State Parks and National Parks

Ten miles south of Olympia is Millersylvania State Park, named for John H. Miller, a former general in the Austrian Army and bodyguard of the emperor Francis Joseph I.

The Miller family willed the land to the state as a park. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps workers developed the park and used it as their regional headquarters while they worked on other parks. The corps-constructed facilities were recently restored.

With 3,300 feet of shoreline on Deep Lake, the park offers swimming, fishing and boating. There are three swimming beaches and a boat ramp.

A 1.5-mile physical fitness trail challenges walkers and hikers. About 6.6 miles of additional trails weave through the park and skirt the lake. Picnickers enjoy the 216 picnic sites, including many near the lake.

The Environmental Learning Center offers programs for up to 158 people. Group camping with dining hall and kitchen is also available.

Families and individual campsites include 135 tent sites, 52 trailer sites and four primitive sites.

Photo credits in order: Courtesy of Washington