Conveniently located directly off of I-5 south about 90 minutes south of Seattle, the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge makes an exceptional day trip with 5 miles of trails, including a 1 mile long boardwalk running over the estuary.
At the end of the boardwalk you’ll be rewarded with a lookout that offers a 360 degree view of local surroundings including the Olympic Mountains, several islands, and Mt. Rainier.
My partner 
Most estuaries in the Puget Sound region have been heavily polluted, dredged, and developed.
Because of the bustling ports on our coastline, we have inherited significant ecological issues that will need to be remediated in order to decolonize land and learn how to live in balance with nature. The Nisqually Refuge is a space that begins this conversation and provides a case study for what large-scale conservation projects might aspire to be.
From the parking lot, you’ll be able to wander through the refuge property for about a mile depending on how you loop through the trails.
The main event is the boardwalk, and to get there you’ll follow a gravel road for about 1/2 mile. Along the way you’ll see mudflats, water channels, and an abundance of natural wildlife. The brochure said over 300 species are present in the refuge area and we certainly saw a plethora of ducks, geese, and other creatures. Since we came in May, we also got our fill of wildflowers, including this wild lupine.
Here you can see how shallow the water lies over the mud, creating amazing reflections and viewing opportunities.
The water is only a few inches deep in most places across the mud flats, with some channels running deeper to several feet. The mud is soft, and potentially dangerous. Signs along the way warn that it can be hard to get out if you accidentally get in! However, because the water is so shallow it made for great fun to watch all the little crabs and fish happily living in this ecosystem (and for a few laughs watching gulls out crab hunting!).
Here’s my love, almost to the beginning of the boardwalk!
The boardwalk is truly exceptional, with various covered resting areas, educational signage, and a long enough stretch (just over 2 miles roundtrip) to make it a fun jaunt. On an overcast day I imagine it would also be a special experience as I think fog and mist would add a magical touch to this beautiful place.
Boardwalk in action.
As you can see, the boardwalk casually wanders it’s path across the flats, encouraging you to take your time and pay attention to the small details along the way (like the wildlife and views!).
And finally, shots of the water channels as we got closer and closer to the edge of the estuary.
By the way, since I haven’t officially defined it, let me take a moment to say: an estuary is the natural habitat created where a freshwater river meets saltwater. In this case the Nisqually rivers flows into the Puget Sound, creating a fertile ground for a diversity of native wildlife.
More channels. :)
This was a beautiful day in the sun.
And now that I know how accessible this park is, it’s going to become my favorite stopping/resting place during my drive from Seattle to Portland. It’s incredible how a place less than 5 minutes from the freeway can be so peaceful that it seems you are in another time and place.
What are your favorite “sanctuary” or “special” places in this world? :)
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All images shot on my iPhone 8.