Looking for Tacoma urban hikes? TNT’s new outdoors reporter recommends these
Ask five different people what the five best hikes around urban Tacoma might be, and you’ll likely get five different answers. These things are subjective. Head to Alltrails, for instance, and you’ll get this list. Head on over to the Washington Trails Association, and you’ll get another.
That’s what’s so great about hiking. You’ve got to get out there and make the decision for yourself. Nothing is definitive on the trail except clean lungs and dirty shoes.
So, think of this more as a suggestion. A nudge. A mere adumbration of what your own list could be.
Hiking is one of the healthiest things you can do, but we don’t always have the time to run to the mountains. This list is for the urban Tacomans looking to squeeze in an hour or two of hiking into their busy days.
Point Defiance Park Outer Loop
Location: Point Defiance Park, 5400 N. Pearl St, Tacoma
Mileage: 4.2 miles
Elevation gain: 324 feet
Note: Can get muddy.
The crown jewel of Tacoma Parks, Point Defiance is a 760-acre masterpiece, complete with its own sea cliffs, beaches, zoo, aquarium, and a 500-acre old-growth forest swamped in lichen and moss.
The Point Defiance Park Outer Loop is a trail that circumnavigates nearly the entire park. It’s a 4.2-mile, easy-to-moderate loop that takes most hikers 1-2 hours to complete.
Most say it’s the best way to explore Point Defiance Park, and if you get tired (or it starts raining), there are plenty of shortcut/feeder trails you can take if you need to run quickly back to your car.
Look for a mossy trail that meanders through ancient tree roots, cliffs and Puget Sound vistas.
Chambers Bay Loop
Location: 6320 Grandview Dr, Chambers Bay Walk, University Place
Mileage: 3.25 miles
Elevation gain: 315 feet
Note: Hills can get steep.
Combining the Grandview Trail and Soundview Trail, this hike loops around the entirety of the Chambers Bay Golf Course at Chambers Creek Regional Park.
You’ll head along beaches, manicured fairways and natural meadows as you climb up and down moderate hills, gaining unparalleled views of Fox, McNeil and Anderson Island.
Bring your pup! This hike is dog-friendly and has off-leash areas for your dog to roam free. Stay late and enjoy a sunset over the Sound.
Ruston Way Trail
Location: Ruston Way waterfront beginning at Jack Hyde Park
Mileage: 6.5 miles
Elevation gain: 150 feet
Note: Great seafood!
This one is full of options. Head down to Ruston Way, hop onto the paved trail and begin walking anywhere. For our purposes, we’ll hop on at Jack Hyde Park and walk to Point Defiance.
Hike along the waterfront, stopping to take in the views of boaters, beaches and gulls. Skip stones across Commencement Bay and walk out onto docks and piers seemingly as old as the city itself.
You’ll pass through Jack Tanner Park along the way, and Chinese Reconciliation Park is nearby. Grab lunch at one of the many seafood restaurants, and ice cream for dessert. If the mountain is out, Ruston has one of the best views in Tacoma.
Dash Point Trail
Location: Dash Point State Park, Federal Way
Mileage: 4.8 miles
Elevation gain: 501 feet
Note: Bring your bike!
Okay, if we’re being finicky, this one isn’t technically in Tacoma; it’s barely in Federal Way. But the border basically runs right through Dash Point State Park, so we’re going to count it. It’s too good to leave out.
Hike under an evergreen tree canopy on well-manicured trails and over streams on weather-beaten footbridges. Head to the beach and look for seabirds, starfish and crabs under rocks.
Bring the family! Camp out for the evening and make oatmeal over the fire. Watch for bikes and bring your own.
Spine Trail
Location: Point Defiance Park, 5400 N. Pearl St, Tacoma
Mileage: 2.6 miles
Elevation gain: 282 feet
Note: Bathrooms are closed during the winter.
The Spine Trail couldn’t be left out. There’s just something special about this short hike that starts at the Rhododendron Garden and ends at the Gig Harbor Viewpoint. Along the Spine Trail, you’ll hit some of Point Defiance’s oldest and most eccentrically shaped trees.
There’s something supernatural about the Spine Trail, as you hike under crooked moss-covered limbs that reach out to you with a silent wail. Don’t miss the stumps and ferns and many hiding places for monkeyshines while you’re here.
Prepare to lose your breath upon arriving at Gig Harbor Viewpoint. If it’s clear, you won’t be looking at Gig Harbor, but at the Olympic Mountains and their jagged, snow-covered peaks.
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