Point Defiance Park
Managed by Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma
675 acres18.8 mi of trail
Inside Loop Trail (Yellow)Outer Loop (Blue)Outside Loop Trail (Blue)Spine Trail (Light Blue)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fireboat No.1 · Photo: Mike Lane · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Tacoma
8% of Tacoma’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
84 miles of mapped trail cross Tacoma, 1.7 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Point Defiance Park (18.8 mi), Swan Creek Park (5.4 mi), Wapato Park (3.4 mi). 8% of Tacoma’s land is conserved, about 2,651 acres.
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns · #58 of 285 in Washington. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
2,651 acres · of 49.8 sq mi of land
Trails
84 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,718 ac
12 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
99 mi
43 mi lanes · 38 mi paths
Highest peak
548 ft
Indian Hill
Lakes & rivers
10
8 beaches · 7 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Tacoma?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Tacoma have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Tacoma is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns, #58 of 285 in Washington. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Tacoma’s overall grade.
Conserved land8% of the land · typical WA town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (84 mi) · WA 0.8 · U.S. 0.4APark land12 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,718 acres) · WA 11 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home99% 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 88%
LessMore
Washington towns of 2,500+ (285)Ahead of 80%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Tacoma ranks #104 on Outdoors.
Water is 20% of Tacoma’s area (13 of 62 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 Point Defiance Park, with 18.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Swan Creek Park
Managed by Metro Parks Tacoma
278 acres5.4 mi of trail
Swan Creek TrailCanyon Rim TrailLister Overlook Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Wapato Park
Managed by Metro Parks Tacoma
85 acres3.4 mi of trail
Wapato Lake TrailPipeline Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Tacoma Nature Center
Managed by Metro Parks Tacoma
73 acres2.6 mi of trail
Hillside LoopFirst Bridge Loop TrailSecond Bridge Loop TrailHillside Loop Extension+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Wright Park
Managed by Metro Parks Tacoma
28 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Titlow Park
Park
84 acres2.2 mi of trail
Lagoon LoopHidden Beach Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Wapato Hills Park
Managed by Metro Parks Tacoma
79 acres2 mi of trail
Wetland Loop TrailWestern Border TrailPlayground Loop TrailEastern Border Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto South Tacoma West Park & RideWebsite ↗
McKinley Park
Park
32 acres1.8 mi of trail
Larrry's LoopHawthorn HeightsStrawberry Hill
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 76 parks & preserves
Point Defiance Park675 acres · 18.8 mi of trail · Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma
DirectionsSwan Creek Park278 acres · 5.4 mi of trail · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsWapato Park85 acres · 3.4 mi of trail · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsTacoma Nature Center73 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsWright Park28 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsTitlow Park84 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWapato Hills Park79 acres · 2 mi of trail · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsMcKinley Park32 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth End Recreation & Adventure62 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsChina Lake Park31 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsStewart Heights Park24 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Oak Tree Park31 acres · 1 mi of trail
Garfield Park20 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsJefferson Park14 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsKandle Park13 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsJulia's Gulch30 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Port of Tacoma
DeLong Park21 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Norpoint Park19 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsAlderwood Park8 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSenator Rosa Franklin Park19 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsVassault Park17 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsBrowns Point Athletic Complex9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Chinese Reconciliation Park7 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsPuget Creek Natural Area41 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsPeck Community Sports Park10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsManitou Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Charlotte's Blueberry Park53 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Portland Avenue Park14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPuget Park12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsVerlo Playfield5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Oakland Madrona Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAlling Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Ryan's Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Parks Tacoma
DirectionsKack Hyde Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBaltimore Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCloverdale Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
People's Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Metro Parks Tacoma
Melanie’s Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsRoosevelt Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Stanley Playfield7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Metro Parks Tacoma
War Memorial Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJane Clark Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCummings Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsNortheast Tacoma Playground4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Metro Parks Tacoma
Inner Hylebos Public Access Site3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Fern Hill Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Firemans Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOld Town Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFerry Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSheridan Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Theater Square1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGarfield Gulch34 acres
DirectionsPlace of Circling Waters28 acres · Port of Tacoma
DirectionsCatherine Ursich Park23 acres
DirectionsParks Tacoma Headquarters17 acres · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsSouth Park14 acres · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsAlexander Avenue Wetland9 acres · Port of Tacoma
Lincoln Park/Eldridge Playfield8 acres · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsRuston Way5 acres
DirectionsDickman Mill Park4 acres · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsJudge Jack Tanner Park3 acres · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsOptimist Park3 acres
DirectionsIrving Park2 acres
DirectionsRogers Playfield2 acres
Edna Travis Park2 acres
DirectionsLincoln Heights Park1 acres
Pointe Woodworth Park1 acres
Thea's Park1 acres · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsTollefson Plaza1 acres
DirectionsHamilton Park1 acres · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsSawyer Tot Lot1 acres
Neighbors Park1 acres · Metro Parks Tacoma
DirectionsDon Pugnetti Park1 acres
DirectionsGeorge H. Weyerhaeuser Jr. Park1 acres
DirectionsMcCormick Park1 acres
DirectionsLittle Marsh1 acres · Port of Tacoma
Who protects it
2,651 conserved acres
8% of Tacoma’s land. Water is left out: Tacoma has 49.8 square miles of land and 12.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Tacoma’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city3,684 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits71 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government42 ac
County35 ac
Other state land16 ac
Not recorded13 ac
Local Park · 1,954 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1,622 acLocal Recreation Area · 183 acForest Stewardship Easement · 36 acConservation Easement · 34 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 20 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 9 of 125 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loth152 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 1,273 | Open |
| Point Defiance Park Local Park | Town or city | 649 | Open |
| Loth159 Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 313 | Open |
| Meadow Park Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 145 | Open |
| Wapato Park Local Park | Town or city | 88 | Open |
| Snake Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 72 | Open |
| Sera Park Local Park | Town or city | 62 | Open |
| Wright Park Local Park | Town or city | 59 | Open |
| Snake Lake (Greenspace) Local Park | Town or city | 55 | Open |
| Swan Creek Park Local Park | Town or city | 54 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
230 places to go in Tacoma
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Tacoma
Plus 5 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Tacoma
Kandle PoolIn Kandle Park
DirectionsStewart Heights PoolIn Stewart Heights Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Tacoma
Funtastic Playtorium
DirectionsHeritage Park PlayGround
DirectionsKids' Zone PlaygroundIn Point Defiance Park
DirectionsLog Scramble
Directions157 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Tacoma
Lower Dog ParkIn Wapato Park
DirectionsOff Leash Dog ParkIn Point Defiance Park
DirectionsSmall Dog AreaIn Wapato Park
DirectionsSwan Creek Off-Leash Dog ParkIn Swan Creek Park
DirectionsUpper Dog ParkIn Wapato Park
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Tacoma
Dick Gilmur Shoreline and Kayak LaunchHours: dawn-dusk
DirectionsPlus 6 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Tacoma
Bridges ViewpointIn Point Defiance Park
DirectionsDalco Passage ViewpointIn Point Defiance Park
DirectionsGig Harbor ViewpointIn Point Defiance Park
DirectionsNarrows ViewpointIn Point Defiance Park
DirectionsPublic Observation TowerHours: Open 24 hours
DirectionsRaptor OverlookIn Point Defiance Park
DirectionsVashon Island ViewpointIn Point Defiance Park
DirectionsPlus 15 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Tacoma
Indian Hill548 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Tacoma
Fort Nisqually Picnic AreaIn Point Defiance Park
DirectionsGig Harbor Picnic AreaIn Point Defiance Park
DirectionsKiwanis Picnic AreaIn Wapato Park
DirectionsMain Picnic AreaIn Wapato Park
DirectionsRed Wolf Picnic AreaIn Point Defiance Park
DirectionsRustic Picnic AreaIn Point Defiance Park
DirectionsPlus 17 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Tacoma
Proctor Community Garden
DirectionsSwan Creek Park Community GardenIn Swan Creek Park
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.2 miUnpaved · 35.1 mi
Inside Loop Trail (Yellow)2.3 mi
Outer Loop (Blue)2.0 mi
Swan Creek Trail1.6 mi
Canyon Rim Trail1.2 mi
Outside Loop Trail (Blue)1.1 mi
Spine Trail (Light Blue)0.9 mi
Wapato Lake Trail0.9 mi
Larrry's Loop0.7 mi
Wetland Loop Trail0.7 mi
Puget Canyon Trail0.6 mi
15 more trails
Hillside Loop
0.6 miSecond Bridge Loop Trail
0.6 miUpper Loop Trail
0.6 miFirst Bridge Loop Trail
0.6 miOwen Beach
0.5 miDeLong Park Trail
0.5 miGarfield Gulch Trail
0.5 miHawthorn Heights
0.5 miWestern Border Trail
0.4 miLister Overlook Trail
0.4 miLagoon Loop
0.3 miHidden Beach Trail
0.3 miOak Tree Trail
0.3 miPlayground Loop Trail
0.3 miStrawberry Hill
0.3 miBiking & sports
99 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
43 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
38 mi
off-road bike paths
18 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
71Tennis
63Baseball
60Basketball
41Soccer
28Tracks
22Pickleball
18Football
6Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →92 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 29 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
Fort Nisqually Granary and Factor's HouseNational Historic Landmark · Building · listed 1970
About itCamp SixDistrict · listed 1973
About itUnion Passenger StationBuilding · listed 1974
About itOld City HallBuilding · listed 1974
About itSt. Peter's Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1974
About itEngine House No. 9Building · listed 1975
About itNorthern Pacific Office BuildingBuilding · listed 1976
About itWright Park and Seymour ConservatoryDistrict · listed 1976
About itPantages TheatreBuilding · listed 1976
About itSlavonian HallBuilding · listed 1976
About itStadium-Seminary Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1977
About it80 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Tacoma: April 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) | 6.2 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 6.6 | 6.2 |
July is the driest month (0.6 in) and the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 6.6 inches fall in November, the wettest month. The climate in Tacoma →
Next door
Tacoma and its neighbors
Tacoma has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Tacoma84 miLakewood27 miUniversity Place11 miFife6.3 miDash Point5.9 miParkland5.5 miMidland0.2 miBrowns Point0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacoma | 8% | 1.7 | 12 | 99% | A |
| University Place | 16% | 1.3 | 15 | 98% | A |
| Midland | 1% | 0.1 | 2 | 89% | C |
| Fife | 3% | 1.1 | 12 | 99%+ | A− |
| Browns Point | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Dash Point | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lakewood | 8% | 1.6 | 11 | 88% | A− |
| Parkland | 5% | 0.6 | 3 | 91% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Tacoma
Where can I hike in Tacoma?
The longest trail networks: Point Defiance Park, 18.8 miles; Swan Creek Park, 5.4 miles; Wapato Park, 3.4 miles; Tacoma Nature Center, 2.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Tacoma is conserved land?
8% 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 Tacoma’s trails?
Point Defiance Park and Swan Creek Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Tacoma?
99 miles of bike routes are on the map: 43 of painted or protected lanes, 38 of off-road paths and 18 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Tacoma?
18,313 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Tacoma or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,727 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Tacoma have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #58 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 Tacoma 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 →