Looking for summer adventures? Here’s our outdoors writer’s 2026 bucket list
Memorial Day is widely accepted as the unofficial start of summer across the country, and the South Sound is no exception. With long days, warming waters and just overall less gloom, it’s time to extend those trekking poles, pump up those bike tires and dust off your golf clubs because Pierce County summer is (unofficially) here.
What Tacoma outdoor activity is on your bucket list this summer? Hiking in Point Defiance? Kayaking the Thea Foss Waterway? Jogging on Ruston Way?
In the spirit of summertime adventure, I’ve created my own bucket list and expanded it to all of Pierce County. Bucket lists can be considered private matters and are certainly subjective. If you have your own bucket list, undoubtedly, it looks different from mine.
So please consider the following list, neither definitive nor exhaustive, but merely what this lowly outdoors reporter is most excited about this summer in the South Sound.
Here are my top 5 bucket list adventures for Pierce County this summer:
Summiting Mount Rainier
Why not start at the top? Literally. Here it is, the grandaddy big gun of all South Sound adventures. A chance to stand on the roof of the Pacific Northwest.
Mount Rainier, at 14,410 feet, is indisputably the most prominent and highest glaciated mountain peak in the lower 48 states and the fifth-highest overall. But height isn’t everything. Mount Whitney in California, for instance, is the highest peak in the lower 48 at 14,505 feet tall, but is hiked quite regularly as a day trip in the summer. If you stay on the trail, no mountaineering experience or equipment is generally required.
Mount Rainier, on the other hand, requires extensive equipment, training, and it’s an overwhelmingly good idea to use a guide service like RMI on your first trip up. And unless you’re Simon Kearns, it’s going to take a couple of days.
Skyline Loop Trail
If mountaineering isn’t your thing, Mount Rainier National Park has incredible, albeit slightly less adventurous, hikes. The Skyline Loop Trail takes second fiddle to nothing in the park.
While the views from Mount Rainier are obviously incredible, those from the Skyline Loop Trail are equally stunning. You’re not staring off the mountain, you’re staring at the mountain on this trail. Which, some might argue, is just as magnificent.
You could call the Skyline Loop Trail the crown jewel of Pacific Northwest trails because of its proximity to the mountain itself. You’ll hike a 5.5-mile loop from the Paradise parking lot and back, along alpine meadows of wildflowers, the Nisqually Glacier, Sluiskin Falls and Paradise Falls.
Hiking Crystal Mountain
Did you know that Crystal Mountain opens Memorial Day weekend for the summer season? You might not be skiing or boarding, but if you’re a fan of hiking and backpacking, the views are there, and quite a bit more lush than in the winter.
The Mount Rainier Gondola will take you 2,400 feet up from the resort to the 7,000-foot summit of Crystal Mountain. You can purchase gondola tickets and ride up for a hike and lunch at the Summit House Restaurant, or hike up and ride down, or ride up and hike down (depending on the status of your knees).
There are miles of hiking to explore, and even overnight backpacking without a wilderness permit if you’re not on Mount Rainier National Park land. The Pacific Crest Trail is also right there for anyone interested in getting their thru-hike on.
Take the Crystal Mountain Trail to Henskin Lake and pitch your tent near pristine waters, or hike the Green Valley Trail for possibly the best Western Washington wildflower viewing outside of Mount Rainier National Park.
At the base, there’s a climbing wall, gold panning for kids, and a ropes course for all ages.
Check the mountain report page before you arrive for updates on things that are happening, trail statuses, and any potential closures.
Cycling the Foothills Trail
Depending on where you hop on, Pierce County’s Foothills Trail is truly a wonderful option for exploring Western Washington’s natural landscapes and all the little towns that surround the Cascade foothills.
Originally a railroad line built in the late 1800’s, the tracks were removed and largely salvaged by 1986. In 1990, the Foothills Trail was officially established along the same route.
This 22-mile paved trail runs from Puyallup to Buckley, though ambitious plans call for extending it farther.
While riding your bike along the Foothills Trail, have breakfast in Puyallup, coffee and pastries in Orting, lunch in South Prairie and dinner in Buckley.
All the towns along the Foothills Trail are steeped in railroad, coal mining and agricultural history. It’s a great way to get some exercise, gawk at Mount Rainier and learn a bit about South Sound history.
A round of golf at Chambers Bay
Sitting smack dab in the middle of Chambers Creek Regional Park, the 249-acre Chambers Bay Golf Course is the crown jewel of South Sound courses, with hilly greens, clay-colored dunes, expansive fairways and sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains and Fox, Anderson, and McNeil islands.
What makes Chambers Bay so unique, aside from the views, is that it’s an 18-hole Scottish-style links course by the water that does not allow golf carts. Connection to the landscape is a must: wind, hills, dunes and all.
Chambers Bay was constructed around what used to be a sand-and-gravel quarry that helped build much of the South Sound. Large stonehenge-looking industrial features still stand nearby and contribute to both the natural and extraterrestrial vibe of the area.
Chambers Bay is a public golf course, and tee times can be reserved up to 90 days in advance.
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