Hike of the Week: Priest Point

"Bear left or right?" A hiker ponders at Priest Point

Priest Point

Olympia City Park has “mass” appeal





by Craig Romano
photo by Craig Romano
produced by Michael Fagin

January 6, 2006

Quick Facts
Location: Budd Inlet, just north of Olympia
Land Agencies: Olympia Parks and Recreation Department
Roundtrip: 3.0 miles
Elevation gain: 100 feet
Access: Follow I-5 to Olympia. Take exit 105B. Follow Plum Street north to East Bay Drive. The Park is just outside of the city limits.
Special Note: Dogs must be on a leash

In 1848, Father Pascal Ricard set out to build a mission near Ellis Cove, just north of what is now the city of Olympia. His aim was to convert the Squaxin people to Christianity. Over the years, the Squaxin succumbed to disease and were forced to relocate to an island further up Budd Inlet. Father Ricard's mission succumbed to obscurity, yielding to a new metropolis named for the fabled home of the Greek Gods
The tall timbers that grew along Mission Creek were toppled-used to fuel the economy of the new territory of Washington. Thousands of pioneers, speculators and homesteaders flocked into the Puget Sound Basin. The land, the people, and the forest changed rapidly.
Ironically, the point of land named for Father Richard, still bears some semblance to the way it stood over150 years ago. Today, Priest Point is a green swath of natural beauty surrounded by a sea of urban sprawl. Long after Father Ricard left the area and long before the reaches of Olympia extended beyond West Bay, some far-sighted people convinced the city to establish a park at this historic point. In 1905 Priest Point became Olympia's first city park, and I would add its finest. With limited development and an emphasis on preservation, Priest Point resembles a state park more than a city park. The forest has returned the area-huge 100-year-old second-growth maples and firs drape the area in greenery. The understory is lush.
Priest Point is managed as a natural area, but the city of Olympia encourages visitation. A three-mile loop trail was developed along Ellis Cove on this 300-acre park. Combine this trail with various spur paths and jaunts to adjacent beaches and you have a full day of exploring in front of you.
A unique feature of the Ellis Cove Trail is a series of intricate carvings and signs created by past work crews which direct and call attention to landmarks in the park. There are many interpretive displays along the way too, but the signs deserve the most attention. Signs in the shapes of salmon, orcas, bear and other wild creatures grace the trail at intersections. There are also totem poles and bears climbing trees along the way. They’re not tacky-these wood sculptures help accent the park adding a blend of folk art to the area’s natural beauty.
Father Ricard could never have imagined that his greatest gift to the region would be the land where his mission once stood. Today on the shores of Mission Creek, it is nature's healing powers that are now touching souls.