Location: Tacoma/University PlaceAddress: 6320 Grandview Dr. W.Acreage: 930 This amazing park just south of Tacoma makes for a fantastic year-round outing. My favorite time to visit is on a clear winter or spring day when the Puget Sound seems to sparkle in the sunlight. Chambers Creek feels almost other-worldly with most of its 930 acres… Continue reading Chambers Creek Regional Park
Category: south sound
Maury Island Marine Park
Location: Maury/Vashon Island Address: 5900 S.W. 248th St. Acreage: 320 This park is a very special place. But you’ll have to exert some energy to fully enjoy these 300 acres of preserved land. The least energy-intensive way to visit is to park near the viewpoint on S.W. 248th St. at the very top of the… Continue reading Maury Island Marine Park
Judd Creek Preserve
Location: Vashon Island Address: 20900 111th Ave. SW, Vashon Island Acreage: 155 Vashon has dozens of fantastic parks, some on the waterfront like this one and this one, and others tucked away in the forest like Judd Creek Preserve. You’ll find a fantastic short loop trail that winds through the mostly deciduous trees, crossing the… Continue reading Judd Creek Preserve
Dockton Park, Forest & Natural Area
Location: Vashon Island Address: 9500 S.W. Dock St., Vashon Acreage: 193 This is the 500th park I’ve written about on this blog. 500! Now on with the show… I spent a sunny day last year with my family touring a handful of really great parks on Vashon Island, and Dockton may be my favorite. We… Continue reading Dockton Park, Forest & Natural Area
Point Robinson Park
Location: Vashon Island Address: 3705 S.W. Point Robinson Rd., Vashon Acreage: 10 History buffs can find plenty of interesting diversions on Vashon Island, and in particular on its sister, Maury Island. A great first stop is Point Robinson Park, where a lighthouse that dates to 1884 still guides boats around a tight turn between the… Continue reading Point Robinson Park
Lake Meridian Park
Location: Kent Address: 14800 S.E. 272nd St. Acreage: 16.02 This awesome park is the perfect one to shout about right as school is getting out and temperatures are heating up. Set on the shore of 150-acre Lake Meridian, this kid-friendly park is a perfect half-day outing for families. Start at the playground that has two… Continue reading Lake Meridian Park
Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park
Location: Renton/Eastside Address: 1201 Lake Washington Blvd. N., Renton Acreage: 57 With its lakefront setting that’s hugely popular for boating and swimming, Gene Coulon Park seems like it would be destined only for summer fame. Don’t be caught in that trap: this is one of the best area parks for winter walks. The park’s long,… Continue reading Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park
East Bay Public Plaza
Location: Olympia/South Sound Address: 325 Marine Drive, Olympia Acreage: 1.6 Outside Olympia’s outstanding children’s museum sits an amazing use of public space and the best water feature for kids I’ve ever come across. Not a spray park, not a fountain and not a wading pool… so what is it? An artificial (but so realistic) wading… Continue reading East Bay Public Plaza