This autumn at the Tumwater Falls Park located in Tumwater, WA, I was surprised to see the salmon working their way up the river. The river seems pretty mighty. As I was standing on the bridge at the lower part of the falls, I was amazed to see these flyin’ fish battling the strong currents.
I really like to visit the Tumwater Falls Park as it’s right next to my office and is a great place to take a walk and be out in nature even though you are right in town. The park surrounds the old Olympia Beer Brewery.
I start at the parking lot near the fish hatchery and walk past the Falls Terrace Restaurant, a nice restaurant where you can see the falls and enjoy a great lunch.
This is the top part of the falls, and is probably the most photographed part of the park.
Crossing the bridge, I walk past trickling hillside falls and views of the busy river.
At the bottom of the trail is another bridge where I took the video of the salmon making their difficult journey up the river.
There are fish ladders to help the salmon out, but it still looks like an arduous trip to me! Here is a view walking back towards the hatchery on the other side of the river.
The trails on both sides of the river are made up of asphalt, gravel and wood boardwalks that make it a fun walk and a relatively easy walk.
When you are visiting the area, be sure to stop by the Tumwater Falls Park. This is a year-round park that is worth the visit, and as you can see, it looks just beautiful on this sunny autumn day!