The park is named for Dr. William Frazier Tolmie (1812-1866), who spent 16 years working for the Hudson’s Bay Company at Fort Nisqually as a physician, surgeon, botanist and fur trader.

Tolmie studied the languages of the people of the Northwest. This proved useful in trading and in his medical work among the American Indians.

During the Indian Wars of 1855-1856, his ability to communicate helped bring peace.

Tolmie was the first to attempt an ascent of Mount Rainier, and made observations of plants, animals and glaciers.

The Four Cedars Trail is an interpretive loop. Numbers painted on log posts coincide with information at the trailhead. There is a second short interpretive trail around the outskirts of the ranger’s residence, which is just beyond the park’s entrance.

Plenty of critters call this fertile area home. Look for opossum, American bullfrogs, blacktail deer, raccoons, chipmunks, gray squirrels, polyphemus moths, golden tortoise beetles, northern leopard frogs and even the rare pygmy blue butterfly that was discovered in 2004.

At this time, the trail is a bit damp. All right, maybe that is an understatement. The going can be a slog at times.

There is plenty of mud, decaying leaves and standing water along the route. There are several instances where streams have chosen the path of least resistance — the trail itself. Also, numerous footbridges are located along the trail’s length. Once wet, they are slick.

Distance: 2.2 miles

Destination: Loop trail

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation gain: Minimal

Getting there: Located 8 miles northeast of Olympia. From Interstate 5, take Exit 111 and follow the signs five miles to Tolmie State Park.

The Trek: After following the signs to the beach, park in the lot and locate the trailhead at the east end. At the intersection, continue straight on the Four Cedars Trail.

Venturing right puts one on the Twin Creeks Trail. That will be featured in a later Hike of the Week.

Immediately proceed uphill into the forest. An audible “squish” accompanies each step.

There are plenty of limbs and downed trees littering the ground. And the snow and rain flattened practically every fern on the forest floor.

The chirping of chipmunks warns other animals of your approach.

Pass a huge cedar tree and continue on.

The first marker is on the left. No. 1 is “Tree with legs,” according to the placard at the trailhead. It reads, “the hemlock’s ability to regenerate aids in their survival as a species. New sprouts come directly from a stump or downed tree’s root system as a clone. Basal burls, hard, knotty growths from dormant seedlings on a living tree, can sprout a new tree when the main trunk is damaged by fire, cutting or toppling.”

That’s the type of in-depth information you get as you pass nine numbered posts.

Continuing on, head up a slippery slope of mud and roots. Pass a bench and a Pacific yew tree, and reach a series of slick boardwalks.

Proceeding downhill, the trail is now a streambed. The babbling brook pools at the bottom before emptying into a large marsh.

Hop over a downed tree, continuing above a ravine. The trail bends to the left, then to the right, twisting among massive cedar trees.

Reach another boardwalk and pass another bench before the trail is once again overrun by rushing water.

Pass under a precariously perched tree before climbing up and out of a steep gully. Limbo under another downed tree before reaching another set of boardwalks perched above a wetland.

At the junction, go left. Reach a long boardwalk that twists around several trees.

A pair of switchbacks lead to a staircase. At the top, the wind howls through the trees along the ridge. Another boardwalk leads into a grove of alder trees. Make your way under one tree and hop over another as you continue.

Reaching a fork, proceed right. Jump over a small stream. Make your way down another slippery slope and up the other side.

It was at this point that the sun peaked through the clouds, its rays reflecting off the waters of Puget Sound.

Bend around a hillside and break out into a clearing. Walk down a set of stairs and reach a service road. Proceed left on the service road and return to the rig.