DIY Field Trips

The mountains in East Lewis County are beautiful and majestic places to visit. Each place I list is free to access, though only the pullouts and scenic viewpoints are (mostly) ADA-friendly.

Deschutes Falls is a 155 acre Thurston County day-use park opened to the public in 2017. It is located at the end of Bald Hills Rd about 15 miles southeast of Yelm (25005 Bald Hill Rd.). There are a myriad of driving routes to the park, some very scenic, from the Olympia area.

Mission Creek Nature Park is a 37 acre city park nestled in northeast Olympia. It encompasses a wide variety of habitats, including wetlands, open grasslands and mixed forests.

In the northeast quadrant of Mason County, the long waterway of Hood Canal makes a sharp turn to the east, nearly surrounding a little-visited, bird-rich landscape with stunning Olympic Mountain views (weather permitting).

The Chehalis-Western Trail runs over 20 miles on an old rail bed from Woodard Bay to Yelm and Tenino. It traverses diverse habitats, from thick older-growth woods with both conifer and deciduous trees to open meadow and farmland.

Scatter Creek Wildlife Area is one of Thurston county’s best birding destinations. It offers a variety of habitats as well as the chance to observe species that are seldom seen in Western Washington.

Take a walk on an easy trail through maple and conifer woodland, which sometimes becomes open scrubland. The trail borders the wetland which can be open water or simply water among the trees.

This scouting report from April 16, 2021, is for the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge (aka Bowerman Basin) and Oyhut Wildlife Area (aka Oyhut Game Range), plus six additional sites in Ocean Shores and Grays Harbor County.

West Rocky Prairie is a state wildlife area managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and is one of three areas open to the public in southern Thurston County that protect significant remnants of native prairie.

As most birders know, sometimes it’s the small, overlooked, easy-to-miss spots that offer the greatest experiences outdoors.

In 2017 the Thurston County Stream Team asked BHAS to do bird surveys and conduct a couple of field trips at four locations in Olympia; I was assigned to this site. It’s been my birding “patch” ever since…

The Evergreen Beach Trail is a pleasant walk through a mature forest of cedar, Douglas-fir and the usual northwest tree species.

This trip covers an area of the Lewis County countryside, with stops at three access sites to the mighty Cowlitz River…

Theler Wetlands is a great place to explore even if there aren’t a lot of birds. On Hood Canal, its three and one half miles of well-signed level paths offer diverse habitats.

Whittier Johnson – January 26, 2021 Map: Potlatch State Park; eBird: Potlatch State Park The Hood Canal and surrounding area offer excellent birding.  Here is an outline for a surprisingly easy trip to the area where you can scan for sea birds and expect to find a mix of bush

The area known to birders as “Brady Loop” encompasses farm country just south of the small town of Brady and is just east of Montesano. The loop is easily accessed from Hwy 12 (Monte Brady Rd) and is a great stop for birders on their way to and from the coast.

Gary Wiles – January 9, 2021 Map: Black Lake Meadows; eBird: Black Lake Meadows Ditch This 46-acre site is a pleasant birding destination located in southwest Olympia next to Mottman Industrial Park and is especially convenient for birders living on the west side of Olympia and nearby Tumwater.  The property is

Bonnie Wood – December 15, 2020 Much beloved by Thurston County residents seeking Rough-Skinned Newts, Wood Ducks, and birdsong, McLane Creek’s paths and boardwalks wend through diverse second-growth forest and along the edge of a beaver pond.  A visit in the winter offers an advantage because deciduous trees are bare

Mary McCallum – December 13, 2020 Map: Frye Cove County Park eBird: Frye Cove County Park Frye Cove is a Thurston County Park located on the west shore of Eld Inlet just north of Flapjack Point on the Steamboat Island Peninsula. Address: 4000 61st Ave NW, Olympia WA, 98502 (Use of

Paul Hicks – December 7, 2020 Map: Downtown Olympia; eBird: Capitol Lake-North Pool; Percival Cove; West Bay Park; Schneider Creek I “scouted” nine Olympia “waterfront” sites with five other local birders. We spent five hours but one could reasonably cover it in half the time. We found a few of

Anders Price Maps Kennedy Creek Estuary eBird: Kennedy Creek Estuary This rich estuary empties into Oyster Bay at the end of Totten Inlet between Olympia and Shelton.  A healthy November chum salmon spawning run in Kennedy Creek provides plenty of nutrients for many animals, including birds. In December, Bald Eagles

The Willapa Hills State Park Trail, quite the mouthful, is often just referred to as the Willapa Trail by those who know of it. One of the more under-appreciated trails in the area that is finally gaining more attention as of late…

Carla Miller – November 10. 2020 Map: Darlin Creek Preserve Trail; eBird: Darlin Creek Preserve BACKGROUND:  Darlin Creek Preserve near Lake Lucinda and Capitol Forest is just 25 minutes from Olympia following a peaceful drive through the south county. It’s a good place to see waterfowl, song birds, birds of

Jennifer DeSelle, 10/31/20
Location: Woodard Bay Rd. NE in Olympia; the trailhead is at a small parking lot where the seasonal boat launch is located.

The Capitol Land Trust works to preserve and restore habitat in the state capitol region.

The next few weeks are good for spotting early winter migrant upland birds. The 10-acre shrubland of LBA Woods is excellent for spotting and hearing birds while berries are still available.