Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve image

Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve

Tourist attraction Nature preserve

👍👍 You do need a discovery pass here and you can’t buy one on site so get one in advance. This is a nice and pretty cool stroll. I went in the middle of the summer so it golden all around. I bet it is gorgeous in the spring. There are several loops you can walk. There are two paved accessible ones that... People often mention mounds, nice, area, walk, trail, hike, trails, small,


Address

12315 Waddell Creek Rd SW, Olympia, WA 98512, United States

Website

www.dnr.wa.gov

Contact

+1 360-577-2025

Rating on Google Maps

4.40 (573 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Sunday: 8:30 am to 8:30 pm
  • Monday: (Washington's Birthday), 8:30 am to 8:30 pm, Hours might differ
  • Tuesday: 8:30 am to 8:30 pm
  • Wednesday: 8:30 am to 8:30 pm
  • Thursday: 8:30 am to 8:30 pm
  • Friday: 8:30 am to 8:30 pm
  • Saturday: 8:30 am to 8:30 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: mounds (15) nice (12) area (10) walk (8) trail (7) hike (6) trails (6) small (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Mark A. 1 year ago on Google • 301 reviews
    Cool hike. If your into geology you might be interested in checking these out. They can't figure out how or why the Mounds are there. The hike is good for all ages. Some if the trail is gravel but no real hills or much elevation change.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Leslie C. 7 months ago on Google • 21 reviews
    You do need a discovery pass here and you can’t buy one on site so get one in advance. This is a nice and pretty cool stroll. I went in the middle of the summer so it golden all around. I bet it is gorgeous in the spring. There are several loops you can walk. There are two paved accessible ones that are 0.5 miles each and there is a larger extension loop and then an even larger loop (gravel). I want to say the largest loop like 2 miles. I wouldn’t say that it was a great idea to do the large loop because there wasn’t and shade for most of it and the gravel is really loose and hard to walk on. The true coolness of this place is that they don’t know why the mounds are there. I hear there is a gun club next to it but I didn’t hear a single sound when I went on a Friday.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Dave R. 6 months ago on Google • 210 reviews
    This was a somewhat unplanned side trip that took us to the Mika Mounds Natural Area, located not far from Olympia Washington. The mounds are numerous in this natural area, and although there are several theories about their origins, the one that seemed to make the most sense was some sort of geological deposit. That said, the theory about rodents making homes was at the least entertaining. Makes me think of the rodents of unusual size, or R.O.U.S. from Princess Bride! A couple of nice trails meander through the area and provide excellent views of the mounds and surrounding area. One trail is fully paved, and the other was partly paved, with the remaining portion being nicely graveled. Lichens are plentiful on the mounds. There were some unfortunate aspects of the site that are worth mentioning. The concrete information and observation kiosk had been tagged, and there was a fair amount of broken glass on the steps coming down from the top of the observation area. The toilets were abysmal and sorely in need of cleaning. A sign on one of the doors told everyone about the cleaning schedule. Also, you will likely hear gunfire coming from a local shooting range. It wasn't a safety issue, but the sound is prominent and may bother some folks. All said, it's worth a visit to see this unusual area and ponder the possibilities for the creation of all these mounds.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kaltrina D. 2 years ago on Google • 61 reviews
    First time coming here. My brother showed me this place. It kind of reminds me of the Teletubbies show with the mini hills. Didn’t walk the entire trail but it still was nice. We were able to sit on top of the information section and enjoy a 360 view of the mounds. Definitely add this place to your bucket list.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rhema N. 2 years ago on Google
    What a stunning place. This looks like the scene of Viking Burial Mounds! Such a fun walk. It is pretty accessible as well, and the walk is flat. Many viewpoints that give you a high view of the mysterious Mounds!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Timothy W. 2 years ago on Google
    I love this place. Great for walking around and seeing the unusual mounds. It’s never crowded and has some nice picnic spots on the edge of the woods.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Brandon H. 5 years ago on Google • 241 reviews
    A great, unusual place to visit. There's still no known explanation of how these mounds were formed. If you go, make sure you wear sunscreen, there is nearly zero shade here and the trails are 2 miles long. Also check out Mima Falls which is nearby, it's a nice hike to a small waterfall.

  • 4/5 Kim Chi N. 10 months ago on Google • 13 reviews
    Went on a really hot day (regrets as there's no shade). It's a nice stroll with paved paths and then also a more beaten less walked trail through the mounds. There were a few areas with broken glass bottles. There were a bunch of purple small camas and some yellow flowers I don't know the names of. In terms of wildflowers, it was a little underwhelming (perhaps my expectations were too high/I came at the wrong time). The mounds themselves are really cool though. Would recommend if you live near it, have small children/babies, or if you are driving past and need to stretch your legs. I would not make a 1 hr each way trip again just for the mounds. Discover pass is required though there isn't a ranger station or a pay station, so you'd need to have a pass already.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kay 11 months ago on Google • 208 reviews
    Nice little nature walk with my daughter! The even have a nice informational area that we read together before our walk. The birds are finally out and we got to see them flying around and singing. A lot of break areas with benches to enjoy with a 5 year old. We had the whole place to ourselves and it was very peaceful.

  • 5/5 Anita G. 1 year ago on Google
    Interesting natural formation made this hike different from others in the area. A place you should visit atleast once.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Becca J. 1 year ago on Google • 66 reviews
    Not super impressed. I'm sure it changes with the seasons, but not much to look at except endless mounds. No wildlife or sightseeing. Parking was easy but probably gets difficult on a nice summer day. A nice piece of history and for the most part quiet except the gun range not far away. It's a great walking trail and I was surprised by how little garbage was littered around. It's nice to see a nature area be truly maintained, but I wouldn't go back.

  • 5/5 Angelica C. 1 year ago on Google • 20 reviews
    This was my first time going on a real hike. It was pretty awesome being in the middle of nowhere in the forest. The weather was beautiful but there wasn't much water coming out of the waterfall since there hasn't been any rain. I was shocked that people actually do this for fun. There were some trails that were 22 miles long! I was told this hike trail was "moderate" in difficulty. I encountered two areas where I was huffing and puffing though. I wish there were more signs to lead the way to the waterfall. The signs that were available were pretty awesome because they included a map.

  • 4/5 breanna a. 2 years ago on Google
    Neat spot! There was only one other car in the parking lot which was a surprise. You do need a Discover Pass.

  • 4/5 hawkswoopa 9 months ago on Google
    A great place for exercising and also you can take a walk with the family in a nice quiet place. I love it here and this is our little secret place.

  • 4/5 Praphul M. 10 months ago on Google
    Informative display area under a concrete canopy - you may want to supplement the official information with recent claims that these mounds were created by Native Americans for farming a certain kind of flowering plant that had carb and nutrient rich roots. You need a Discover Pass (honour system) to park your car.

  • 5/5 River F. 11 months ago on Google
    Make sure to bring your discovery pass to Olympic state park. This place is a very strange land formation that apparently puzzles scientists to this day. The mounds are shrouded in mystery and native American legend. Beautiful spot surrounded by lush forest

  • 5/5 Richelle I. 9 months ago on Google
    Went horseback riding with my dad. Real nice trails.

  • 4/5 Stu P. 1 year ago on Google
    Unique prairie lands that inspire imagination. Well marked trails with a descriptive viewing area; over 30 hypothesis of how they formed, but none are proven. Go create your own story! Limited parking. Bring your Washington State Discover Pass.

  • 3/5 Jim Van V. 7 months ago on Google
    This is a small preserve. It has relatively limited interpretive information available. Other than an outhouse and picnic table there is only a quite small set of posters about the place. There apparently formerly were guides for the numbered posts but those are no longer available. It is a very quiet place and in a small way interesting. It could be much more interesting, if more effort were identifying what was present (plant names and info, ex) and discussing the history of the surroundings such as logging. If you have an extra hour, it is worth finding it.

  • 5/5 Don M. 1 year ago on Google
    At first it does not seem like much, but read the signs take in the history. Find the observation center and climb to the top for a great look around. Hike the trails, take in the colors. As always bring a real camera.

  • 4/5 Devin P. 3 months ago on Google • 3 reviews New
    I learned about Mima in a geology class years ago, but had never visited. Hadn't realized that it's such a unique environmental biome! Foggy winter weekday morning, with nobody else at Mima. Strolled through the mounds for about an hour, viewing the beautiful native prairie. A raptor kept watch from a distance. The quiet was broken by the violent bursts from the gun range nearby. The road to the parking is narrow, so I'd recommend visiting on an off-season weekday. No shade on the trail, so go in cooler conditions and bring water. No trash cans. The toilets were pretty messy for a Discover Pass site.


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