Little Hollywood: Nature at McLane Creek

About The Name

People ask me all the time about the name of my blog, Little Hollywood. Little Hollywood was the name of the shantytown down along the shores of what is now Capitol Lake, a place where some lively characters of Olympia lived. It was our "Hooverville" from the 1920s through the early 1950s. Well, as we know, our area has a lot of interesting, talented, educated characters, and the point of this blog is to help shine the light on some of our "stars" that might not ordinarily be heard through corporate media outlets. So, the name has a double meaning. And since it's my blog, it's Janine's Little Hollywood. Enjoy!

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Nature at McLane Creek

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Above: Just before snow turned the South Sound into a winter wonderland on Sunday afternoon, a bald eagle kept a watchful eye at the McLane Creek Nature Trail. The short, one mile, family friendly walk off Delphi Road on Olympia’s westside is popular in all seasons.

The McLane Creek Nature Trail on the eastern edge of the Capitol State Forest features a peaceful, up close look at beaver ponds and wetlands, ducks, frogs, newts, red-winged blackbirds, eagles, berry-eating cedar waxwings in the summer, and spectacular salmon spawning in the creek in fall.

Above: McLane Creek pond scene.

Although there are flat, wooden boardwalks and viewing platforms in several places, the trail is not technically wheelchair accessible. The trail is managed by the state Department of Natural Resources.

Above: Ice crystals on cattail fronds at McLane Creek.

Little Hollywood