Squaxin Park
Managed by City of Olympia Parks
235 acres4.9 mi of trail
Ellis Cove TrailBeach Access TrailMission Creek Estuary TrailRose Garden Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Squaxin Park North Trailhead ParkingWebsite ↗
Photo: OceanLoop · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Olympia
9% of Olympia’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
35 miles of mapped trail cross Olympia, 1.9 per square mile of land. 9% of Olympia’s land is conserved, about 1,095 acres. The biggest trail networks: Squaxin Park (4.9 mi), LBA Woods (4.8 mi), Watershed Park (2.2 mi).
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #32 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
1,095 acres · of 18.2 sq mi of land
Trails
35 mi
1.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,227 ac
22 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
68 mi
43 mi lanes · 9.3 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
12
2 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Olympia?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Olympia have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Olympia is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #32 of 285 in Washington. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Olympia’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical WA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (35 mi) · WA 0.8 · U.S. 0.4APark land22 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,227 acres) · WA 11 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home99% of residents within a half mile of a park · WA 92% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 94%
LessMore
Washington towns of 2,500+ (285)Ahead of 89%
Water is 9% of Olympia’s area (2 of 20 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 9%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Squaxin Park, with 4.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
LBA Woods
Park
138 acres4.8 mi of trail
Alderwood Loop TrailChickadee Loop TrailTrilium Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Morse-Merryman Parking Lot (East)
Watershed Park
Managed by City of Olympia
135 acres2.2 mi of trail
Watershed Park LoopHenderson ConnectorEastside Street Connector22nd Avenue Connector
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mission Creek Nature Park
Park
37 acres1.6 mi of trail
Mission Creek Park
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Grass Lake Nature Park
Nature preserve
214 acres1.5 mi of trail
Grass Lake Access Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Heritage Park
Managed by Department of Enterprise Services
14 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Black Lake Meadows
Nature preserve
43 acres1 mi of trail
Black Lake Meadows Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
All 48 parks & preserves
Squaxin Park235 acres · 4.9 mi of trail · City of Olympia Parks
DirectionsLBA Woods138 acres · 4.8 mi of trail
DirectionsWatershed Park135 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · City of Olympia
DirectionsMission Creek Nature Park37 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsGrass Lake Nature Park214 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsHeritage Park14 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Department of Enterprise Services
DirectionsBlack Lake Meadows43 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsYauger Park39 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsLBA Park22 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of Olympia
DirectionsKaiser Woods Park74 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Olympia Parks
Cooper Crest Forest Preserve23 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Olympia Ecosystems
Cooper Crest Open Space13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Olympia
Decatur Woods Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsGarfield Nature Trail7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsTrillium Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Lions Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSpringwood Parcel3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Olympia Parks
DirectionsMadison Scenic Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Bay Woods Preserve15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Olympia Ecosystems
DirectionsMcGrath Woods Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Bay Woods Open Space4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Olympia
Burri Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Olympia
DirectionsPort Plaza Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Port of Olympia
DirectionsSunrise Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMargaret McKenny Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Park of the Seven Oars1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Olympia
West Central Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsChambers Lake Open Space45 acres · City of Olympia
West Bay Park11 acres
DirectionsGreen Cove Creek Preserve9 acres · Olympia Ecosystems
Stevens Field9 acres
DirectionsKettle View Park5 acres · City of Olympia
DirectionsLilly Road Parcel4 acres · City of Olympia
Evergreen Park4 acres
Marathon Park3 acres · Department of Enterprise Services
DirectionsPercival Landing Park3 acres · City of Olympia
DirectionsChambers Lake Trailhead Park2 acres
Woodruff Park2 acres · City of Olympia
DirectionsBigelow Park2 acres
DirectionsInterpretive Park1 acres
Isthmus Park1 acres
DirectionsSylvester Park1 acres · Department of Enterprise Services
DirectionsHarry Fains Legion Park1 acres · Olympia
DirectionsCapitol Gateway Park1 acres
DirectionsCentennial Park1 acres · Department of Enterprise Services
DirectionsBigelow Springs Park1 acres
DirectionsEast Bay Public Plaza1 acres
DirectionsEast Bay Waterfront Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,095 conserved acres
9% of Olympia’s land. Water is left out: Olympia has 18.2 square miles of land and 1.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Olympia’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,226 ac
County33 ac
Other state land3 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2 ac
State fish & wildlife2 ac
Local Park · 487 acLocal Other or Unknown · 373 acLocal Recreation Area · 212 acLocal Conservation Area · 190 acPrivate Conservation · 2 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 44 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loth110 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 365 | Open |
| Grass Lake Nature Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 190 | Open |
| Watershed Park Local Park | Town or city | 147 | Open |
| Lba Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 95 | Open |
| Priest Point Park Local Park | Town or city | 81 | Open |
| Kaiser Woods Local Park | Town or city | 75 | Open |
| Chambers Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 46 | Open |
| Yauger Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Mission Creek Nature Park Local Park | Town or city | 36 | Open |
| Olympia Woodland Trail Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 34 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
97 places to go in Olympia
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Olympia
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Olympia
Playgrounds in Olympia
70 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Olympia
Boat Launch
DirectionsWDFW Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Olympia
Rotary Trail Viewpoint
DirectionsView of Capital Building
DirectionsPlus 10 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Olympia
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Olympia
Capital Vision Community Garden
DirectionsSunrise Community GardenFee · In Sunrise Park
DirectionsPlus 2 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
23 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.4 miUnpaved · 22.6 mi
Watershed Park Loop1.4 mi
Alderwood Loop Trail1.1 mi
Ellis Cove Trail1.1 mi
Black Lake Meadows Trail1.0 mi
Cooper Crest trail0.8 mi
Chickadee Loop Trail0.8 mi
Field Loop Trail0.7 mi
Trilium Loop Trail0.6 mi
Henderson Connector0.5 mi
Heritage Park Hillside Trail0.4 mi
13 more trails
Eastside Street Connector
0.3 miGarfield Ravine Trail
0.3 miBeach Access Trail
0.3 miCooper Crest Trail
0.3 miBilly Frank Jr. Trail
0.2 miTrillium Park Eskridge Access Trail
0.2 miMission Creek Park
0.2 miMission Creek Estuary Trail
0.2 miPercival Landing Boardwalk
0.2 mi22nd Avenue Connector
0.1 miRose Garden Trail
0.1 miTrillium Park Trail
0.1 miGrass Lake Access Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
68 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
43 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
9.3 mi
off-road bike paths
16 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
31Baseball
26Tennis
24Basketball
14Pickleball
13Soccer
8Tracks
6Football
2Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →38 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 15 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Old Capitol BuildingBuilding · listed 1975
About itCharles Patnude HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itCloverfieldsBuilding · listed 1978
About itHenry McCleary HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itWomen's ClubBuilding · listed 1979
About itWashington State Capitol Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1979
About itDaniel R. Bigelow HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itU.S. Post OfficeBuilding · listed 1979
About itC. J. Lord MansionBuilding · listed 1981
About itThurston County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1981
About itOlympia Public LibraryBuilding · listed 1982
About itMottman BuildingBuilding · listed 1983
About it26 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Olympia: April to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.9 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| High (°F) | 47 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 67 | 72 | 78 | 78 | 72 | 61 | 51 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 7.3 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 3.6 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 4.7 | 7.7 | 7.6 |
July is the driest month (0.6 in) and August the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 7.7 inches fall in November, the wettest month. The climate in Olympia →
Next door
Olympia and its neighbors
Olympia has the most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Olympia
Where can I hike in Olympia?
The longest trail networks: Squaxin Park, 4.9 miles; LBA Woods, 4.8 miles; Watershed Park, 2.2 miles; Mission Creek Nature Park, 1.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Olympia is conserved land?
9% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Washington town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Olympia’s trails?
Squaxin Park and LBA Woods don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Olympia?
68 miles of bike routes are on the map: 43 of painted or protected lanes, 9.3 of off-road paths and 16 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Olympia?
40,203 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Olympia or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,227 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Olympia have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #32 of 285 in Washington. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Olympia neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →