It looks like the rain clouds are finally on summer hiatus and warm breezes are blowing. This is the time of the year when you don’t need a ticket to Hawaii or a road trip to San Diego to enjoy a tropical day at the beach. Sure, this isn’t Miami or Rio, but we’re Northwesterners and we accept our gravel beaches and mudflats with a stoic pride. Sand is for sissies.
We’ve visited popular local beaches to chart their attributes. So pack your lunch, grab your towel and hit the beach.
First, a primer:
• With the exception of Long Lake in Lacey, no lifeguards are on duty at these beaches. Every year, tragedy strikes when a swimmer overestimates his or her capabilities. Know your limits and be vigilant in supervising children.
• Wear sunscreen. Nothing will ruin the afterglow of a nice day at the beach like your skin glowing red with a second-degree sunburn.
• No alcohol is allowed at these public beaches.
• Don’t leave anything in your car, valuable or not.
DASH POINT STATE PARK
This is a great beach for swimming – at high tide. A bucolic stream meanders past the parking lot, along the walkway and out into the beach. Secure a camp site across the road for a weekend made in heaven.
Location: 5700 S.W. Dash Point Road, Federal Way
Hours: Beach access closes at 8:30 p.m. (subject to change)
Beach: Sand and logs on saltwater.
Access: 100-yard walk from parking lot.
Sun: West-facing beach gets light in second half of day
Restrooms: At beach with changing areas and outdoor showers.
Picnic tables: About 20.
Views: Maury Island.
Swimming: At high tide, swimmers can wade far from shore. A lot of seaweed was seen during a recent visit.
Shelter: None.
Amenities: A few barbecues, state park rangers, camping across the road.
More info: www.stateparks.com/dash_point.html.
OWEN BEACH
This is the park to commune with nature – and several hundred of your closest friends – if the weather is really nice. Boasting some of the most dramatic views in the South Sound and bordered by the lush green of Point Defiance Park, it’s easy to lose yourself here – literally if you follow one of the trails away from the beach. The beach isn’t wide but it’s long. Provided the tide isn’t too high, you’ll be able to find your own patch of stones or an ergodynamic log to stretch out on. A small concession stand will set you up with snow cones and hotdogs.
Location: Inside Point Defiance Park, Tacoma; follow signs past turnoff for zoo.
Hours: Open half an hour before sunrise and half an hour after sunset.
Beach: Some sand, mostly gravel, logs on saltwater.
Access: Parking lot within feet of beach
Sun: North-facing beach gets shady in latter part of the day.
Restrooms: Yes.
Picnic tables: 40-plus.
Views: Dalco Passage, Vashon Island, Gig Harbor, Mount Rainier, Point Defiance-Tahlequah ferry.
Swimming: Sea floor drops off quickly, allowing wading only within a few feet of shore.
Shelter: One – can be reserved by groups.
Amenities: The concession facility sells “movie theater food” (as the staff calls it) and rents kayaks for $12-$17 an hour. Beachgoers can set up volleyball nets on a grassy area. A long paved promenade takes walkers along the seawall to the boathouse, Anthony’s and the ferry dock.
More info: www.metroparkstacoma.org.
TITLOW PARK
The quirkiest beach in the South Sound has a variety of features and a rich history. For the past century, Titlow Beach has been the site of a hotel, silent film studio, rail station, ferry dock and octopus wrestling matches. Today, the hotel is a community lodge. A pool, tennis court, basketball court, ball field, lake, playground and pathways fill the inland area. The main West Coast rail line divides the beach from the rest of the park, with trains slicing through every hour or so.
Location: At the very west end of Sixth Avenue in Tacoma.
Hours: Open half an hour before sunrise and half an hour after sunset.
Beach: The gravel shore on saltwater can virtually disappear at high tide. When it’s there, you’ll find more space to the north.
Access: Nearest parking areas are reserved for Steamers restaurant but plenty of parking is provided on the street and near the lodge and pool. A short ramp leads to a small beach near the pier. Beach to north is not accessible for the disabled.
Sun: West-facing shore provides plenty of late daylight.
Restrooms: Near play fields, outdoor shower near beach.
Picnic tables: Half a dozen tables are situated on the pier with another dozen plus scattered in the park.
Views: Postcard-perfect Narrows Bridges, Day and Fox islands.
Swimming: This being the Narrows, the sea floor drops off quickly.
Shelter: One housing picnic tables and a barbecue.
Amenities: Despite its urban location, trails quickly lead beachgoers to their own private patch of relaxation. On the other side of the tracks are recreation areas and a duck-filled lake.
More info: www.metroparkstacoma.org.
CRAIG SAILOR: 253-597-8541, CRAIG.SAILOR@THENEWSTRIBUNE.COM
