Nisqually Reach Nature Center
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ℹ️ Information
Nisqually Reach Nature Center is a small non-profit that has built community through environmental education, scientific research, and outreach for over 40 years. Summer camps, field trips, general visitation, and seabird/fish monitoring are some of the opportunities we currently offer. During normal business hours you can look at our three flow through saltwater aquariums and taxidermy specimens along with a smaller collection of shells, bones, and preserved specimens.
There is also beach access (dogs allowed, off-leash ok), a boat launch, and an overlook with five picnic tables available. A Discover Pass or WDFW Vehicle Use Permit is required to park at this site; these are not sold on site.
Welcome to the Nisqually Reach Nature Center, a beautiful spot that offers a serene environment perfect for wildlife watching and learning about the local ecosystem. Here are some highlights of what you can experience:
- Friendly Staff: Our knowledgeable and polite volunteers are eager to help and share insights about the nature center and surrounding areas.
- Stunning Views: Enjoy breathtaking views of Mt. Rainier and the surrounding estuary, especially during sunrise and sunset.
- Wildlife Observation: Spot eagles, seals, and other local wildlife. Bring your binoculars to get a better look!
- Easy Access: The location is perfect for kayaking, paddleboarding, and enjoying the peace of nature.
- Educational Opportunities: Engage with exhibits featuring local marine life and taxidermy, and take advantage of our informative staff who can answer your questions.
- Community Events: The nature center often hosts nature-related activities and summer classes, making it a great place for families.
Whether you're a nature enthusiast or just looking for a peaceful place to relax, the Nisqually Reach Nature Center is worth a visit!
đź•’ Opening hours
- SUNDAY: 12H-16H
- MONDAY: (CLOSED)
- TUESDAY: (CLOSED)
- WEDNESDAY: (CLOSED)
- THURSDAY: (CLOSED)
- FRIDAY: (CLOSED)
- SATURDAY: 12H-16H
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🗣️ Nisqually Reach Nature Center: Reviews
Fantastic experience: Volunteers and staff are super nice. They have wheelchairs avaliable to borrow for those who want/need it.
Fantastic experience: Did not visit the nature center, just used the water access. Small parking lot, vault toilet, boat ramp. A great access point for a beautiful area. While paddling through the wetlands, we saw deer, seals, eagles, swallows, jellies, and many other creatures. Serene, with great views.
Fantastic experience: Been going to the boat launch as a kid. My mom who passed in September loves the view. Lunch and music
Fantastic experience: Stopped here after going to tugboat Annie's for breakfast they have a small museum of shore birds that were stuffed and some starfish.
Fantastic experience: Beautiful view n for the most part good privacy
Fantastic experience: I just love the walk on the board. It’s so refreshing. Definitely a place to visit.
Positive experience: People always parked in wrong places and block the boat launch .great to launch at slack or high tide good luck if tides out so are you of luck to load or unload your boat
Fantastic experience: We enjoy coming here even if it's raining. Brackish waters and the tide was in today.
Fantastic experience: Have driven by this area for years, on the way to the ocean, always wanted to kayak it and finally did!!!
Positive experience: Great experience! First time checking out the center. Super knowledgeable and helpful staff. Learned a lot about the area and wildlife. Definitely worth stopping by and checking out.
Fantastic experience: Beautiful place to enjoy the water! They have some salt water tanks, birds and bones on display, and it's free.
Fantastic experience: Worth the short drive! It had a picnic area at the back of the building where you could watch the boats go by. The center itself had lots of fun animals to say hi to.
Picnic tables are always available for public use even when the nature center itself is closed. Sun umbrellas are available for use upon request during open hours (Sat, Sun 12-4) if they haven't already been put out. Also remember to pack out any trash and recyclables with you so we can keep it an enjoyable place for everyone.
Fantastic experience: Easy access to the Sound, with visitor center
Access is best during mid and low tides, otherwise beach access tends to be limited during higher tides. The pier/overlook is always accessible regardless of the tide. The picnic tables are for public use. We simply ask that you pack out what you pack in so we can keep it an enjoyable place for everyone.
Positive experience: Excellent collection of antique exhibits, some around 100 years old. Mostly stuffed animals though, so be aware. The maps and information available is top notch, as was my conversation with the staff member there. He was very knowledgeable and shared some great interesting information about the area, including the history of the location itself.
In addition to the taxidermy, we also have three flow through saltwater aquariums featuring animals from the local area including four species of seastars, green urchins, and more.
Fantastic experience: Lovely spot to see bald eagles in the trees at the water's edge.
Come in the spring and you'll see lots of eagles all around during low to mid tide. They'll be in the trees, in the air, on the flats, on the pilings. And if you're really looking to see more than you can imagine, bring binoculars and a spotting scope. Then you can see the ones all the way out by the river mouth. Not unusual for us to count over a hundred if we have the patience to scan a large enough area.
Fantastic experience: There's so much to learn about all the different animals. You can learn so much about the sea creatures and birds. They even have binoculars and a telescope to look at the far away animals on the beach.
We have trained staff and volunteers on hand to answer all your questions about the local animals. And yes, we do have binoculars and a telescope for visitors to use for viewing more distant critters like the killer whales that came through recently.
Fantastic experience: Love to stop in on the weekend and check this place out. Such beautiful views and fun stuff to see! Last time we visited 2 eagles were eating fish while the tide was out!
Come back in spring during a low to mid tide and you'll see more than two eagles guaranteed. There are definitely some great views here, especially sunset and sunrise.
Fantastic experience: Staffed by a knowledge, polite fellow that seems to enjoy interacting with visitors. A beautiful setting .
It is indeed a beautiful setting, especially at sunrise and sunset. Almost forgot to mention how amazing it is at night under clear skies. You can see so many stars, constellations, and other astronomical objects that will amaze you. And yes, we are indeed staffed by trained volunteers and employees who enjoy interacting with visitors.
Fantastic experience: I cannot say enough about this place. The comfort and beauty is unreal.
Lots of folks would tend to agree with you that it is indeed a place of comfort and beauty.
Fantastic experience: Love this place!
Fantastic experience: Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Assisted me with necessary passes.
Our trained staff and volunteers enjoy getting new folks oriented to the local area and are happy to answer questions about Luhr Beach, other local water accesses, animals around the area, and more.
Positive experience: I only ever drive here on my lunch break occasionally, to sit and watch the water. If you fish or enjoy boating, canoeing, or kayaking, this is an excellent spot to put your boat in the water.
It's definitely a excellent spot for all of these activities. Great place for photography as well.
Fantastic experience: It's a beautiful view there. Quiet except for the birds but hearing herons is never a bad thing. Never checked out the actual nature center though. Always parked and walked down to the beach
We're open on the weekends 12:00-4:00. And yes, this is a great place in spring and summer to see and hear an abundance of herons.
Fantastic experience: Good place for birds and people. I like to walk there about once a month. If you can time a walk for high tide, you'll see more fish, seals, and sea lions. Strollers ok and the part of the walk that is wooded is wheelchair accessible. No bathrooms out on trail so make your kids go before.
Hi Beth, sounds like you're describing the wildlife refuge. Nisqually Reach Nature Center is actually not a part of the refuge, though you can see the building from the gazebo at the end of the boardwalk (waterfront building in the distance to the north) and from I-5.
Fantastic experience: Great place to learn about marine research and geography of south sound arra.
We have trained staff and volunteers are happy to answer questions about the local area including places to visit, animals to see, and more.
Fantastic experience: So welcoming and informative. You’ll learn a lot in a small amount of time. A hidden gem!
Indeed! We're off the beaten path, hence not everyone knows we're here. Some folks who have lived in the area for a long time don't even know, hence being a hidden gem is an apt description! Some of our staff and volunteers have been with the organization for over 20 years, which explains why you can sometimes learn a lot in a short visit.
Fantastic experience: Great place to go and take in a sunrise and just enjoy the beautiful Southsound
Great sunsets in multiple directions too! Looking up the Nisqually valley, east towards Mt. Rainier, and also the Olympics. For a really special experience, come when the moon is rising by Mt. Rainier at the same time that the sun is setting over the Olympics. Just sublime! Good stargazing too!
Fantastic experience: Enjoyed the views from inside and the viewing deck. With the available binoculars we were able to see the nearby bald eagles closer up.
Come in the spring when the eagles are most numerous. It's quite routine to count at least 20-30 eagles on the tideflats when the tide is out that time of year. Some days you can count over 100 eagles if you bring a spotting scope. It's one of the few places locally where you can consistently see eagles of all ages and plumage.
Fantastic experience: Great place, 40 years one of my favorite places
Fantastic experience: Has a nice view, although the area is mostly used for the nearby boat launch. The center also frequently hosts nature-related community activities and opportunities for volunteer work.
Fantastic experience: Great place to put uour boat in but tight parking... especially if you hacmve a trailer ... sheltered in Lee mist times so often smooth water .. watch the birds ... be sure to bring your binoculars ....great peaceful place to sit and meditate ir read ir such
Fantastic experience: One of the best sunrise views in the area
Yes, you can see some awesome sunrises here, especially in the winter on clear, cold mornings.
Fantastic experience: Great place to see Tahoma and the Nisqually estuary
Positive experience: A nice short walk from a nearby neighborhood. Lots of parking available. Discover pass needed. I saw a heron fishing for breakfast & this bald eagle swooped by me & landed in a near by tree to survey the scene. There’s also a boat launch ramp. I just may have to put my kayak in & check out the wildlife... when it’s a warmer.
Fantastic experience: Fabulous location. Marvelous and knowledgable staff, including the amazing Director! Great summer classes for students. All around, tremendous contributions to the Nisqually Reach area. Thanks for all you have done and are doing!
Fantastic experience: Loved the view
Fantastic experience: This is a wonderful treasure that most folks may not know about. A great place to learn about the amazing ecosystem we have in our back yards with the nisqually delta. Bring the kids. Fun and interesting for the whole family.
Negative experience: This was the jack in the box closest to Century Link. I could not eat there very very nasty inside. My friend was so hungry he got a taco and thru it away. I walked out after i saw the state of kitchen/ counter area
Positive experience: Wish there wasn't trash, maybe more life.
Fantastic experience: Nisqually Reach Nature Center, this place is beautiful ... I honesty love it
Fantastic experience: It is beautifull bring some binoculars or a high power camera, there are a lot of wild life things to see her.
Fantastic experience: its tucked away and you wouldn't really know it unless you saught it out. but when you come here, the folks running the experiments are really glad to see someone and are excited to share all they can with you. its a real nature place, and has wonderful activities for the kids too! besides, their puns all over the place are amazing. worth the trip!
Fantastic experience: I love this place. Dan is an enthusiastic educator. I hope a gift comes along soon to modernize this facility - it's an excellent place to learn about our Sound. Bring boots and plan your trip for low tide if you want the full experience.
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