Thank you to the Olympia Parks, Arts and Recreation team for hosting the WWRC Board on a tour of the newly completed Grass Lake Nature Park Trail!
Led by Sylvana Niehuser, Interim Director, and Neal Glassburn, Project Engineer, the tour showcased the 1.45-mile, ADA-compliant asphalt trail winding through the scenic Grass Lake Nature Park. Neal has been involved in the project from land use permitting through final construction, making this a particularly meaningful milestone.
The Grass Lake Nature Park Trail project received a WWRP Trails Grant of $467,990 with a Sponsor Match of $646,927, for a total investment of $1,114,917. These funds were used to construct approximately 3,500 linear feet of ADA-accessible, multi-modal trail connecting Kaiser Road to a City maintenance gravel road leading to Harrison Avenue.
In addition to the paved trail, the project includes:
- A 400-foot boardwalk
- A new trailhead and parking area
- An information kiosk
- Interpretive signage
- Habitat enhancements
The primary recreational benefit? A safe, sustainable trail for non-motorized use that expands access to one of Olympia’s treasured natural spaces.
Congratulations to the Olympia Parks, Arts and Recreation Department for their vision and dedication to creating a trail that welcomes people of all abilities to enjoy and explore the outdoors.
