  Olympia This is a City of Olympia Park. There are numerous trails through out its 314 acres. The Ellis Cove Trail leads you to a mile of saltwater shoreline. This is such a gorgeous park, and it has a fun little playground, too. You could easily spend the day here. Do note that the trails are all quite steep. Try to go at low tide.

 

Dumas Bay Sanctuary Federal Way  This neighborhood park in Federal Way is so worth finding! It might be pushing it to call this a hike, as it’s just half a mile round trip, but that should be perfect for your young ones. It’s a broad gravel path under arching trees, and when you emerge on the hidden beach at the end it feels magical!  It’s actually a wildlife sanctuary, so kids shouldn’t dig in the sand or disturb the wildlife, but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy exploring the beach and wading. Parking is somewhat limited here-maybe a dozen cars-and you’ll feel like you’re lost because it’s at the end of a dead end street, but I promise it’s worth finding. Note it’s not the Dumas Bay Center The park address is 30844 44th Ave SW, Federal Way, WA 98023. Don’t try finding it on an official web site. It’s almost like they want to keep this one secret!

Chambers Bay There are miles of trails here, and a fabulous playground (as well as that golf course). The Soundview Trail includes a mile and a half of beach walking. Note that you are dealing with some serious hills here! This one is not as easy as that smooth pavement may make  you think!

And two walks to consider….

Ruston Way  Tacoma  While not  a hike, if you go end to end, you’ll be walking a good distance. There are several points along the way where you can go down to the beach, or stop at the spray park at Point Ruston

Waterwalk Point Ruston Tacoma

The promenade to Owen Beach   Tacoma Park near the Point Defiance Marina and walk as far as you like on the promenade towards Owen Beach. You can also enjoy a long walk on the beach itself. PS It’s Owen Beach, but I mess up and call it Owens Beach all the time, so just ignore anyone who rolls their eyes at  you about this. 🙂

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PS Did you know?    And, finally…… property owners who live on the beach typically have rights from the average high tide and above. That means you can have a beach walk most anywhere once you find a public access point to get to it. You might feel like you’re intruding when you’re walking past people’s homes, but if you’re walking below that average high tide line, you’re not. Just be polite and have fun!

If you like your beach more sandy than rugged, we have a list of sandy beaches right here!

Hiking With Kids: The Silver Falls Loop and Bench and Snow Lakes By Mt.Rainier

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Contributing writer Julie shares two more family friendly hikes near Mt.Rainier. We would recommend these for the summer-always check trip reports for conditions before you go.

kid friendly hike near mt rainier with waterfall

My family and I tried two kid friendly hikes near Mt. Rainier during a recent camping trip. The first is the Silver Falls loop that begins/ends at the Ohanapecosh campground. This is a wonderful spot for a family car camping trip, but you don’t have to stay there to access the trail.  

The Silver Falls hike is a total of 2.7 miles of well-maintained trail that is wide enough for 2-3 across.  The trail winds through beautiful forests of western cedar and hemlocks.  About halfway into the hike you come to the deep gorge created by the Ohanapecosh River in one direction, and the wide and rushing falls in the other.  A wooden bridge crosses here (hold on to your phone/camera!), and the trail loops you back to the campground.

This hike gains little elevation, and it took us about 2 ½ hours with our 5 and 6-year-old kiddos.  

This would be a terrific hike with a little one in a backpack or carrier, but it’s’ not for strollers.  If you want to extend the hike, the Grove of the Patriarchs is nearby too!  It’s a stunner with old growth forests, river views, and a fun (and rather bouncy) suspension bridge. Wta.org has directions and route options here.

Snow Lake Mt.Rainier

After packing up our campsite on Sunday morning we headed up Stevens Canyon road towards Paradise (a National Parks pass is needed for this one!)  and parked at the Bench and Snow Lakes Trailhead.  This is an easy/moderate hike that totals 2.6 miles roundtrip.  There are beautiful alpine meadows, terrific views of Mt.Rainier, and the two lakes.  We actually didn’t stop at Bench Lake, but pushed on to Snow Lake about ½ mile further on.We did find a couple hundred feet or so of snowy patches still on the trail, but they were pretty easily navigated.  

Snow Lake itself is gorgeous and has great views of Unicorn Peak.  We backtracked a bit and followed the trail to the two-backcountry tent sites and found some nice places to sit and enjoy views of the lake without a lot of company.  This is a popular hike, and the parking lot gets pretty crowded.  I’d recommend heading out early!  You can check trip reports at the Wta.org site here. 

Julie Collins

Note from SFM: Do read trip reports before any hike and use caution if you encounter snow fields. Later in the summer, the lake hike will be a great spot for wildflowers (do bring your bug spray).

The article and gorgeous lake pic are from our contributor. The top pic is a very old one of my boys and me at Silver Falls.

If you like this hike, we have more kid and family friendly hike options near Mt. Rainier in this post! 

Park Report: Mud Mountain Dam and Recreation Area

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Note-The wading pool was scheduled to be on after July 4th, 2018, but I haven’t had a chance to confirm yet.

Directions and contact info. are here. Read on for our original post on this fun spot!

This park has it all: hiking, beautiful views, playgrounds, picnic shelters, outdoor grills and a fun splash pool/fountain.

A friend and I visited this park with our kids (12, 10 and 9 year olds) and our dogs.

View from mud mountain dam observation deck

First, we checked out the hiking trails. We started at Vista Sites, which is an observation deck overlooking the river and dam. The view of the river is amazing, and there are several informational plaques describing the history of the dam as well. The Vista Trail (.3 miles) leads from the upper deck down a hill to another observation area for a closer view of the water. Unfortunately, the Vista Trail was closed due to fallen trees, but a sign stated that it will be open soon. I’ve been on that trail before and although it is steep, the view is amazing, so don’t miss it if it is open! 

Kids by trees with large roots at Mud Mountain Dam

Next, we found the trailhead for the Rim Trail, located just outside the main gate of the park. This trail is narrow (we had to hike single file) and a little overgrown. The main trail continues for 2 miles, but our kids wanted to get back to play in the fountain, so we hiked one mile out and back. The trail winds through thick forest so we stayed cool on a really warm day. We could hear the river, but we couldn’t see it.

Hiking Trail at Mud Mountain Dam

This trail continues for two miles, before connecting to another trail that leads along the river for a total of 5 miles. Due to roots, inclines, and uneven ground, I really wouldn’t recommend this hike for younger kids. Ours did have fun, and we plan on returning to hike the rest.  You can check out this trip report at Visit Rainier for more information. Note that it also cautions about unstable ground.

Mud Mountain Dam playground

 

The park itself is amazing, with four separate play structures, one that has swings only (two baby swings and two regular) and the three play structures feature the usual slides, rings, etc.

There are many covered picnic areas, some with grills, and lots of grassy meadow for lounging. A clean bathroom with a baby changing table is right next to the splash pool.

Mud Mountain Fountain

The favorite for our kiddos was the giant, mushroom-shaped fountain and wading pool. Be sure and pack the kids’ bathing suits, because only swimwear is permitted in the water. Note from SFM-In the summer of 2016 one of our readers reported a lot of bees/insects near the pool. That was not our writer’s experience, so we suspect something must have been blooming. We haven’t heard reports of anything like that recently, but there are some other links at the bottom of this post if you need a back up option (You could also do a hike/playground and skip the pool-if your kids would be ok with that).

If you go-Mud Mountain Dam Recreation Area is at 30525 SE Mud Mountain Rd, Enumclaw, WA 98022   You’ll see a sign on your right, and the park is at the end of a short road/driveway. There is ample parking and no fee. I’ve only found it to be close to busy if there is a group there. It is a bit out of the way, unless you’re in Enumclaw, so we suggest you pack a picnic and your suits and have a full day of play and relaxation with some pals! The water is typically on until the first freeze. You can get more detailed directions here.

Article and pictures by contributor Tiffany Doerr Guerzon.

We have more great summer hikes with the kids here!  One to consider that is somewhat close to Mud Mountain is Federation Forest.

Kid Friendly Wildflower Hikes at Mt.Rainier

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We should be almost to peak wildflower season at Mt. Rainier! Here are some hikes that are kid friendly and have great wildflowers. Just look at those pics! If you want to make sure you’re going at peak bloom time, I also have the scoop on how to do that! Indian Paintbrush - Deby Dixon_Visit Rainier

 

Smelling the paintbrush - Deby Dixon_Visit Rainier (1)

 

There are several easy hikes for families at Mt.Rainier with great views of wildflowers. The most famous ones head out from the visitors’ centers at Sunrise and Paradise. These are popular spots, so you may want to go on a weekday or get an early start. Otherwise, you can expect lots of company. We think the views will be worth it! How to know what’s blooming? The folks at Mt. Rainier actually keep this page updated with the latest bloom reports! Scroll down to where it says, “Currently blooming.” As always, we do advise bringing along the Ten Essentials, and checking Wta.org for the most current trip reports on any hike you’re considering. Some trails still have snow believe it or not!

With all that out of the way……

Here a few kid friendy wildflower hikes to choose from

  • Naches Peak Loop-One of my favorite hikes in the park; you’ll get great views of meadows and the mountain. The hike is just under four miles, and the elevation gain is mild. A great family hike!  More here
  • Sheep Lake-Gorgeous views on a family friendly hike that ends in a lake! The very first part of this hike requires some caution as you go along a ridge above the highway. After that, it’s a gentle climb through forest to the lake.  Do take some bug spray; we got eaten alive on this one in August one year. This hike is just outside of the park, so you don’t need a permit if you want to camp, and you can take the dog! More here
  • Alta Vista A short loop of just 1.5 miles on mostly paved trails. This hike is proof that you don’t have to work hard to see some of the best scenery on the planet, and it’s a fine choice for your out of town guests, as long as they don’t mind company. This hike out of Paradise will be as thick with people as it is with flowers.
  • Bench and Snow Lake Another great hike for beginners. It’s under three miles! As with all the hikes on this list, you’ll need bug spray-any alpine lake destination is going to have plenty of ’em!

For more hikes near Mt.Rainier, see this post.  You will have to get a pass to enter the park. If you happen to have a 4th grader, you can get yours for free! 

 

I’ve also put my Amazon links to two of my very favorite hiking guides below. One is specific to Mt.Rainier and has hikes for all levels, and one has hikes for kids all over Western Washington-it’s a new edition, and it’s Fabulous!

 


Photos courtesy of and used with permission from VisitRainier.com