When I lived in Central Tacoma Spanaway felt so terribly far away so I hardly ever went to Spanaway…read morePark or enjoyed it's trail. My first time on the trail I was hiding painted rocks for people to find. It was quite a phenomenon in the area for a brief time until people burned themselves out on it and it all just became a phase. But not only that it was raining cats and dogs and I was still out hiding rocks. Very soggy but still fun but I definitely hurried up and hid all the rocks I had. Since then we have moved just slightly closer to on the way there and we are close to the direct route to Spanaway. So fresh after we moved in I visited this park quite a few times and really enjoyed the trail and made sure it was better weather when I went there. The trail is scenic as you can view Spanaway Lake right alongside the trail making it a very enjoyable stroll. Folks in Spanaway really need a park like this because there really isn't a whole lot of other intriguing things to do right in Spanaway.

I have never seen a more beautiful place to ever go to... that is both peaceful & so relaxing!!…read moreWhen I was first driving here, I didn't even know where I was going because I am never in the area. I came because my friends wanted to take me canoeing. I am so thankful for them taking me here because it is gorgeous! Once you enter, you have to pay $3 for parking, but I think that goes for the upkeep of the park/trail/lake. We parked around the loop, took our first few steps towards a small downhill trail. It led us to the bathroom. Might I add, they are actually clean for public restrooms! There are over 10 stalls, pretty clean, but no toilet seat covers and hand soap! Yuck! This is one of the reasons why it's not a perfect 5 star. Otherwise, it's so clean and nice. The trail ( I don't know how far it is) is clean too filled with a beautiful view of the lake. So breathtaking! We walked over to the boat house to rent canoes. They rent out canoes, kayaks, row boats and pedal boats. After a while, we decied we wanted the pedal boats where we us our legs to pedal. Haha, it was so much fun! It's $7 for an hour but unfortunately, they only take cash and you need a $10 deposit. Right when we got in the water though, it was breathtaking! Nothing but clean water, beautiful skies, and the scenery was just gorgeous! Pedaling through the water and seeing houses, docks, and just the beauty of nature. I enjoyed it. Perfect for summer! The trail is lovely. Great view, nice clean bathrooms, and there are even clean play grounds too. Perfect for BBQs, family gatherings, boating, jet skiing, canoeing, fishing, etc. Not many places to swim, but it is still really nice, with decent parking and a great view. I think it's so peaceful and relaxing to come to a nice place to enjoy the trail and nature.

My wife and I went camping here last weekend and Oh My Gosh was it beautiful!! I'm still adjusting…read moreto how populated camping in WA is, so put the campsite neighbors and noise aside this was a great spot! (It wasn't too noisy, and people respected quieter night hours). The beach is a quick 5-8 minute walk from the campground, depending on where your spot is. And there's also plenty of hiking paths around the peninsula! I think we clocked in at 1.5 miles, but it's kind of steep in parts. My favorite part about the campsite was the tree cover. There was always shade throughout the day, which kept the temp cooler. It also lightly rained for several hours Saturday afternoon and then again over night, but with all the trees our picnic table stayed mostly dry and our tent didn't get too soaked! Overall, very beautiful park and campground. I want to come back and experience this place again

Spent one night here recently. The winter (upper) loop was pretty good, not massive spaces but way…read morebigger than some with decent privacy on certain sites. We walked through the lower loop on our way back from the trail...closed for the season, but it looked even better, sites seemed bigger and more private overall. Beautiful trees and shade throughout. We took the battery and interpretive trails, nothing fantastic but still enjoyable with some nice bay views and little critters along the way. We ran into the campground host once who was very friendly and helpful. The day use area was good, with a large picnic building and lots of parking. Overall a nice, quiet stay and well-kept grounds.

Nice park, however it's a long way down a steep hill, last time I went it had 2 inch gravel that…read morewas uncomfortable to walk on. The smash and grab meth heads break into many cars at the trail head.

Beautiful park, clean and well-kept! I do wish that there were bathrooms but other than that it is…read morebeautiful!

Wasn't expecting this to be breathtaking but it was! It was breathtaking taking as in there are a…read morenumber inclines at 8% or more the we encountered and the view was beautiful. We thought we would do a simple 2.5 miles in and out but ended up doing 5.5 in and out. The trail is paved 100% of the way. Makes it good for everyone from bikers, walkers, baby strollers, those differently abled and little kids. Lots of fun and plenty of energy food along the way (blackberry's) Enjoy this hike.

I got an electric scooter recently and have gone on a run or two on it on some bike trails. My…read morefirst run was on the Scott Pierson trail in Tacoma which ends at the Narrows Bridge. There isn't a trail that resumes right after at the bridge on the Gig Harbor side but the Cushman Trail isn't far from the bridge at all. You just cross the viaduct that goes over the toll area for the bridge , get on the road that heads west and before long you will come across a sign indicating that you are at the Cushman Trail. So arguably it's a continuation trail but probably not technically. This is a great trail as it is well maintained and is wide and has lanes for bike, walking and scooter traffic. As you head into Gig Harbor you will see a sign that you are entering the city limits of Gig Harbor. A couple of times the trail becomes part of a road or a sidewalk but the signage is great and as long as you pay attention to the signs you won't lose the trail. I was here just after the trees hit their peak with Autumn color but the Cushman Trail is great to take in in that regard. After hitting the city limits there were signs for each crossing that indicated that motorized vehicles were not allowed. So yeah. my scooter sort of fits under that. Nobody seemed to mind that though and the trail was busy. I even saw other electric scooters as well. I didn't get to ride my scooter as much as one would think because there are several pretty steep hill grades on this trail especially towards the middle to end but it was ok...I was enjoying the scenery. My scooter doesn't do hills well let alone steep ones so that's why so much walking happened for me. For the walker or the bicyclist those hill grades would be great for exercise. Cushman Trail is a very nice trail to explore much how it is with visiting the town in general.

A hidden gem of a park. There is a maintained trail that loops about a half mile around a large…read moregrassy area. For most of the winter, the grass is flooded, but the trail is never very muddy, making it great in the rain. Large firs and hemlocks block the water, and ferns and moss absorb sounds, allowing you to lose yourself in the surroundings. In the spring and summer, the maples provide dappled shade that keeps you cool. I don't know who maintains the park (it's not a public park), but they do a great job keeping the trails clear of vegetation, and it looks like they clear out blackberries, too, since I only see a few here and there off the trail. This is a great place to walk the dog, but bring your own baggies as they don't provide them, or trash cans!

Quaint and charming little community park…read more A 0.4 mile loop walk winds around an open grass field. The area is full of fir trees and ferns and it makes for a great brisk walk in any weather. There are multiple ways to enter and exit from the park. The dog absolutely loves running around the grass, pawing at the dirt mounds, and exploring all of the different paths. There is also a path that links to the road down to the Tacoma Narrows park.

Even though we used Google Maps, we still got a bit lost trying to find this spot. I think we ended…read moreup adding 30 minutes to our driving time because we had to make a bunch of U-turns. Anywho, eventually, we found this spot, and it was exactly how my aunt and uncle described it. Lots of nature and walking paths, and gorgeous views of the water. The campgrounds are also sizeable, and there were plenty of campers and families hanging out and enjoying the sunshine. There's also a little amphitheater area made of tree stumps and wooden benches with a wooden stage. I think you have a reserve that area if you wanna use it, though. This place is chill and great for passing the time (maybe like 2 hours or so if you meander through all of the walking trails). Also, it's pet-friendly.

Top notch camping site. In wet weather, the conditions can be a little marshy, but theres tent…read morecamping down the hill a bit that appears to be nice. It rained the whole weekend we were here but the host was pleasant and friendly, the people there definitely maintain the park beautifully, and the ranger came by several times which made us feel remotely safe. Plenty of fun in the area for boating and swimming, two spots for RV/Travel Trailer camping. It's a serene and beautiful site that was more than adequate for a weekend away. If you're looking for just a night or several weeks, this campground is well maintained with beautiful views, and friendly and hardworking staff members. Truly a gem.

Harstine Island State Park is a large, forested state park that borders the Puget Sound. My wife…read moreand I ventured on one of the trails with the hope of finding the Puget Sound and potentially a fishing spot. The trail appeared to be much longer than anticipated to reach the water or we had simply walked down the wrong path. I have ventured down a number of these paths with a fishing rod in hand only to find no viable fishing spot along the route, but that is the definition of exploring, you will not know until you try. There was a warning sign of a cougar sighting in the area at the trailhead. This was the first of many postings about cougars that we saw at future trailheads. Each warning sign generally has a picture of a cougar, the last time it was seen in the area, and defensive strategies if you ever encountered one. One would think that bear spray would be the easiest line of defense, but we haven't seen that referenced in the postings, probably because most hikers don't carry it. I haven't seen a wild cougar yet, and I don't think I will unless a cougar, a master stealth hunter, sees me first and wants to show his face.

This hardly seems like a park at all and more a long primitive road with entrances to trail ways at…read morecertain points. Not only is the road you're driving on treacherous, but so are the trails. I'm not complaining because I like the trails to be a bit more "off the beaten path" ish so it actually feels like you're hiking in the middle of the forest. Luckily the ground was a bit wet to keep the gravel somewhat stationary and not flying up and shooting pebbles all over the place. I didn't go too far into the park as I had just walked around Jarrell Cove Park. I'll leave this at 3 stars for now as I didn't get the full experience, or maybe I did and didn't notice it.

I live close by and come here often. It's a small park that's beautifully maintained. The animals…read morecarved into trees and stumps throughout the park are a real unique feature. It's a quiet and peaceful place. Plenty of parking, restrooms, place to get water for your dogs if you brought them. I feel safe walking around by myself and that's always a plus!

Want to go for a walk in the woods? This lovely, quiet little park off of Grandview has a…read morebark-covered walking path and drinking fountains for people and their dogs. Good for bird-watching, too.