Tolmie State Park entrance sign (Lauren Danner photo)
Washington state parks

Tolmie State Park – state parks quest #1

Taking a cue from fellow bloggers and friends Scott Jones, InnerCompass, Tom Thrash, and 59NationalParks, among others, Mr. Adventure and I are on a travel quest to see all of Washington’s state parks.

The Washington state park system has more than 150 sites, including parks, heritage sites, military forts, long-distance trails, and more. I’ve long said that we live in the most beautiful state in the country (go ahead, argue with me) and I want to see more of it. Because of my interest in national parks, we’ve spent a lot of time at Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades. But the recent federal government shutdown and its negative impact on many national parks made me think it’s time to think more broadly about public lands.

We’ve already enjoyed many state parks, so we’re still figuring out exactly how this will work. Our plan right now is to visit each unit and hike, camp, or otherwise explore. It’s not enough to take a picture of the entrance sign; we want to get a feel for the place. Then I’ll post five or so photos that capture that park.

First up was Tolmie State Park, about 20 minutes from our house, where a lovely forest overlooks Puget Sound. We started on the beach, then followed the Four Cedars Trail through the forest.

Beach view at Tolmie State Park (Lauren Danner photo)
Beach view at Tolmie State Park (Lauren Danner photo)
The forest is a mix of deciduous (alder, bigleaf maple, etc.) and evergreen (Western redcedar, Douglas-fir, Western hemlock). (Lauren Danner photo)
The forest is a mix of deciduous (alder, bigleaf maple, etc.) and evergreen (Western redcedar, Douglas-fir, Western hemlock). (Lauren Danner photo)
Along the Four Cedars Trail. (Lauren Danner photo)
Along the Four Cedars Trail. (Lauren Danner photo)
The Four Cedars Trail has way more than four cedars, including several old-growth specimens. (Lauren Danner photo)
The Four Cedars Trail has way more than four cedars, including several old-growth specimens. (Lauren Danner photo)
Hiking on the Four Cedars Trail (Lauren Danner photo)
Hiking on the Four Cedars Trail. (Lauren Danner photo)

Fast facts about Tolmie State Park

  • 154-acre, day-use park, closed Monday and Tuesday
  • $10 daily parking pass (buy the annual Discover Pass, a bargain at $30)
  • beach, mooring buoys, swimming, shellfishing (permit required), fishing, artificial reef for scuba diving
  • 3 miles of hiking trails, picnic areas, fire rings, kitchen shelter
  • birdwatching (we saw a pileated woodpecker!), wildlife viewing
  • interpretive signs
  • park brochure

Explore with me

Come along as I visit all of Washington's state parks!

8 thoughts on “Tolmie State Park – state parks quest #1”

  1. Great to hear you’re going to visit all the state parks! We’ve been working on that same goal for the past three years—we’re a bit over the halfway point now. We look forward to reading about your visits!

    1. Thanks! I have no idea how long this might take, but I’m excited to see more of our state. Looking forward to reading about your adventures, as always!

  2. Would you be willing to make a list of those 150 wa state parks here on your blog? Thank you for considering that, nancy

    1. If only there was an app for that! 😉 Washington is definitely one of the states we’ll expand to quickly after launching.

      I’m so happy you’re adopting this quest! [insert excited hug]

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