Reason #10 to love Living in Olympia: Priest Point Park
Reason #10 to love Living in Olympia: Priest Point Park
Minutes from downtown, yet seemingly miles from civilization, Priest Point Park offers a convenient vacation from city life for Olympia residents and visitors. The park, located on Eastbay Drive, is just a stone’s throw from the hustle bustle of Olympia, but one step out of the parking lot and you’ve forgotten about all of that. Picnic areas, a playground, nature trails and a great piece of beachfront on Puget Sound make for a day of exploration.
Initially established as a ministry site for missionaries in 1848, Priest Point Park has a very rich history. Missionaries built a chapel & organized a school for Native American boys and nearby tribes used the site as a trading center until Father Pascal Ricard, leader of the mission, left in 1857 and the site closed in 1860. Eventually in 1905 the park became the property of the City of Olympia, thanks to the generosity of several Olympians.
Today, the park is full of natural beauty and home to many species of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians, and marine invertebrates. People flock to Priest Point Park for picnics, nature walks, beach exploration, and more. In the spring, the park offers a huge Easter Egg hunt for kids, sponsored by the Olympia Eagles Club.
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