Exploring Eatonville, Washington

Eatonville is a small town in western Washington. It is the gateway to Mt Rainier National Park. It is known for its pretty views of Mt Rainier and hiking. 

Hiking in Eatonville 

Bud Blancher Trail to Little Marshall Falls 

Distance: 5 miles total to the falls and back- but with potential to hike more

Difficulty: Easy 

Dog Friendly, No pass needed

This is a very fun and easy trail that leads to a very pretty waterfall. The trailhead is adjacent to downtown Eatonville and there is plenty of parking (despite what it looks like on Google maps). The 1.4 miles to connect to the Little Marshel Falls trail is gravel and fairly flat. The elevation picks up a little once you head toward the waterfall at the falls trail- but it is not to difficult. The falls are very pretty!! This was a great little afternoon hike for me! 

Pack Forest- Hugo Peak Trail 

Distance: 4.5 miles round trip 

Difficulty: Moderate- 880 feet of elevation gain 

Dog Friendly, No pass needed

Pack forest is the University of Washington's designated area for research. I'll be honest this wasn't my favorite hike. I did it to explore the area but I wouldn't probably go back. There were a few great views and we did see and owl! But I would probably pick the Bud Blanchard trail to do again or bring someone to see. 

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park 

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is a natural habitat zoo that is partnered with the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma. All of the animals live in natural habitats and are native to Washington State. I am not a big zoo person but I really enjoyed exploring this park. The entire park is completely paved but you are walking through the woods from habitat to habitat. I also really enjoyed that the employees of the park were hanging out around the habitats and were very knowledgeable. While we were there the porcupine was celebrating his 7th birthday and they made him a cake. 

It is cheaper to buy tickets online ($22 per adult online compared to $25 at the gate). Depending on how many people are in your group you may want to consider purchasing a membership because it may be cheaper overall and you can use it multiple times throughout the year. 

The otters were one of our favorite animals at the park! 

Grizzly bears!!!

The porcupine's birthday party!

Restaurants in Eatonville 

Cruiser Cafe 

- This is a small cafe inside an old house known for it's burgers and American style food. Max and his brother Ben split the code blue burger (pictured below) and really enjoyed it. It's a great place to stop after a day of hiking in the park or around the area. 

Mill Haus Cider Co. 

This is a local cider brewery with a restaurant. The atomsphere is very casual bier garden. They do have food- it is mostly appetizer based but it is very good. We really enjoy it here.