I was in Tacoma on a beautiful winter day and got a chance to hike this 6-mile loop trail. It was…read moremostly forest and wood with spectacular opening and views to the water. There are bathrooms along the way. Popular trail as there were many people around. Highly recommend a visit if you are in this neck of the woods. Parking lot is large and free. Please come and create your own experience.

Point Defiance Park is MASSIVE. The area has so much beauty and is easy to lose time in the…read moreserenity of it. I highly recommend having a nice lunch at the benches near the little pond or inside the rose garden. Both beautiful areas! Dog friendly and the dogs I saw were all well behaved

Playground by the Sound is the Chambers Bay park playground on the northeast corner of the park…read more Decent size parking lot, though it can be full on super nice days and in the summer (in a pinch I've parked along the road and walked back). The playground is split into an older kids side and a younger kids side, with 1 entry (and a fence surrounding). Visibility isn't perfect but the single entry point is great if you want to stand in the middle to keep an eye on kiddos. Great spot for play dates (come with a coffee!). There are portapotties at the park and a real restroom a small walk down the path. Park is great for kids to use their imaginations and play, which is so much fun. Great spot to bring a ball and play catch or picnic to sit and relax or bikes! Can get hot - wear sunscreen if the weather is nice. Friends said it's also fun to bring bikes or a stroller and hit up the cafe (a bit of distance from the playground) and have some sweet potato fries.

This is definitely one of the nicer playgrounds within the area with amazing views of the sound to…read moreenjoy. My kids love coming here to play, scooter and walk around on the paved trails surrounding the playground. The playground is divided with an area for toddlers (2-5) and older kids. Spacious parking lot and picnic tables as well around. Restrooms are nearby as well - they are well maintained and nice as far as public park restrooms go (heated in the fall/winter time). There is also a little library here too. I enjoy coming here every time!

Wright Park is truly one of Tacoma's gems! It's a 33-acre urban park that feels like a mix between…read morea botanical garden and a community gathering space. The moment you step in, you're surrounded by towering, hundred-year-old trees from all over the world that give the park a magical, shaded atmosphere. It's not just a park, it's also an arboretum, so tree lovers will appreciate the variety and history here. At the heart of it all is the Seymour Conservatory, a Victorian-style glasshouse that looks like it belongs in a storybook. Inside, you'll find a lush collection of tropical plants, seasonal floral displays, and even quirky additions like cacti and Golden Dart Frogs (fun fact: in the wild, they're considered the most poisonous frogs on Earth, but here they're safe since their diet is different). Beyond the conservatory, the park has a beautiful lily pond, fountains, open lawns perfect for picnics, and plenty of walking paths. It's also very family-friendly with playgrounds and lots of space to run around. Wright Park has that perfect mix of history, nature, and community. Whether you're here to stroll among the century-old trees, relax by the pond, or pop into the conservatory, it's easily one of Tacoma's most picturesque hidden gems. Best part? Admission is free, with a donation box available if you'd like to support it.

Beautiful park with a little man-made lake, a kid's play place, a botanical garden, walking paths,…read moreand lots of place to spread out, picnic and relax. There are a multitude of trees providing shade and many have signs showing when they were first planted, which provides some interesting history of this area. It's within walking distance of a few shops, including a pet store, bicycle store, restaurants, and more. I suppose at night it can be seedy, but during the day it's a lovely park to walk around.

What a find! Take a stroll along the little loop around the lake, over the bridge and through the…read morewoods. Easy parking. Nice views. Bottom line: Nice little park and place for a walk!

I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. I'd say Wapato Park is a decent place to go…read morefor a walk along the trailhead, especially around the lake. There's a dock and pedestrian bridge area where many people fish or disembark from a boat. There's also plenty of picnic areas, pergolas, and grassy areas with shade where you can take food, read, or just have a conversation and relax. I also observed a dog park in close proximity as well as unleash areas in and around the park. My only complaint was that I had an encounter with a gaggle of aggressive geese that left me kind of uneasy, but other than that, it was a fairly calm environment.

Spectacular waterfront trail that gives wonderful views of the water and Mt Ranier on a clear day…read more Easy parking and coffee shops along the path. My kind of walk! Please come and create your own adventure.

This is a nice spot to walk and enjoy views of the sound. I don't love the traffic noise and…read morepollution, but what can you do?

This place is pretty cool and a great place to spend a day with some young relatives. It has a…read moreplayground, small spray park, ice cream/concession stand and a community pool. The parking lot shares space with a police substation so it feels really safe and everything seems really clean and nicely upkept. The park appears much larger on the map than I have checked out and appears to include a skate park as well. There are tables available to enjoy a picnic, or to simply sit while you watch children enjoy the playground. I did find the spray area to be a little underwhelming, but the playground equipment seemed newer and unique. The pool is a very good reason to come to this location. They are currently doing limited sessions due to lifeguard shortage, but its only 7$ for 2 hours. Best of all the wave pool is heated and feels amazing on a hot day. There are some water squirting things and one of those large buckets that dump water on everyone's heads. Lifejackets are available for use. On the day I visited there was plenty of room for everyone to occupy a table or lounger. It appears that the grassy hill next to the wave pool is a good location to set up and bring your own chairs, blankets, etc. There's a 1 ft wading pool that I mistook for a hot tub and was a little disappointed by, but likely great for smaller children. I also really liked that they have children complete swim tests and give them a bracelet to tell others what areas of the pool they are allowed to be in. My 7 yr old nephew insisted he could swim, but it was nice to have someone official reinforce that he needed to stay with adults or before a certain point.

I love this park and the houses surrounding it, it feels safe and open. The pool wasn't open but…read morethat's awesome they have a water park area. There is also a basketball court, kids park, baseball field and I think a co-op. The grass is well maintained and the trees and landscape is nice to look at. My son is getting into a tree climbing phase so ofcourse he had to climb a tree :p

Overall a nice park in UP! There's a steep, one-way road that goes down to the park, so the sooner…read moreyou clear it the less likely you are to run into another car going the other direction! Tiny parking lot at the bottom, maybe 8 spots? Enough room to maneuver a truck, but it's tight! There's a very well built building right next to the parking lot with bathrooms, tables, and a grill. Right next to the creek so it's an awesome spot to pull up a seat and enjoy the shade! As you leave the parking lot and go through the ravine, you'll have a fairly nice short walk with no elevation gain. Go over the bridge and up the hill and you hit the edge of the park. Take the first steep hill on the right before the bridge and you'll be sent through the trail system. Very nicely maintained stairs and boardwalks. Be warned that the stairs are steep! A few times I felt like I was climbing attic stairs, it's definitely not disability friendly. Overall it's a great place to hide from the sun and I'll definitely be back!

Hot day went here as plenty of shade and not crowded with people friendly people the creek is not…read morevery deep fried meyers very close to gret grilling stuff for a bbq it's nice and cool place to take your pets

Great hike in the SeaTac area. I had some time before my flight home and I went on this woodsy…read morehike. A parking pass is required to park, which I didn't have, but I rolled the dice since I was just planning to be there for a couple of hours. Great walk with plenty of other people around. Please come and create your own adventure.

Good trail and campground areas. I went a mile into the trail and it is steep in some areas but…read morevery easy for the most part. Great for a midweek day hike or daily dog walking if you live nearby.