Olympia Area Favorites - Tumwater Falls Park

My Part 5 favorite is actually located in Tumwater, not Olympia - but Tumwater Falls Park is a popular destination for the entire greater Olympia area. For over 45 years the park has been open to the public, giving visitors a close-up look at the natural beauty of the Deschutes River and Tumwater Falls. The park is privately owned by the Olympia Tumwater Foundation (www.olytumfoundation.org) and preserves a site of historic significance for our region.

Historic records show the area was used as a fishing & food gathering camp for the Coastal Salish Indians, and then became the 1st permanent American settlement on Puget Sound when Michael T. Simmons and George Bush's band of pioneers settled there in 1845. It has been home to manufacturing with a water powered sawmill and gristmill.

I love visiting the park which has walking trails alongside the river and footbridges across, giving marvelous views of the peaceful river, the roaring falls, the fish ladders for spawning salmon and even a glimpse of the old brewhouse for the now defunct brewery. There is plenty of room for picnics and play areas for kids, too.

In the fall, from later in September to mid to late October, you can see the salmon coming up the river, jumping up the fish ladders & funneling into holding pens where you can then watch as Fish & Wildlife personnel take a census of the fish and strip them of eggs and milt for artificial spawning. There are great educational displays, too, describing the life cycle of salmon as they migrate and spawn.