Dash Point State Park
Managed by Washington State Parks
292 acres3.2 mi of trail
Hoyt Road TrailBoundary TrailFern AlleyAccess Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Federal Way
7% of Federal Way’s land is conserved, and 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park
30 miles of mapped trail cross Federal Way, 1.3 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Dash Point State Park (3.2 mi), Celebration Park (2.7 mi), West Hylebos Wetlands Park (1.1 mi). 7% of Federal Way’s land is conserved, about 1,061 acres.
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns · #88 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
1,061 acres · of 22.3 sq mi of land
Trails
30 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,082 ac
11 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
73 mi
15 mi lanes · 8.4 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
12
5 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Federal Way?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Federal Way have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Federal Way is ahead of 84% of U.S. towns, #88 of 285 in Washington. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Federal Way’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical WA town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (30 mi) · WA 0.8 · U.S. 0.4APark land11 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,082 acres) · WA 11 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home97% of residents within a half mile of a park · WA 92% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 84%
LessMore
Washington towns of 2,500+ (285)Ahead of 69%
Water is 6% of Federal Way’s area (1 of 24 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 7%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Dash Point State Park, with 3.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
West Hylebos Wetlands Park
Managed by Federal Way Parks & Recreation
63 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Conna Park
Park
23 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Olympic View Park
Managed by Federal Way Parks Department
10 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
No trailhead mapped yet
All 38 parks & preserves
Dash Point State Park292 acres · 3.2 mi of trail · Washington State Parks
DirectionsCelebration Park74 acres · 2.7 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Hylebos Wetlands Park63 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Federal Way Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSteel Lake Park53 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSacajawea Park16 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsMadrona Park14 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsConna Park23 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Olympic View Park10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Federal Way Parks Department
French Lake Park10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsAdelaide Park9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsLakota Park30 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWildwood Park2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Lake Boat Launch22 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
DirectionsDumas Bay Park19 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLake Killarney Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Palisades Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Town Square Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHeritage Woods Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Cedar Grove Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Winco Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Federal Way
DirectionsHylebos Wetlands34 acres
Laurelwood Park18 acres · City of Federal Way
Fishers Pond Park15 acres
Saghalie Park12 acres
DirectionsHylebos Blueberry Farm Park10 acres · Federal Way Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSW 363rd Street Open Space7 acres
Lake Grove Park4 acres
Mirror Lake Park3 acres
Alderdale Park2 acres
Wedgewood Park2 acres · City of Federal Way Parks Department
Orchid Lane Open Area1 acres · Orchid Lane HOA
Dash Point Highlands Park1 acres
Britney Park1 acres
Southwest 312th Sports Courts1 acres
Regency Wood Park1 acres
Coronado Park1 acres
Danville Station Park1 acres · Danville Station HOA
The Commons Community Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,061 conserved acres
7% of Federal Way’s land. Water is left out: Federal Way has 22.3 square miles of land and 1.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Federal Way’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city880 ac
State parks286 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits91 ac
Local Park · 541 acState Park · 286 acLocal Other or Unknown · 229 acLocal Conservation Area · 94 acUnknown Easement · 91 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 88 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 43 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dash Point State Park | State parks | 286 | Open |
| Loth54 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 229 | Open |
| West Hylebos Wetlands Park Local Park | Town or city | 99 | Open |
| Steel Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 63 | Open |
| Panther Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 56 | Open |
| Poverty Bay Park Local Park | Town or city | 53 | Open |
| BPA Trail Site Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 50 | Open |
| Hylebos Wetlands Local Park | Town or city | 48 | Open |
| Olympic View Park Local Park | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| Dumas Beach Park Local Park | Town or city | 28 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
190 places to go in Federal Way
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Federal Way
Dash Point State Park BeachIn Dash Point State Park
DirectionsPlus 4 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Swimming spots in Federal Way
1 swimming spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Federal Way
Playgrounds in Federal Way
Big Toy
DirectionsFamily FunlandIn Steel Lake Park
DirectionsLittle Gym
DirectionsPenny's Park
Directions150 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Federal Way
French Lake Off-Lease Dog ParkIn French Lake Park
DirectionsPlus 8 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Federal Way
Steel Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Federal Way
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Federal Way
BPA Trail Viewpoint
DirectionsWest Hylebos Wetlands Park Brooklake ViewpointIn West Hylebos Wetlands Park
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Federal Way
Picnic AreaIn West Hylebos Wetlands Park
DirectionsPicnic Site #2In Steel Lake Park
DirectionsPicnic Site #3In Steel Lake Park
DirectionsPicnic Site #4In Steel Lake Park
DirectionsShelter 2In Dash Point State Park
DirectionsPlus 8 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Federal Way
Dash Point CampgroundFee · In Dash Point State Park · Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Federal Way
Light of Christ Community GardenLight of Christ Lutheran Church
DirectionsTrails & water
12 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.1 miUnpaved · 15.3 mi
Hoyt Road Trail0.6 mi
Access Trail0.4 mi
Boundary Trail0.4 mi
Fern Alley0.3 mi
Outbound Trail0.3 mi
Shannon's Shin0.2 mi
Switch Back0.2 mi
Picnic Point Beach Trail0.2 mi
Heartbreak Hill Trail0.1 mi
Log Jam0.1 mi
2 more trails
Thames Creek Beach Trail
0.1 miRidge Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
73 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
15 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
8.4 mi
off-road bike paths
50 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
44Basketball
41Baseball
37Tennis
16Soccer
9Pickleball
5Football
5Tracks
3Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Federal Way: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.1 | 15.9 | 15.6 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.2 | 8.5 |
| High (°F) | 47 | 50 | 54 | 59 | 66 | 70 | 77 | 77 | 71 | 60 | 51 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 5.8 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 4.0 | 6.4 | 5.9 |
July is the driest month (0.6 in) and August the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 6.4 inches fall in November, the wettest month. The climate in Federal Way →
Next door
Federal Way and its neighbors
Federal Way has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Tacoma84 miFederal Way30 miAuburn24 miDes Moines12 miLakeland South3.0 miLakeland North1.8 miMilton0.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Way | 7% | 1.3 | 11 | 97% | A− |
| Lakeland South | 1% | 0.6 | 7 | 99%+ | B |
| Lakeland North | 2% | 0.6 | 3 | 94% | B− |
| Des Moines | 12% | 1.9 | 11 | 99% | A |
| Milton | 4% | 0.3 | 8 | 98% | B |
| Auburn | 5% | 0.8 | 10 | 97% | A− |
| Tacoma | 8% | 1.7 | 12 | 99% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Federal Way
Where can I hike in Federal Way?
The longest trail networks: Dash Point State Park, 3.2 miles; Celebration Park, 2.7 miles; West Hylebos Wetlands Park, 1.1 miles; Steel Lake Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Federal Way is conserved land?
7% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Washington town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Federal Way’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Dash Point State Park (on leash) and Olympic View Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Federal Way?
73 miles of bike routes are on the map: 15 of painted or protected lanes, 8.4 of off-road paths and 50 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Federal Way?
16,167 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Federal Way or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,082 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Federal Way have?
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #88 of 285 in Washington. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Federal Way neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →