I spent the weekend visiting my brother and his family in the Seattle area. Coming and going, since the weather was good, I stopped not far from I-5 for some walks.
1. Mima Falls
This 6 ½ mile loop took me through clearcuts and also more mature forest in the DNR-managed Capitol State Forest south of Olympia. Some of the hike was along or above swampy creek bottoms. The destination was splashing Mima Falls, a 25-foot drop on the South Fork Mima Creek. Signs at the falls warn hikers about traveling farther, noting that several SAR missions have been sent to extricate those who thought they could pull off a larger loop! I returned via the Mima Falls Tie Trail and then the Campground Trail, much of the latter along an old logging railroad grade.
2. Bob Bammert Grove
This short hike is also in the 100,000 acre Capitol State Forest. The goal is a short loop through a remnant grove of tall Douglas-firs in the Black Hills, which have been intensively logged and/or scorched by fire over the last 130 years. The largest tree here is about six feet in diameter. The trail honors a DNR manager who lobbied for preservation of these last tall trees.
3. Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
The refuge is right off I-5 at Exit 114. This is the very southern reach of Puget Sound. I haven’t been there since they breached the dike created by farmer Alson Lennon Brown at the beginning of the 20th century. Now the tidal flats act like tidal flats, and a mile-long boardwalk has been built out to a gazebo viewpoint. It was a glorious day, and the Olympics and Mt. Rainier stood out to the west and east. There were lots of critters out. Some I didn’t get photos of were a beaver, a mink, and a pair of bald eagles. It’s $3 admission, but there were flocks of humans. I’m estimating there must have been about 200 cars and the parking lots were full!