Tolmie State Park Hike & Beach, South Puget Sound
LOCATION
Tolmie State Park, Lacey, Washington
LENGTH
The full Four Cedars loop trail is about 2 miles, but can also be cut in half and done as a shorter loop.
DIFFICULTY
The Four Cedars loop is an easy hike with little elevation gain. It climbs a bit in the beginning, then descends at the end. The path is dirt, so prepare for mud if it’s been raining. Occasional boardwalks provide secure footing over the muddiest sections.
WE HIKED IT
October, 2020, about an hour and 15 minutes to do the full Four Cedars Loop, plus hours of play on the beach
CURRENT INFO
For info about Tolmie State Park, check out the Washington State Parks website. For more details about the Four Cedars trail, visit the WTA (Washington Trails Association) site.
GOOD TO KNOW
IMPORTANT NOTE: From mid-September through mid-April, Tolmie State Park is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Bring your Discover Pass, as this is a Washington State Park. If you don’t have a pass, you can purchase a day pass or the annual Discover Pass from an automated machine in the parking lot. There’s also a spigot with drinking water, and restrooms are just up the path. For the best trail information, go to the trailhead at the far end of the parking lot. You can start the trail here, or from an entry point near the restrooms. Dogs are allowed, which makes it a great park to visit with your pup.
HIGHLIGHTS
If you live in the South Sound, or are in the area, this park offers a lovely respite with easy, forested trails and a beach with expansive views.
THE KIDS’ TAKE
Initially, the kids weren’t excited to do this hike. That soon changed when they had the opportunity to do it with friends. Off they shot down the trail, well ahead of the adults! The beach is a great place to play. Tolmie’s rocky shore is rich with shells to discover, driftwood to climb, and a cool bridge.
WHILE YOU’RE HERE
Tolmie is very close to Olympia, where you’ll find restaurants and coffee shops if you need sustenance. Two other beautiful wildlife preserves with public trails are nearby, the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and the Woodard Bay Conservation Area. Be aware that these parks do not allow dogs.
Our Experience
When I realized my older son, J, would soon have a day off school, I began brainstorming what we could do together as a family. It should be something to get out of the house and enjoy the fair fall weather. It also seemed the perfect chance to get back in touch with some friends we hadn’t seen since last fall. Looking for a place that allowed dogs and provided a good picnic spot, I stumbled across Tolmie State Park.
Tolmie is a small state park, tucked along South Puget Sound and surrounded by woodsy housing developments. It offers a small network of forested trails, primarily the two-mile Four Cedars loop. If you want an shorter hike, the loop is bisected by a short connector trail that cuts the hike in half. We decided the full two-mile loop sounded just right for our group, and started off from the trailhead near the restroom. The kids were more than ready to conquer the trail. They ran ahead, while the adults kept a slower pace and enjoyed the fall colors.
Partway through, my youngest child, T, showed signs of slowing down. Having the shortest legs of the bunch, it was a little much for him to keep up with the older kids. He needed a drink, not to mention a snack, and an occasional hand to hold. We ambled through the woods, trailing behind the rest of our party, then met them for a snack break at a trailside bench.
As we continued the loop, T and I were still behind the rest of the pack, but all was good. T found some interesting sticks to carry, and took time to appreciate the diamond patterns cut into tree stumps along the trail. It wasn’t long before we found ourselves back at the trailhead, this time at the tip of the parking lot.
It was time for lunch, and just down the hill from the parking lot, picnic tables offered the perfect spot to enjoy a meal with a view. The place is popular with dog owners, and quite a few had brought along their furry friends. This is hardly surprising, as relatively few beaches on the eastern side of Puget Sound allow dogs. It was fun for our puppy to get to experience his first beach, and all the dogs we saw were leashed and well-behaved.
Of course, the kids were most interested in the opportunity to play on the beach, and to try out the outdoor shower near the shoreline. Yes, it worked, as T happily noted after he was sprayed. And while I wouldn’t say it was warm enough for swimming that day, that didn’t stop T from running literally into the water during a game of tag, where he toppled into the shallows. Needless to say, there is a reason I always bring a change of clothes for the boy on outings like these.
The afternoon grew late, and it was time to say goodbye to our friends. Two tired boys and one tired dog piled into the car. We drove up the winding road as leaves drifted down lazily from the trees and headed for home, savoring a day well spent.
