Parts of Point Defiance Park to close as work on new trail continues
Parts of Point Defiance Park will be closed Aug. 28 as crews continue construction on a new trail that will support the circulation of cars, bikes and pedestrians.
Five Mile Drive will remain closed from the intersection with Animal Loop Road to the entrance to Owen Beach, and Parks Tacoma’s existing closure from the turn at Waterfront Drive up to Animal Loop Road will remain in place. Owen Beach will also be closed on Aug. 28, but the outer loop of Five Mile Drive will be open to pedestrians and cyclists from the Mildred Street entrance.
The closure will allow workers to fill holes previously dug to replace water utility lines, part of Parks Tacoma’s larger project to add 1.6 miles of paved trail called the “Loop Trail.” The trail will allow pedestrians and cyclists to be separate from vehicles, and connect the Wilson Way Bridge, the Pagoda, the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Environmental Learning Center and Owen Beach.
The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium will remain open during normal business hours, and the Fort Nisqually Living History Museum will remain accessible through the Mildred Street entrance, according to a release from Parks Tacoma.
“Parks Tacoma highly encourages all park visitors to respect the closed areas and stay out of construction zones for the safety of visitors and the project,” the release states.
Construction for phase 2 of the Loop Trail project started in June and is on track to last one year.
