Local guide

Easy days with kids, around the bay.

The best family stops near Olalla Bay start with Sehmel Homestead Park: a 98-acre park northwest of downtown Gig Harbor with a Boundless Playground built for children of all abilities, basketball, sports fields, and about four miles of trails. The Gig Harbor waterfront walk runs past parks and a pier, with a splash fountain nearby at Jerisich Park for hot afternoons. Kopachuck State Park has tide-pool beaches that show best at low tide, the Theler Wetlands has flat boardwalk trails over marsh and forest for small legs, and Bainbridge Island pairs a hands-on children's museum with a free art museum steps from the ferry dock. For a full day trip, Point Defiance Park in Tacoma stacks a zoo and aquarium, a beach, and a living-history fort in about 35 minutes.

The house covers the rest: the game room for downtime, the private beach for skimming stones, and the hot tub after everyone is tired.

Written by Assaf, the Olalla Bay editor. Updated October 2026.

Parks and playgrounds

Sehmel Homestead Park. The closest big family stop, a 98-acre PenMet park northwest of downtown Gig Harbor. The Boundless Playground is built for children of all abilities, and around it sit a basketball court, a turf soccer field, baseball and softball fields, tennis courts, picnic areas, and about four miles of trails through meadow and forest. All PenMet parks are open 7 am to dusk. It gets busy on tournament weekends.

Gig Harbor waterfront walk. Downtown Gig Harbor is a walk, not a drive, once you are parked: Skansie Brothers Park has an open lawn, a pier, and family-friendly restrooms right on the water, and the path connects a string of small parks and public docks along the harbor. On hot afternoons, Jerisich Park nearby has a splash fountain. Summer brings free waterfront concerts and a farmers market to Skansie.

Beaches and tide pools

Kopachuck State Park. Reopened in August 2026, Kopachuck has rocky shoreline with tide pools that are best at low tide, plus about two miles of trail through old growth and a sandy stretch for skimming stones. Plan around a daytime low tide with the NOAA Gig Harbor tide chart, wear shoes with grip, and look without touching. It is closed to shellfishing in 2026.

Purdy Spit. A small county beach on the sandbar between the harbor and the bay, easy for wading and watching shorebirds. Also closed to shellfishing in 2026. The full timing playbook is in the low-tide guide.

Easy trails for small legs

Theler Wetlands. Near Belfair, the wetlands have over three miles of flat boardwalk trails over marsh and forest, an easy walk for kids with strollers, with herons and eagles along the way. Details are in the hiking guide.

Banner Forest. In Port Orchard, 635 acres with 29 miles of mostly easy woodland trail: pick a short loop and turn around when the snack bag empties.

Museums and indoor backups

Kids Discovery Museum. On Bainbridge Island, steps from the Winslow ferry dock: hands-on exhibits, a pretend town, a treehouse with a slide, and an art studio, built for young kids. Next door, the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art has free admission. Hours change with the season, so check before you go.

Puget Sound Navy Museum. In Bremerton, free and right next to the ferry terminal, with a hands-on discovery room built for kids. Open daily 10 to 4, closed Tuesdays from October through April.

Harbor History Museum. On the Gig Harbor waterfront, with a restored 1893 schoolhouse, a 65-foot fishing vessel, and exhibits on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse. The Gig Harbor library also runs free storytimes and kids' programs through the week. The full indoor playbook is in the rainy-day guide.

A zoo day trip: Tacoma

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Inside Tacoma's 760-acre Point Defiance Park, about 35 minutes away: red wolves, Arctic foxes, sharks, and seahorses, with Owen Beach and Fort Nisqually in the same park for a full family day. Parking is free and no Discover Pass is needed. Details are in the Point Defiance guide.

Back at the house

The house is built for family groups of ten: the game room for downtime between outings, the private beach for guests who want sand and water at the doorstep, and the hot tub for tired adults after the kids are down. The beach is private and reserved for guests of the house.

Questions people ask

What are the best family activities near Olalla Bay?

Sehmel Homestead Park's Boundless Playground and four miles of trails are the closest big family stop. The Gig Harbor waterfront walk has parks and a splash fountain nearby, Kopachuck State Park has tide-pool beaches best at low tide, the Theler Wetlands has flat boardwalk trails, and Bainbridge Island has a hands-on children's museum steps from the ferry dock.

Where can kids play near Gig Harbor?

Sehmel Homestead Park, northwest of downtown Gig Harbor, is the main playground stop: a Boundless Playground built for children of all abilities, plus basketball, soccer fields, tennis courts, and trails. All PenMet parks are open 7 am to dusk. On the waterfront, Skansie Brothers Park has open lawn and a pier, with a splash fountain nearby at Jerisich Park for hot days.

Where can kids see tide pools near Olalla Bay?

Kopachuck State Park, reopened in August 2026, has rocky shoreline with tide pools that show best at low tide. Plan around a daytime low tide using the NOAA Gig Harbor tide chart, bring shoes with grip, and look without touching. Purdy Spit is another family beach option, and both parks are closed to shellfishing in 2026.

What easy hikes can kids do near Olalla Bay?

The Theler Wetlands near Belfair has over three miles of flat boardwalk trails over marshes and forest, an easy walk for small legs. Banner Forest in Port Orchard has 29 miles of mostly easy woodland trail, and Kopachuck State Park has about two miles of trails plus the beach at the end.

What is the best family day trip from Olalla Bay?

Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, about 35 minutes away, stacks a full family day: the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Owen Beach, Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, and Five Mile Drive through old-growth forest. Parking is free and no Discover Pass is needed.