It’s finally summer here in the Pacific Northwest and that means that there are plenty of sunny days ahead (with just a little bit of rain sprinkled in 😉). We don’t have A/C and the days are usually pretty nice, so we try to head outdoors as much as possible this time of year. Here are our favorite local spots to visit in Olympia, Washington with our kids during summer:
Evergreen Valley Lavender Farm
We love the lavender farm! This is probably one of our favorite spots in Olympia. Not only do we always bring home beautiful bouquets of flowers, but our girls love walking through the fields pretending to be fairies and also playing in an actual fairy garden. There’s also a wonderful gift shop that sells all sorts of lotions, fairy wings (we made sure to grab a couple of new pairs our last visit), all-natural bug spray (we used it on both of our camping trips last summer and no one got any bites!), and more.
Go for a Nature Walk
Olympia is surrounded by forests and so there are plenty of places to get out and enjoy nature. One place that we particularly enjoy is Mclane Creek. The entire trail is a little over a mile long, but you can easily cut that into about half by taking the Old RR Grade Trail. We’ve seen plenty of wildlife here including snakes, turtles, ducks, and a muskrat (I think?). In the fall, you can see plenty of salmon as well.
Another great spot to go for a nature walk is Nisqually Nature Reserve (you can read more about that here).
Play in the Heritage Park Fountain or at the East Bay Plaza Stream
It can get really warm in the summer afternoons and one of the best ways to cool off is by heading over to the Heritage Park Fountain near the Capitol or by wading in the East Bay Plaza Stream. Both are a great place for kids to play and cool off.
Strawberry Picking at Spooner’s Farms
There is nothing better than eating freshly picked strawberries! While Spooner’s U-Pick is closed this year (don’t worry, they’ll be back next summer!), in the past, we’ve really enjoyed going and picking our own strawberries. They’re super yummy and the girls love eating tons (and tons) of the berries afterwards. Even though Spooner’s Farms U-Pick is closed this year, they still have plenty of berry stands around town where you can buy fresh strawberries (and other berries throughout summer too!). This year we’re hoping to check out their Blueberry U-Pick, which will be happening in August.
Head to the Beach
There are several little beaches that you can visit in Olympia, but one of our favorites is Tolmie State Park (a Discover Pass is needed to park here). We love how beautiful and peaceful it is. While it’s not really a sandy beach, it does have tiny tide pools that are fun to check out when the tide goes out. My girls can spend hours here exploring the coast and playing on an old stump of driftwood. While we’ve never done any of them, there are also 3 miles of hiking trails here as well. My recommendation is to come in the late afternoon/evening for a dinner picnic when it’s the warmest part of the day and the light is at it’s prettiest (this is also a great spot for family pictures!). Don’t forget to check the tide charts too if you’re hoping to come at low tide!
Want more ideas for what to do with kids in Olympia, Washington, click here!
This is only our 3rd summer here in Olympia so I’m sure we’ve missed plenty of great spots on our list- What are you favorite spots around Olympia to take the kids in the summer?
Daley Family Travels 