Discovering Mission Creek Nature Park in Olympia

We are living in a life full of technology. To reach this level of technology, mankind has sometimes sacrificed getting out into nature in favor of the newest gadgets. That’s why it’s always nice to find a spot like Mission Creek Nature Park in Olympia that has conserved some beautiful part of nature. Hopefully this short overview encourages admirers of natural beauty to get out and explore a new spot.

Mission Creek Nature Park is an understated retreat for the lovers of hiking or travelling. You’ll enjoy the eye pleasing greenery, the Water Lake in the middle of the park, cute animals scurrying across your path and much more.

Visiting Mission Creek Nature Park

This park is situated on the area of the 37 acres, which is pretty large. Visitors coming from different cities are faced with five entrance gates and none of them allow vehicles into the park. You can enter the park as a pedestrian only (between 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.).

As this is a nature park (and it’s Washington), you can expect to encounter a lot of green grass, bushes and more while you visit the park. It’s best to come prepared with sturdy walking shoes (preferably waterproof) and a rain jacket most times of the year. You can bring your children or even pets to walk with you enjoy a peaceful walk.

Mission Creek Nature Park Trail

The more adventurous explorers will discover the Mission Creek Nature Trail to be rather plain when comparing it to some of the other city trails. The trails through Mission Creek Nature Park are not the most spellbinding that Olympia brings to the table. As opposed to escaping to the isolation of the forested areas, it’s more similar to wandering through a grassy wetland. But that is part of what makes Mission Creek so nice, it’s unique and enjoyable in its own way.

Although the terrain can be a little wet at times, hiking in the park should not be a difficult task. The 37 acres of land is surrounded by homes and deadlock boulevards, and each one of them has multiple outlets if you need to get back on pavement at some point. As you’re walking at Mission Creek you will see rope swings dangling from antiquated Douglas firs and remainders of children’s strongholds cobbled together with birch. The trails make a kind of slanted “H” shape across the park, so if you want to see all of the park, you’ll have to loop around through some of the neighborhoods to find other parts of the trail.

Mission Creek is not without its charms. The recreation center is worked around a sizable swamp in the middle and you will see endless deer trails leaving the human trail to get down to the wetlands. Although it’s not the most scenic walk you’ll ever take, it can be quite the pleasurable stroll, especially if it’s close to where you live. Mission Creek Nature Park is a great place to get a quick trip through nature and see some of the local wildlife.

Getting There

Mission Creek Park is located at 1700 San Francisco Ave NE, Olympia, WA 98506. The park itself is surrounded by shops, roads and the theater, so it’s not like you’re tromping through the woods with no one around. But it is fairly quiet and a good place to get a walk in.

Mission Creek is situated at the far western end of the city about 10 miles north of 4th Avenue E. There are actually five true entrances to the park from each of the following streets:

1. San Fransisco Avenue NE (west side)
2. Marion Street NE (northwest corner)
3. Fir Street NE (northeast corner)
4. Edison Street NE (southeast corner)
5. Lybarger Street NE (southwest corner)

Photo by: City of Olympia