Back to Rossella Brina
		Point Defiance Park Near Tacoma Reprinted from June 2006 Issue -by ROSSELLA BRINA During a recent trip to the western side of the state, my family and I found ourselves near Tacoma and took the opportunity to visit Point Defiance Park. It was a very enjoyable excursion and we promised ourselves we would be back soon. Located at 5400 N. Pearl Street, just a few miles from downtown Tacoma, Point Defiance Park is a 702-acre green oasis with deep forests, saltwater beaches and spectacular views. It is surrounded by Puget Sound on three sides and, to the south, it borders the town of Ruston. Not far past the park entrance is the Boathouse Marina. We were determined to make the most of the sunny day, so we immediately parked our car at the marina and took the waterfront promenade to Owen Beach. It is a short walk to the beach—less than a mile—but very relaxing, as the trail is wedged between forested hills on one side and the Sound on the other. Vashon Island is visible a short distance offshore, and ferry boats and fishing crafts crisscrossed the sparkling water. My children had fun running on the beach, and shelters, tables and grills are available for picnics. At the back of the beach, trails zigzag through the forest. We ventured along one of them to reach a few of Vashon Island’s viewpoints, and the enormous Mountaineer Tree. At 218 feet tall and nearly seven and one half feet in diameter, this 450-year-old Douglas fir dwarfs its surroundings. The park offers more than ten miles of hiking and running trails, allowing visitors to experience wilderness without leaving city limits. After the hike, invigorated and ready to give our feet a break, we returned to the car and took the Five Mile Drive, the road that winds its way through Point Defiance Park’s old growth forest. Along the tree-shaded road several viewpoints offered us more beautiful vistas of Puget Sound, the Cascade and Olympic Mountains, Tacoma Narrows and the Narrows Bridge, and of Vashon Island and Gig Harbor. The Park is also home to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Elephants, tigers, polar bears, sea otters, and penguins are only a few of the hundreds of animals that live here. The aquarium displays marine life from the Puget Sound, but the South Pacific section immerses visitors in the tropics, with large sharks and colorful fish. For those who enjoy plants and flowers, Point Defiance Park has seven gardens, with roses, irises, dahlias, rhododendrons, and even one with just native-species. When in full bloom, the gardens are beautiful and cheery. Along Five Mile Drive are two more notable spots, Fort Nisqually Living History Museum and Camp 6 Logging Museum. Built by Hudson’s Bay Company, Fort Nisqually is believed to be the first European settlement on Puget Sound. The fort was built in 1833 in the Nisqually River Delta, about seventeen miles south of where it’s currently located. Two of the fort’s original structures were moved to the park approximately 100 years later, while the rest was reconstructed according to the fort’s initial plans. Camp 6 Logging Museum is designed after actual logging camps, and was built using equipment from various logging operations in Washington. It offers train rides starting in late spring and during summer. Our day at Point Defiance Park was filled with such a variety of activities, the entire family, children and adults alike, was fully entertained. And we’d only scratched the surface of what this park has to offer. Point Defiance Park is open from sunrise to sunset. Entrance to the park is free. Five Mile Drive is closed to vehicle traffic every Saturday until 1pm to give visitors a chance to run, walk or bike along this scenic drive. For more information, visit www.metroparkstacoma.org/page.php?id=24.