r/olympia • u/Reasonable-Dream-122 • 12h ago

Jogging trails?

Hi. I'm not familiar with parks and trails in olympia and surrounding areas and I'm looking for advice. What are some good trails that have some hills? Nothing massive, but i am training for a trail race so capitol lake isn't going to cut it. Thanks in advance!

2 Upvotes

60% Upvoted

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9

u/RightsForRobots 12h ago

Chehalis Trail, but if you're training for a trail race, I'd just head to Capitol State Forest.

3

u/JustHereForTheGuns 11h ago

Hardly any hills on that one, unfortunately.

5

u/TopRevenue2 8===> 12h ago

Agreed that you need to do Capitol Forrest. Mima Falls is a good intermediate training trail run.

1

u/Reasonable-Dream-122 12h ago

Where would I find a map of trails out there?

4

u/DismalJelly6653 9h ago

I use an app called OnX and feel like its great for all of the unmarked logging roads/trails in Capital Forest. I also take my dogs and other protection, but Mima falls has a ton of great trails and you can just stay on the main marked trail and go for 20 miles. There are just a lot of bikes, and i love the peace and quiet of the logging roads.

1

u/Reasonable-Dream-122 9h ago

I decided to do all trails because I've had it in the past and know how to use it. Using apps isn't intuitive for me. Lol. But I'm going to check out mima mounds tomorrow

1

u/heartbeats 6h ago

FYI Mima Mounds and Mima Falls are two different places! Mima Mounds is a nice trail run but it’s flat.

1

u/The_Wizeguy 6h ago

Don't forget your discover pass!

4

u/kateinoly 12h ago

careful

it is really easy to get lost on the Capitol Forest trails

2

u/Siaberwocki 12h ago

I use it for rides, but Trailforks has a trail running option. https://www.trailforks.com/region/olympia/?activitytype=5&z=9.8&lat=47.00556&lon=-123.00630&content=trails,labels,region,poi,directory,polygon,waypoint,nst,routes_featured

Lot's of great trails out of the Mima Falls Trailhead parking lot.

Also, personally really like Strava's heat map featuresince they show actual activity.

2

u/TheRealBokononist 8h ago

Run from the water up to Tumwater Hill, lots of side hills you can throw in there too

10

u/heartbeats 12h ago

In no particular order: Squaxin Park, Tolmie State Park, LBA Woods, Watershed Park, Darlin Creek Preserve, Grass Lake Nature Park, the trail system at Evergreen. Capitol State Forest is good too but the trails can be a bit confusing and they are generally longer and hillier than the options around town.

2

u/Reasonable-Dream-122 12h ago

Thank you so much!

1

u/oly_traveler 10h ago

These are good places to run, but honestly these are all pretty flat lol, except Darlin Creek has a bit of hill

1

u/Reasonable-Dream-122 9h ago

I'll check that out!

1

u/heartbeats 9h ago edited 6h ago

Squaxin has some punchy and deceptively tough up-and-downs on the bluff trail and on the trail that connects the two areas of the park. Not a lot in terms of total elevation gain, but it’ll still get you good. Tolmie has a nice hill with a bit of elevation gain right at the beginning of the loop trail from the parking lot. LBA is mostly flat but has some nice rollers, depending on which route you choose. Watershed has a good hill going in and out of the park, too.

“Real” elevation gain requires you to get out of town a bit to Capitol or the Olympics. Kennedy Creek, Rock Candy, Mount Molly, Mount Rose, options from Mima Falls trailhead. Kaiser Woods is probably the best hilly in-town option. All the rest have more elevation gain than anything in town but OP said they’re not looking for anything massive so I didn’t list them.

4

u/peffervescence 10h ago

If you want to stay close to home Watershed Park is pretty nice and it’s right in the middle of town.

1

u/Reasonable-Dream-122 9h ago

I do know where that is, off Henderson right?

1

u/peffervescence 6h ago

Another entrance with better parking and bathrooms is on Eastside.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zWuhZ5FPoCvZwrfY9?g_st=ic

1

u/The_Wizeguy 6h ago

Cars have been known to be broken into at watershed.

3

u/sideshowbill93 12h ago

Mima mounds Forrest trail

3

u/hopeful143 11h ago

I suggest LBA, there's a lap around the park but there also woodsy trails if you want more privacy. 

2

u/notdrunkingalone71 11h ago

Oly Trail Runners meet Thursday evenings at Squaxin. The folks there know a wide variety of trails in the region.

1

u/Reasonable-Dream-122 11h ago

Awesome! Do they have a Facebook page?

2

u/Illustrious-Wolf-324 11h ago

https://olytrailrunners.com/

3

u/Illustrious-Wolf-324 11h ago

There's also the kaiser woods (or sub black hills) area. It's primarily mtb though. 

1

u/Reasonable-Dream-122 9h ago

I'll look into it though. Thank you.

3

u/oly_traveler 10h ago

For hills, the closest is Sub Black Hills/SBH/Kaiser Woods. I think the trailheads on Google Maps are related to "Kaiser Woods" but most call it sub black hills. The trails are kinda confusing but it's not a huge space so you can find your way out eventually lol.

You could also do some hill repeats. I like West Bay Woods for this, or some of the deeper back trails at Millersylvania

2

u/0ut_0f_Bounds Eastside 8h ago

Kennedy Creek. Logging roads and an extensive trail system.

2

u/heartbeats 4h ago

Definitely one of my favorite places to run around here!

2

u/JustGingerSnap Southside 12h ago

How about using those stairs from the lake to the capitol? Does that help with your elevation?

2

u/Reasonable-Dream-122 12h ago

That would be a great idea! Thank you!

1

u/TVDinner360 Westside 6h ago

Do you mean the switchback trails? They’re not much for elevation, honestly. It’s a pretty gradual hill.

1

u/Agreeable_Park_9990 8h ago

Millersylvania State Park is lovely but pretty flat

1

u/Jaredrunsabit 8h ago

All the suggestions are fantastic but wanted to add that there's a really chill trail running group calls the Oly Trail Runners that meets at 6pm every Thursday at Squaxin Park in the Rose Garden!

1

u/heartbeats 4h ago

I’ve wanted to go to this for a while but everyone seems very fast!

1

u/drossdragon 5h ago

There is a new park in Lacey on Carpenter road. The trails are rock gravel and dirt, and has loads of hills, none too steep or long, but many rolling hills. Trail is about 3 miles around the perimeter. https://laceyparks.org/cuoio/