The Healing Farm — Attraction in Yelm

Be prepared to say 'OMG, that is sooo cute' (or variations) over and over during your tour😊. This farm is fantastic, and Kat, the tour guide/host, gave us the most amazing experience. We interacted with all the animals and learned so much.

The tour started with Freya, the dog, greeting us in the driveway. She recently gave birth, and we got to meet her offspring. Off to a great start.

Next, we bottle-feed baby goats. After that we collect all the goats and go to a fenced backyard area, which is basically their private forest. Here, Freya runs to say hi to her canine neighbor, and we pause to let the goats have a little snack break.

Moving on to the next stop on the trail—a boar named Pumba. A beautiful mix of two breeds is sunbathing and chomping on a carrot. Life is good in Pumbaland (:

As the goats catch up with us, we move as one to meet Clyde the Llama and two alpacas. Is it possible to look at these funny-looking creatures and not smile? I don't think so; in fact, my cheeks are becoming sore from grinning so much. We feed them, and the loop in the backyard forest is now complete, but the fun is not over yet.

Kat brings out a beautiful woven basket with grass for the wallabies. We enter the enclosure where Scooter, the boy, treats it as his personal boxing ring. It's the cutest thing ever.

The next stop is the largest rodent in the world—the capybara. The Healing Farm has two of them, and they are the cutest. You sit on the grass, they sit on your lap, and you feed them plants. That's it. You are...

Amazing time! For people who want the real deal, hands on experience. I researched petting zoos and chose Healing Farm even though it was further than the rest, and am glad I did. It’s a real immersive experience with chickens and puppies roaming around you, feeding goats milk, taking a tour through the woods with all the goats - you’ll know some of their names by the end- and the littlest ones can ride a sweet big goat named Spice. Then the alpacas came to the party, with a long haired beauty coming in fashionably late. They eat out of your hand. On we went through the woods with goats rubbing up against us - their version of a snuggle. Then we fed wallabies - so soft and sweet. And finally into the pen to feed two capybaras. Adorable cute animals that love kale. There was plenty to go around. Everyone had time to interact with the animals in an unrushed manner. A turtle, bunnies, and an Australian I don’t know what - worlds largest rodent? Looked like a mini kangaroo and bounced like one too. Then we snuggled the calmest rooster, and puppies, while giant turkeys showed off their plumage. It was healing indeed. Wear boots and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. You’ll step in a metric ton of poop by the end but it’s all worth it. Kat is a calm and gracious host. Thank you for a wonderful time. The kids want to come back and stay all...

Magical and Unforgettable!

This was our very first Hipcamp stay, and it completely blew us away. We were a bit skeptical at first, but the glowing reviews convinced us to give it a try—and we’re so glad we did. On a road trip from Mount Rainier to Olympic National Park, we made a stop here mainly because our kids (ages 9 and 11) are capybara-obsessed. What we found was so much more than we imagined.

From the moment we arrived, we felt like part of the family. Kat and Jason were the most welcoming hosts, and the connection we felt to the animals was incredibly special—this was nothing like a typical petting zoo. We gathered eggs, milked goats, fed a porcupine and capybaras, cuddled baby bunnies, met a joey in a pouch, hung out with emus, and even snuggled with goats. It was truly immersive and heartwarming.

The campsite itself was private, peaceful, and perfectly set up—complete with a fire pit and a hammock that our son loved.

Leaving was the hardest part (there were definitely tears). My kids are already counting down the days until we can come back. Huge thanks to Kat and Jason for making us feel so welcome and creating memories our family will cherish forever.

Favorite animals: Muriel and Eustace, Spice and Selma, Potato the cat, Tilda the porcupine, Mushu the goat, and Scooter...