Pioneer Park playground

If you haven’t made it out to Pioneer Park yet, you’re missing one of Tumwater’s better kept secrets. The playground has slides that keep the younger kids busy while everyone else spreads out — there’s a BBQ area that actually gets used on weekends, and parking isn’t a nightmare like at some other spots in the area. The forest trails and nearby water make it feel like you’re further from town than you actually are, which is half the appeal. Accessible paths mean strollers and grandparents aren’t getting left behind either.