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Olmstead Place Historical State Park
Pull off fast-paced Interstate 90, and step back to a slower time at Olmstead Place Historical State Park near Ellensburg.
In 1875, the pioneering Olmstead family homesteaded the land claim at the site of the current state park. They originally raised beef cattle. The family switched from beef to dairy cows in 1892, producing butter for the Seattle market. Three generations of the family farmed this land over many decades. Donated to State Parks in 1968, Olmstead Place reflects homesteader family life, farming history, with historic equipment, a 1908 hay barn and smaller barns, sheds and coops that date from the late-19th century on into recent times. A tour of the original cottonwood log cabin reveals fascinating historic furniture and artifacts.
Take a stroll through the beautiful heritage gardens, blooming with a profusion of flowers throughout the warm seasons. Meander down the Altapes Interpretive Trail, which lies along Coleman Creek. Check the online calendar for interpretive activities.
Bring the kids and history lovers in your family for a prescheduled tour or just come on your own. Don't forget your picnic basket and camera, or even your easel. With its rustic buildings, country landscapes and colorful blooms, Olmstead Place is an artist's dream.
When you're ready to get back in the car, don't worry; the 21st century will still be out there.
Park features
Olmstead Place Historical State Park is a 221-acre day-use park on an original 1875 pioneer homestead only a few miles from Ellensburg.
ADA amenities/facilities
- Restroom
- Hiking trail
Use our interactive ADA recreation map to search for other state parks with ADA amenities and facilities.
Picnic & day-use facilities
There are 17 unsheltered picnic tables in the park, along with a restroom.
Activities
Trails
- 1 mile of hiking trails
Water activities & features
- Fishing (freshwater)
Winter activities & features
- Cross-country skiing
- Snowshoeing
Other activities & features
- Heirloom gardens
- Museum
- Wildlife viewing
- Photography
Interpretive opportunities
This homestead offers free school or group field trips and public tours by advance appointment. Learn the story of the Olmstead-Smith family through an indoor tour that may include the 1875 log cabin, the Smith House museum and/or the hay barn. Outdoor tour/field trip themes can include historic, natural or cultural topics. Highlights include homesteading, gardening and agriculture in the Kittitas Valley; Coleman Creek, ecology and local wildlife/plants; and changes in culture, family and lifestyle between 1875 and the 1960s. Other relevant topics also may be explored.
To schedule a tour or field trip, call the park at (509) 925-1943.
Additional information
- Fishing season for Coleman Creek is June 1 to October 31.
- A recreational license is required for fishing and shellfish harvesting at Washington state parks. For regulations, fishing season information, or to purchase a recreational license, visit the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
- Garden weddings or events also can be booked by completing a Special Activities Permit. If you have questions, please call (509) 968-5298.
- Printable park brochure (PDF).
Historical information
Early in the fall of 1875, a young family crossed over Snoqualmie Pass on horseback into a wide, sparsely settled valley. Bunch grass reached to the stirrups in places. Passing through the rough beginnings of a town called Ellensburg, they settled a few miles to its east. Here the soil was deep and of high quality. A creek cut through the fields, flowing from nearby hills.
The father, Samuel Bedient Olmstead, immediately set to work, carefully constructing a cabin of cottonwood logs hauled from many miles away. His wife, Sarah Frances Olmstead, cared for the three children and helped at a trading post establishment of a relative. Together, they raised the foundation of a family farm that would grow and develop through the years into a living heritage.
Samuel died in January of 1882, but the family decided to carry on the development of the farm. The Olmstead farm witnessed and mirrored the transition from pioneer to modern life. With the arrival of the railroad in 1886, farm settlement grew rapidly. Goods and services became readily available and easily traded. Farm mechanization enhanced output capabilities. The Olmstead family eventually switched to dairy farming. The switch was successful, and Olmstead dairy products were marketed over a wide area.
They built a large house and red barn in between 1906 and 1908. Electricity arrived, along with diesel and gas tractors, national markets and world wars, and the ushering in of modern culture. Sarah Olmstead passed away in 1917, having seen her children become established and successful in carrying out the farm responsibilities. The transition to modern agriculture was in full gear.
After living on the homestead nearly their whole lives, Leta May and Clareta Smith, granddaughters of Samuel and Sarah, deeded the entire farm to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission in 1968. They envisioned the development of a historical farm which would accurately relate the story of the growth of agriculture and the struggles and dreams of a pioneer family farm to generations to come.