Tacoma’s biggest park just got a 1.6-mile paved trail that links the zoo, the pagoda, and the beach
Point Defiance Park has always been the best thing in Tacoma, and for years the hardest part was getting around it. This summer, that finally changed. A new paved trail now ties the park’s biggest attractions together, so you can park once and see the whole thing on foot or by bike.
Parks Tacoma says construction on Loop Trail Phase 2 wrapped up on July 2, 2026, adding 1.6 miles of paved pathway separated from vehicle traffic. It cost roughly $6 million, paid for largely by a bond measure Tacoma voters approved in 2014.
Psst — we made you a West Coast Adventure Map. Nearly 1,900 of our favorite spots, already pinned, ready to load into Google Maps in two clicks — grab it here.
What the new trail actually connects
The new section links the Wilson Way Bridge, the Pagoda, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Environmental Learning Center, and Owen Beach. That’s the park’s greatest hits strung on one safe, smooth ribbon.
It builds on Phase 1, finished in 2023, which added a new sidewalk along Park Avenue west of the Mildred Street roundabout. The Pearl Street and Mildred Street entrances, both closed during construction, are open again.
📍 GET THE ULTIMATE PNW MAP 🗺️
Get our curated list of the best adventures, things to do, and places to grab a brew loaded onto your maps with just two clicks!
✅ Waterfalls ✅ Hikes ✅ Viewpoints
✅ Craft breweries ✅ National Parks ✅ 1400+ Pins
Why this matters more than a typical trail ribbon-cutting
The park covers 760 acres, and a lot of it used to mean sharing narrow roads with cars. Neighbors flagged that conflict between foot traffic and vehicles back in 2015, and the trail grew out of that.
Here’s my one firm opinion: walk it. The loop road’s outer stretch between Owen Beach and Fort Nisqually has been closed to cars since May 2022 because of unstable bluffs, and it’s honestly nicer without the engines.
Where to point yourself
Owen Beach is the payoff at the end of the trail: a waterfront stretch for picnicking, kayaking, and poking around the tide pools. Pack a layer, because the wind off Puget Sound doesn’t care what the forecast said.
Fort Nisqually Living History Museum recreates a 19th-century Hudson’s Bay Company trading post, which is a fun swerve if you thought this was only a nature day. And the Dune Peninsula, an 11-acre waterfront park, frames Puget Sound with views of Mount Rainier when the clouds cooperate.
Between all of that, the park holds old-growth forest, garden collections, and a good chance of spotting harbor seals or bald eagles. Ever wanted a rainforest-feeling stroll that ends at a beach, without leaving the city limits?
Good to know before you go
The park is open from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, and there’s no entrance fee for the park itself. Bicycles aren’t allowed on the park’s dirt trails, but the paved Loop Trail is open to walkers and cyclists alike.
Point Defiance sits at 5400 N Pearl St in Tacoma, so it’s an easy add-on to a Seattle weekend. What would you hit first: the beach, the fort, or the pagoda?
Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, and lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone.
Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.
