Come check out Washington's newest state park, which was formally unveiled on Jan. 20, 2016. Nisqually State Park, in south Pierce County, sits on 1,300 acres seven miles west of Eatonville off State Route 7. The park is at the confluence of the Nisqually and Mashel rivers and Ohop Creek, and offers steep forest valleys, high ridges, and reforested plateaus.
The park remains a work in progress and currently features a trailhead, parking lot, and restroom, as well as interpretive signs by the Nisqually Indian Tribe. Current park map.
More development is scheduled through 2028, with funds coming from the state and the Nisqually Tribe, which has a development and management partnership with the state. (A store selling Native American products and crafts is in announced plans for the park.) State parks officials hope Nisqually State Park will eventually attract about 480,000 visitors per year.
Amazingly, Nisqually State Park has been on the drawing board for nearly 30 years. The blueprints began taking shape in 1987 with the Legislature’s approval of the Nisqually River Management Plan, which called for a park with riverside trails. The state acquired land for the park between 1991 and 2013, and input on its development came a variety of agencies and organizations, in addition to local citizens, including Mount Rainier National Park, the Town of Eatonville, the University of Washington Center for Sustainable Forestry at Pack Forest, Tacoma Power, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, Pierce County Parks and Recreation, and the Nisqually River Council.
Source: "A Park is Born," by Pat Jenkins, The Eatonville Dispatch, Jan. 27, 2016.
2016 was the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, and to celebrate, Visit Rainier and WSGA hosted the Visit Rainier Centennial GeoTour - 100 caches placed in and around Mount Rainier National Park. The geocaches highlighted the rich history, scenic wonders, quaint communities, and hidden gems of the Rainier region. Participants received geocoin and pathtag prizes for finding all the caches.
|
- This geocache has an approved Permit to be placed at this location on property managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Visitors are responsible for acquainting themselves with policies and rules pertaining to State Parks areas.
- The following items may not be placed in the geocache: food, illegal substances, medications, personal hygiene products, pornographic materials, hazardous materials, or weapons of any type.
- By searching for the cache, visitors agree that they are responsible for their own actions, and acknowledge that neither the State of Washington nor the cache owner is responsible for any loss or injury that may occur in relation to such search.
- Report any incident, problem, or violation to State Parks staff.
|