The park was named after
William Fraser Tolmie, a
Hudson's Bay Company officer. The state acquired land for the state park from Charles and Ola Jones in 1965. Removal of more than 100,000 tires comprising an
artificial reef off the shores of Tolmie State Park and the Nisqually River delta began in late 2024. The attempted reef was part of an overall effort within the
Puget Sound during the 1970s and 1980s to increase aquatic wildlife in the waters as a means to strengthen recreational fishing. The tires spread after polypropylene twine holding the tire bundles in place dissolved, becoming a damaging, negative environmental impact. ==Geography and features==