We followed the loop path clockwise from the Visitor’s Center, passing wetlands first, saving the riparian forest for last. In between, we followed the dike pathway out to the elevated boardwalk. It was exactly low tide as we arrived at the boardwalk. The tidelands were exposed the entire way out to the end of the boardwalk at Nisqually Reach. (A “reach” is where a river widens; in this case it is where the Nisqually River, originating from the Nisqually Glacier on Mt. Rainier, empties into Puget Sound.) We saw many different varieties of aquatic fowl, most of them in the tidewater pool to the west of the boardwalk.

The entire boardwalk, the wetlands/riparian forest loop, and all of its side trail viewpoints were still less than five miles total.

My favorite photo is one of a gray heron that was calm enough to allow me to stand directly behind it.

Tip: If you want accurate tide information before you go, get times for Nisqually Reach (e.g. at http://www.saltwatertides.com).

Trails are either boardwalk or gravel; in both cases they are wide, flat and well cared for.  Parking might be an issue depending on when you visit; I got to the parking lot a little after noon on a Monday and it was pretty close to full. 

There is a $3 entry fee, though the various national passes (US Fish and Wildlife, America the Beautiful Annual pass, etc) cover your fee per the postings at the fee station.

There were dozens of snakes out today; I'm assuming the warmer weather is bringing them out. As advertised, a great number of birds as well.  

Also, watch out for those Canadian Geese - while leaving there were a couple of them that came charging a women right behind me honking like crazy.  She seemed to have just been walking on the trail minding her own business, so I'm not sure what had them upset.

First time at this place and will definitely be back.  It would be a great place to take people with limited mobility or older folks, as the boardwalks are in good shape and are wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs and a few people astride.  Maybe 5 miles or so of different paths you can take, over tide flats, off to the the Nisqually River overlook, to see some beautiful old barns, to little bay areas....we saw all different kinds of birds and critters.  You can choose how far you want to go and what you want to see. Very well taken care of....I was impressed.  Pretty crowded on a sunny weekend day, but good for just meandering around and enjoying the sunshine and the salt air!

It is a delight to visit the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge in the spring.  The herons are starting to nest (we saw about a dozen at low tide at various spots in the mudflats along the boardwalk), and the eagles were abundant this morning.  We saw one eagle perched just above us in a maple tree near the riparian overlook along the Nisqually River and another six eagles perched at the top  of the evergreen trees lining McAllister Creek to the west of the boardwalk--for the latter we needed binoculars to see them well but picked out many of them with the naked eye. From the boardwalk we also saw 3 seals swimming nearby in McAllister Creek.

Rainier and the Olympics were out in their full glory on this clear and almost warm spring day.  The sense of openness and wide vistas on these paths, just a few minutes from I-5, is memorable.  There are many informative signs along the route describing both the natural features of the area and the history of the productive farm located at this site from the early 20th century until the early 1970s.