Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge — Saturday, Jun. 13, 2020

The refuge boardwalk and dike trails opened this week so we decided to check them out. The walk was lovely as always - full of birds and other wildlife. The boardwalk is slippery in the rain; we saw a child running and fall on her face, though she was mostly unhurt.

The visitor center and bathrooms are still closed, but there are several port-o-pots available for use. Entrance fees are currently waived. Several signs remind visitors to stay 6’ (or 2 red tailed hawks, or 1 harbor seal, or many chorus frogs) apart.

The parking lot had 16 cars in it when we arrived at 8:45. By the time we left at 10:45 there were at least 40 cars. Might be a good idea to pick a different trail if the parking lots are full - lots of signs about not parking along the narrow road to the refuge.