Nisqually Wildlife Refuge: Olympia's Best-kept Secret!

Join us at one of the top things to do in Olympia: Exploring the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.

An extensive boardwalk travels across an otherworldly salt marsh. It’s a strange mud scape that’s at once haunting and beautiful, and a sanctuary for birds.

In today’s video, I’ll share the highlights of visiting the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, and everything you need to know to visit this bizarre and beautiful place yourself. If you enjoy this video, remember to give it a thumbs-up, and subscribe to our channel for more adventures in the Pacific Northwest.

The Nisqually Wildlife Refuge is in Olympia. It’s about an hour to an hour and a half south of Seattle, or two hours north of Portland.

As of 2022, the entrance fee is $3 (which covers up to 4 adults), or you can use an annual pass, including the America the Beautiful pass. Here is the link to the entrance fee details so you can find the fee and pass information easily: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/billy-fran...

The trail begins in a forested freshwater wetland. It’s a combination of a boardwalk and a very wide, flat trail that should be even enough to be accessible to most visitors.

The trail out to the end of the boardwalk and back is 4.6 miles. Here is the link to the trail entry on AllTrails so you can find the trail map and recent trip reports easily: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/wa...

This is an estuary, where the Nisqually River empties into Puget Sound, so it transforms depending on the tides. At lower tides, like when we visited, the mud flats are exposed. At high tide, the saltwater rises and covers the marsh.

Mount Rainier looms over the marsh. When we visited, it was partially blocked by clouds, but you can still see the outline of the tallest mountain in the Cascade Range.

The refuge is open from sunrise to sunset. We were running a little late and got back just after sunset, but luckily didn’t get locked in!

Olympia is the capitol of Washington State, so while you’re in town, you may also enjoy exploring the capitol building. Free tours are offered daily. Details here: https://des.wa.gov/services/facilitie...

Thanks for joining us at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. Remember to subscribe to our channel, and we’ll see you next time.