HISTORY
The Park has considerable historic significance. Coastal Salish-speaking native Indians, identified as the "St tcas bc", were known to have occupied the Tumwater site at the mouth of the Deschutes River as a fishing and food gathering camp. Although probably a permanent village site, the life of the Coastal Salish Indians made it necessary for them to travel long distances, living in other areas in order to provide food for their tribe.

More than 60 years later the same site became the first permanent American settlement on the Puget Sound. Michael T. Simmons and George Bush with a group of 30 pioneers, including 18 children, settled on the river in 1845. Simmons and his party built a water-powered sawmill and a gristmill and industry began.

Clanrick Crosby purchased the sawmill and gristmill from Michael Simmons in 1849. About a decade later, around 1860, Clanrick built a home nearby the river for his nephew, Nathaniel Crosby III, and his new bride. The home is known today as the Crosby House.

The area around the falls became an important manufacturing area during the 19th century when water powered grist mills and other manufacturers flourished. By the early 20th century those users had waned.

Tumwater Falls Park lies within the Nationally Registered Tumwater Historic District, along with the Crosby House, the Schmidt House and another significant historic home, the Henderson House, which is a City of Tumwater Museum.
 

One of the last privately-owned parks in the state of Washington, Tumwater Falls Park was opened in 1962. It comprises an area of 15-acres situated along the banks of the last quarter mile of the Deschutes River, which runs adjacent to Capitol Boulevard and Interstate 5 in Tumwater, Washington.

The site is one of great natural beauty where the Deschutes River tumbles down the gorge and then cascades over beautiful Tumwater Falls into Capital Lake (formerly the southern-most tip of the Puget Sound). The natural beauty of the area is supplemented by landscaping, exquisite waterfalls, pools and rockwork.

Two foot bridges connect the one-half mile of walking trails on the east and west banks of the river. One of the bridges is a replica of the wooden truss footbridge spanning the picturesque Tumwater Falls that served the people of Tumwater before the turn of the century.

Picnic facilities are available in both the upper park and several spots along the riverbank. There are restroom facilities and a historical streaming video in the Park's office building window.

The Foundation is currently working on removal of invasive ivy within Tumwater Falls Park along the Deschutes River. Native vegetation will replace the ivy, promote riparian shade, bank stabilization, wildlife covering and foraging habitat, reduce erosion and improve the water quality of the Deschutes River.

Map & Directions

PARK EVENTS
The Park hosts several community events throughout the year. Those events include the following:

April 25 and 26, 2009
Rhododendron Show sponsored by the Olympia Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society.

June 6, 2009
Duck Dash sponsored by the Lacey Rotary Club, a community fundraiser.

August 28 - August 30, 2009

Northwest Fuchsia Society Show.

Beginning September 22 and running through mid - October
Peak season for return of the salmon. Watch while Dept. of Fish & Wildlife employees strip the eggs from the females and the milt from the males for artificial spawning on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to noon.

October 4, 2009
(First Sunday in October) Tumwater Falls Harvest Festival sponsored by the City of Tumwater "Henderson House Museum" with the cooperation of the Olympia Tumwater Foundation, the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, the Tumwater Historic Preservation Commission, and the Tumwater Historical Association and Homesteader Program. Find more information at www.cityoftumwater.com.