Wandering in Eatonville
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By Rick Stedman
Whether exploring local businesses or walking through nature, outdoor activities abound around Eatonville
Some outdoor attractions between Eatonville and Mount Rainier are obvious and well established, such as Northwest Trek, Pioneer Farm Museum and Ohop Indian Village, and the recently launched Eatonville Historic Walking Tour. However, other lesser known outdoor options can be a big hit.
253 Night Market
Emmy Lay is a local outdoor enthusiast with plenty of knowledge of the area. She and her husband, Dan, have spent countless hours exploring around Eatonville.
Emmy says one of the newest events in Graham and Eatonville is 253 Night Market. Various communities throughout Pierce County carrying the 253 area code offer fun-filled evenings featuring local cuisine, entertainment, arts and crafts, and more.
During the recent summer months, Graham and Eatonville each offered three 253 Night Market events.
The Night Market will pop up a handful more times this year. From 4-9 p.m. on Aug. 21 and Sept. 26, the Night Market will be open in the Bonney Lake Library parking lot.
On Oct. 1, Eatonville will host its last event of the year at Glacier View Park. The following weekend on Oct. 8, Graham will host its final 253 Night Market of the year at Frontier Park.
For updates and more information, visit the event’s Facebook page at facebook.com/253nightmarket, or follow 253NightMarketon Instagram
Trails and the Great Outdoors
For those looking for a walk or hike, Mashel Falls has been a local favorite for many years.
“If I were to say ‘let’s go for a little walk today’, we would definitely go to the Bud Blancher Trail, up at Mashel Falls,” Emmy says.
The trailhead heading up to Mashel Falls starts just east of Eatonville Middle School. The Bud Blancher trail is an easy-to moderate 4.5-mile trek.. It is largely a crushed rock trail, and has about 500 feet of elevation gain.
A visit to Little Mashel Falls includes views of three waterfalls—the tallest falling more than 90 feet—multiple viewing areas and two trailheads.
More experienced hikers often try the nearly 5-mile Pack Forest Trail. Hikers should use a map on this trail with more than 800feet of elevation gain.
The Blancher and Pack Forest trails intersect at the three-way junction of Lower Falls and Middle Falls.
Those looking for a picnic location often consider Billy Holiday Memorial Park. Located at 9604 Jensen Road East in Eatonville, this cozy park also hosts many baseball games throughout the year.
Approaching the Mountain
The 80-acre Ashford County Park sits in the shadow of Mount Rainier and is a great destination for the entire family. It is known for its seasonal outdoor amphitheater and lawn, as well as its playground. It also has a large parking lot and restrooms.
For walkers, it offers a variety of hiking trails, including a 1.2-mile perimeter walking path, the Kent Mundell Memorial Trail, and other interior paved paths.
Head into Mount Rainier National Park to visit the Skyline Trail in the Paradise area. The trail begins near the Jackson Visitor Center where a network of trails start at the same trailhead. The5.5-mile round trip hike on the Skyline Trail features a 1,700-footelevation gain, and takes about 4.5 hours to complete.
For those pushing strollers or just looking for a shorter walk, the mile-long Myrtle Falls hike also starts at the Paradise parking area, and is paved asphalt. The trail visits the 60-foot Myrtle Falls while keeping Rainier’s peak in the background.
There is plenty to do on the mountain once the weather has cooled for winter. While skiing and snowboarding are popular pursuits, many trails are perfect for winter activities like cross country skiing and snowshoeing.