Best Spring Hikes in the Seattle Area for Kids and Families
Photo:
The Wooden Walkway During Morning At Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. Photo credit: iStock
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Olympia
Located between Tacoma and Olympia, just off of I-5, the sprawling Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge offers plenty of room to roam. The refuge encompasses a vast area around the Nisqually River delta. The refuge was renamed in 2016 in honor of Nisqually tribal member Billy Frank Jr., who challenged the state and the federal government to honor the Medicine Creek Treaty established in 1854. Mr. Frank died in 2014.
Favorite trails: Walk the boardwalks through the tangled wetlands, observe ducks and geese, and listen for songbirds and frogs. Keep your eyes open for signs of beavers and other wildlife. You can also take longer walks further out into the estuary.
Indoor options: When you are ready to retreat indoors, children will enjoy the displays inside the Norm Dicks Visitor Center that will teach them more about the ecosystems in the refuge. The center is open Wednesday–Sunday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. The cost per family to visit the refuge is $3, and note that dogs and other pets are not allowed.
Next stop: water-cleaning site
