Adding up the miles for the hike a thon.

WOW!!! The extensive boardwalk (over 2 miles of it!) and other improvements made at the Refuge since removing the dikes are impressive! What a lovely and leisurely, beautiful place this is. And the wildlife knows it in spades! There are more herons than you can shake a stick at, we saw about 5 species of waterfowl (amny with babies), a frolicking raccoon, amphibians and insects galore, as well as turkey vultures, and your typical songbirds, shorebirds, and tidal critters (shellfish, etc.). This is a fabulous and even wheelchair accessible destination for all ages and types. Enjoy!!! Photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51278183@N05/sets/72157626755531659/detail/

After a day of kayaking, we went to the nwr. We have been before but relized after looking at the trip reports that it was actually listed and thought we would log it in. This is a great walk for anyone wanting to get out and enjoy.

The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is an outstanding facitility that offers variety for those of all ages and abilities. The refuge is open sunrise to sunset with specific hours for the Visitor Center. The highlight of the refuge, along with the many birds, ducks, geese and wildlife, is the new Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk which officially opened February 1, 2011. If one is looking for solitude, arrive early as the parking lot fills up fast which means throngs of visitors on a nice sunny day. The beginning of the trail is a one mile Twin Barns Loop Trail that winds behind the visitor center and along wetlands. The boardwalk includes many educational signs providing pictures, descriptions and information of the local birds, ducks and wildlife. Also included is the history of the original Brown Farm. Continue past the barns onto a gravel trail that hooks up at the Observation Tower - the beginning of the new boardwalk. The boardwalk is an impressive structure which is wide and comfortable to walk which includes a blind for viewing, a second covered platform and at the end, the Puget Sound Viewing Platform - a third covered viewing station. Although today was a hazy, cloudless morning, Mt. Rainier could still be seen from the boardwalk to the east. On the other hand, the Olympics were showing off in the morning sunshine. The sights and sounds of Canadian Geese were entertaining. Also seen were many ducks and birds, a belted kingfisher, a blue heron in the distance, a hummingbird, an eagle and nest in the distance discovered by others and a owl with two babies discovered at the Riparian Forest Overlook near the Visitor Center. Visit http://www.fws.gov/nisqually/ for more details and don't forget your binoculars.