Nisqually SP – Mashel River Overlook and Trail

Category Overview

State Parks grants help preserve and develop our state’s best outdoor recreation areas by funding new campgrounds and amenities to increase the capacity of our parks, creating new parks, improving park resources, and protecting historical areas. These grants help our state continue to develop our world-class parks system to share our cultural heritage and natural treasures with all of its visitors.

Project Highlights

This project is part of phase 3 construction of the park and will build, starting from the future campground, a paved in-and-out multi-use, ADA trail, 5,900 feet long x 10′ wide. With it, it will also have 4′ wide parallel rock trail for equestrian use, that leads to a to a cantilevered overlook of the Mashel River Valley and view of Mount Rainier. Other improvements include benches and interpretive signage to provide information on the environment, history and culture. The platform is an open grated fiber reinforced plastic mesh allowing visitors to see through it, producing the experience of walking over the edge of the slope and floating in air. The platform is approximately 720 square feet. This multi-year effort began in 2006 when the WA State Legislature funded a master plan and allocated funds for the Phase 1 design and permitting for the NEW Nisqually-Mashel State Park site! This project is fundamental in completing an important portion of the Phase 3 development of the park. This development supports the Acquisition and Development Strategy goals of Places to Be, Stories to Know, Things to Do, and Ways to Grow.

Quick Facts

WWRP Applicant: State Parks Category: State Parks WWRP Grant: $2,999,000.00 Applicant Match: $0.00 Project Type: Development County: Pierce Legislative District: 2 Status: Active RCO Project # 22-1530

Location Details

From SR-7 near Eatonville, turn south on Mashel Prairie Road. The project site is beyond the yellow gate on the right (west) side of the road before you get to the private residences. The river access is approximately 1.5 miles south of the gate.

What is the WWRP

The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) is a state grant program that creates and conserves local and state parks, wildlife habitat and working farms. The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office administers WWRP grants, and the legislature funds the program.