This is one of the great places to stop along the Ruston Way Waterfront! Jack Hyde park has some…read moregrass areas with a good amount of benches so you can stop and soak in the beauty that Commencement Bay has to offer! There's a beach area and seems to be a somewhat popular launch point for swimmers. Personally speaking, I almost always start on the other side of the waterfront so Jack Hyde is one of the last stops along the trail. The Chinese Reconciliation Park is right next door, or you can get off of the water and go into the Old Town area of Tacoma. Lots of cute little shops and beautiful architecture to be seen there!

Beautiful spot to stretch your legs, hop all across the massive rocks, listen to the chirping sea…read morebirds, and dip your feet in the Sound, if you wish. The nearby trains are noisy, but otherwise this is a peaceful, breezy spot to enjoy a light walk and a picnic. The view is spectacular.

Very nice little park with swings and slides for the kids and a picnic pavilion. Rustic bathrooms…read moreare available year round. The pier is closed for evaluation and repair work during our visit. Good amount of parking. Long, pebbly beach to walk along.

I feel this is a park that only the residents of Brown's Point know about or very long time Tacoma…read moreresidents. For one there's no sign to direct you and the road narrows from the main one. This park is also not associated with Dash Point State Park which is right up the road. This Dash Point Park and Pier is a Tacoma city park. The view here is great as right across from the water is Vashon Island. You can see the ferry for the island as well at this vantage point. The pier is really great as it is long and goes a considerable ways out into the water. Other sights of interest is a old fountain with a historical sign filling you in on it's history. Definitely a great park tucked away in all of the housing.

Cute park! It's…read morealbeit small, but well maintained with bathrooms and a walking path along the creek, under the bridge, and along the harbor. Apparently, you can see salmon swimming upstream here in November. Guess that means I gotta come back at that time. But when I went, I followed a duck who was swimming along the creek. It was cute hehe. I also got to snack on some wild blackberries along the way! Parking is easy along N Harborview Drive, but I will warn you that it is parallel parking.

This is the kind of park that I image coming to life from movies. Lush grass surrounded by…read morebeautiful trees and flowers. There's not much more than that, but if you want a pretty picnic spot, this will do. Parking is free and limited to what you can find on the street, so come early before the restaurants start to get busy and those parking spots fill up.

Easy to find off I-5, Harry Todd Park is on the civilian side of American Lake. With bathrooms,…read morepicnic tables, playground, covered areas, and fishing pier- my kids and I went for fishing and playground. Didn't catch any fish but saw a couple folks who did, the fishing pier was easy and not too crowded (though not empty either on a Saturday). Playground was nice though the park had a lot of trash on the ground. Seems to be a place where folks know they can have a cookout for a bigger group. At least 2 groups were meeting up and had staked a claim on parts of the green space early. There is a decent sized parking lot with handicapped parking a lot closer. There's also a beach for swimming but not for me today (too cold!).

What a beautiful lake! Bring the whole family, fire up the BBQ, and enjoy a fun day together!read more

Old Town Park is a very small park located in the (gasp!) Old Town neighborhood of Tacoma. This is…read moreone of those places where it's definitely not worth the drive, but if you happen to be getting some coffee and want some fresh air, Old Town Park is not a bad choice for a casual stroll. There's a small playground, sheltered area, basketball court, and a replica of a historic cabin (the Job Carr Museum) that might be open sometime? I'm usually in the area in the mornings, so I've never been inside it. The best thing about this park is that it's historic and will likely never be developed - the more green spaces we have the better!

This is a really lovely spot in the center of Old Town, near Anthem Coffee. There is an old log…read morecabin, basketball court, small pavilion/band shell, playground equipment, and a nice amount of open space for playing catch or having a picnic. Very clean. Totally empty on a Monday morning. Grab breakfast to-go from Anthem and enjoy a nice picnic.

Thea's park is a great place to get some fresh air and enjoy what Washington has to offer! While…read morethe park itself is small you can continue to walk down the waterway and it ends up being quite a nice walk. The park itself is mostly a grass area with small beach access, a few tables, and beautiful views. Come during the right time and you can see all sorts of marine life. I see seals and/or sea lions almost every time I come this time of year, otters are fairly common, and when the salmon come through (August-ish) you can see them jump. This park is tucked away enough that it allows you to kind of forget you're in Tacoma while still being super close to finding a new restaurant to try.

Love this little area. It is not a park, but a hangout spot rather. There is no play structure,…read morejust grass and a couple benches. Great place for an afternoon picnic. The parking lot is always full on the weekends, you may have trouble finding a spot.

We showed up in August hoping to rent kayaks. Due to algae bloom it was not safe to go in the lake…read more They charge to go in the lake. When I went thru the gate, there was no mention of the lake being contaminated. Other than that, it was a nice lake. Will try it again next summer.

Family picnics here many times, always turned out great. Well kept grounds boat launch and lake…read moreclose by. Playgrounds for the kids just a great place

I didn't even know Parkland Prarie Nature Preserve existed until I was going to go to another park…read moreand saw it from the road. It had a Pokémon Go stop and I selected it and learned what I drove by. I wasn't too concerned going here on Memorial Day weekend because Parkland isn't a place that brings in tourism and is definitely a 'hood. For a nature preserve Parkland Prarie is pretty small but it's very pleasant nonetheless. We saw lots of wildflowers and that was very pleasant as we strolled on the paths and got perfumed whiffs of the blooms. We saw no wildlife but that's one of those things where you can't see them but they can see you and it may all be due to timing but I wouldn't think it would attract a plethora of wildlife as it is surrounded by homes but wild animals that have been born and raised in the city aren't easily startled so it's totally possible to see deer or foxes or anything of that sort here. With all of the flowers though it would attract birds for sure. Parkland Prarie was a nice little stroll and walking on the couple of looped dirt trails doesn't take much time at all and there are reading plaques along the way to learn more about the plants and animals that take an interest coming here.

Parkland Prairie is a 4.5 acre urban nature preserve right near Pacific Lutheran University. There…read moreis a short loop gravel trail throughout that is around half a mile. I stopped by to go on a morning walk and see all the beautiful wildflowers in bloom right now. There is a lot of different native plants here as well. Parking is just in the gravel lot right out front or free street parking. There is no restrooms, but there are doggy bags if you want to bring your dog(s) for a walk. There are also several log benches to sit if you need a break or just want to enjoy the views and see all the birds that are out. Overall: it was very peaceful here in the early morning and only a couple other people were out walking when I was there. There was a homeless man near the creek, but that is typical for this area. I wanted to mention though because I know not everyone is used to it or may be from this area of town.