Accessible Birding

By Sally Nole In 2025, Olympia Parks put in a 1.07-mile asphalt accessible trail, an accessible parking lot, and a kiosk with a map of the trails within Grass Lake Nature Park at 814 Kaiser Rd NW. The original dirt trails intersect the new asphalt trail at several points. The new trail is plenty wide and level with easy slopes up and down. This asphalt walk was built to ADA standards. Here...

Theler Wetlands in Belfair, WA is part of the Union River estuary. Due to extensive ecosystem restoration work there, wildlife habitat is making a comeback.

Willapa Hills State Park Trail is one of our less well-known parks. The beginning is at the Chehalis Trailhead and it goes for a relatively flat 56 miles to Willapa Bay although there are closed sections due to mudslides.

The Refuge is open year-round, from sunrise to sunset. The Visitor Center is open 9:00 to 4:00 Wednesday through Sunday except on major holidays. It is staffed by volunteers and has loaner binoculars, field guides and passes for sale as well as a book store and gift shop. The refuge has a $3.00 parking fee unless you have a federal pass. No pets are allowed on the refuge. There are four accessible...

The Hawks Prairie Settling Ponds are a hidden birding gem in Thurston County. Situated amidst giant warehouses and new developments, these ponds provide a welcome respite for wildlife.