The forest is disappearing and the wildlife is not the same as they have been. Less than a third of the wildlife in the forest have not been seen in many months. Logging in the forest leaves a lot of the trees on the ground that they have to be a bit older but they push them away so they can get the best ones for the money that you are never going to have for the sales of our land and our lives. It's a lot of dirt and gravel that are made for the logging companies. It's sad to see that it has to be a part of the system new life for all even if you don't want anything to do with it.

Capitol State Forest is a paradise for bikers, hikers, horse riders, ATVs, dirt bikes... Definitely stay here to get away from it all for a few days with some fun recreation in the deal. Also be careful - you'll notice lots of signs related to firearms. There are plenty of gun ranges in the area; you're bound to hear them. Exploring the higher, inner gravel roads of the forest will lead you to some amazing overlooks in all directions. Olympic Otter

Excellent place to get out into the mountains and forest, with convenient access to the highway and well maintained gravel roads throughout the forest. There are some spectacular views to be had of the Olympics and area Volcanos on clear days.

Easy access on paved roads. Makes it easy to visit at different times of the year…you can drive through the park and get some great views of the Forest. Makes for a nice place to visit on a day trip. You get to see lots of creatures and nature…

I've always enjoy camping in Capitol forest. I was surprised to see a majority of the trees around the campsite removed. Its always clean. I camped at Margaret at C2 for the first time. My 6 × 8 awning and room fits perfectly. Neighbors are far enough away to not disturb me. The hiking trails are still there just the shade from the sun was removed. Gonna be a hot one up there this year.

Holy smokes! This was an amazing hike, we actually back packed and made the whole loop. Give it a shot, you’ll enjoy it.

Extremely beautiful hike! The road conditions are awful. Our Subaru was struggling to go over the very violent pot holes that are on the road going up the mountain. Be extremely cautious! We went on the McKenny trail which was 7.5miles. Took us 3hrs. We then got a bit lost and actually hiked from the main road all the way up the mountain which took us another 3hrs. Overall we had a beautiful hike and walk. Saw lots of garden snakes, and do be careful as there is horse poop everywhere. I definitely recommend visiting but plan accordingly. Also ensure you have good tires.

I've grown up in Capitol State Forest, it's changed so much over the years. I enjoy the opportunities to recreate up there but it is sad that so many people trash it. I'm not pointing the blame at one genre of people but I know I've spent my time up there picking up trash on my own dollar, I would hope more people would do that to help keep it clean. I enjoy camping, hiking, and hunting up there. The hunting is hard due to human pressure up there all the time I imagine.

Theres a big trail network for ATVs, mountain bikes, and hikers... Plus plenty of winding dirt roads to explore. Four designated campgrounds are available for no additional fees if you have the Discover Pass. All good things. On the other hand, this is a working forest with plenty of evidence of timber operations. It's also a popular place to target shoot, which would be fine if a particular subset of those folks would pick up after themselves. There's a number of dispersed campsites as well, but far too often it's evident that whoever was there last figured leaving trash laying around was perfectly acceptable. TLDR... Plenty of recreational opportunities here, but if you're looking for pristine wilderness or quiet solitude there are better options elsewhere.

So far I've been to five of the mountaintops they're really really great place to go dirt biking and camping Porter Creek is amazing probably about a 45-minute hike to the waterfall but it's well worth it in the river looks awesome the campgrounds are so cool each campsite is on the river I think this is got to be my new favorite place to go dirt biking so many miles of riding in there

Miles and miles of roads to explore. Years of logging and replanting have given the views from the highest points such texture! I look forward to many years of adventuring.

Came all the way from Germany to see this forest! Beautiful big clear cuts and many stumps and logging debris to be viewed and photographed. How wonderful to watch the logging trucks drive by on the roads. Amazing place!

We went here for My wife. She had classmates camping that she hadn't seen in almost 40 years. The park was big, but easy to navigate. The scenery was Absolutely stunning. The evergreens were majestically tall and beautiful. The campsites we're laid out nicely and spaced for privacy, all had picnic tables. We spent the day visiting and never got interrupted. It was totally serene. This is a Great family park and campground. Two thumbs up!

I swear, Capitol State Forest is one of the most serene and beautiful regions in the country. If you love sunsets and gold sunshine in the afternoons, this is the perfect place to visit. I drove up the trail to the highest point of the mountain to take pictures of an orange sunset across the prairies downhill, and it was absolutely gorgeous. Even if you don't make it up the mountain all the way, you can still take walks in the woods or go out for bike rides across the roads to see some beautiful country areas. If you want the most perfect and quiet hideaway of peace for yourself and someone you love to spend the day with, you'll love this part of Thurston County as your very favorite.

I enjoyed hiking with my kids and our dog. We hiked to the top of one of the peaks and enjoyed the amazing view. Be careful, though, as my son was bit by a deer tick. Next time, we will be sure to bring some tick repellent. We also plan to bring our quads and dirt bikes to ride on the numerous atv trails.

Had an amazing time with family @ Porter Creek campground alot of people say they have never been there and I actually like it that way lol

I love this place that's only the start of what's even better you can go way out in the woods and get all kinds of places and it's not that hard on the vehicle either

It's a good sampling of the northwest's dense second growth forests. To be fair, it can only be 4 stars because of the national and state parks, within two hours drive of this one, that put it in its place. There's some waterfalls, accessible trails, low to moderate (0-6/10) difficulty hikes, and ample parking and access points. Summers do get busy with little kids.