Watershed Park

Watershed Park is a public forest park spanning over 150 acres of temperate rain forest in Olympia. A network of trails winds through dense vegetation, wetlands, and alongside Moxlie Creek throughout the landscape.

The area served as Olympia's primary water source from the late 1800s through the 1950s, with wells initially operated by private owners and later by the city. A local environmental activist successfully led efforts in the mid-1900s to prevent logging and establish protected status for the land.

The park holds meaning for residents as a place where the community came together to protect the forest from development. It remains a symbol of local conservation efforts and environmental awareness.

The main loop trail, roughly 2 kilometers long, is accessible from Henderson Boulevard and features wooden structures and gravel paths across varied terrain. The trail is navigable for most visitors but requires careful footing on uneven sections.

Visitors can discover scattered remnants of old water infrastructure throughout the grounds, including pipes that hint at the land's earlier role in supplying water. These leftover elements reveal how nature has gradually reclaimed the landscape while preserving traces of human history.

Location: Washington

Inception: 1956

GPS coordinates: 47.02800,-122.88600

Latest update: December 13, 2025 17:05