Scenic Drive: Point Defiance to Steilacoom

 

In addition to a gorgeous rose garden, a native-plant garden, a Japanese pagoda, Fort Nisqually Living History Museum and Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, Point Defiance Park is also home to both Five-Mile Drive and Owen Beach. Five-Mile Drive is an aptly-named roadway that takes a circuitous tour around the park, with signage and parking spaces at places where you can view Gig Harbor, Vashon Island, Dalco Passage and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge from a distance.

 

 

Owen Beach is a photogenic and accessible waterfront within Point Defiance Park, looking out over Commencement Bay and Vashon Island on the opposite side. Here, adventurous explorers can rent a kayak and take to the water to get spectacular views of Tacoma and Mount Rainier while dodging the regular Point Defiance-to-Vashon Island ferry.

This viewpoint of the magnificent Tacoma Narrows Bridge is a little-known hidden gem in the city, allowing a photogenic angle that puts the architecture on full display. If you have time, you can also visit the nearby War Memorial Park, with meandering pathways that provide additional views of the bridge.

As you approach Titlow Park and Titlow Beach, the trees, tennis courts and park amenities will obscure your view of the water, so make sure and take the time to park and walk down to the water. If you wait until you’re just about at the southern point of the park (just across the railroad tracks near Steamer’s Seafood Café), you’ll find a boardwalk with some picnic seating and access to the beach.

As you drive past Chambers Bay Golf Course, home of the 2015 U.S. Open Golf Championship, you’ll again be treated to occasional water views when the tree line breaks. If you’re up for a stroll, just on the other side of the trees, there’s a trail with views that directly overlook the golf course near the road, and then meander through the course further on.

Just a strip of land between the railroad and the water, Sunnyside Beach is a tucked-away spot to grab some beach time without fighting the crowds.

Next you’ll drive directly through the center of the tiny town of Steilacoom, the first incorporated city in the state of Washington. It has retained much of its historic flair, visible in the City Hall building and other surrounding structures, including Bair Drug and Hardware Store. Opened as a pharmacy, hardware store and soda fountain in 1895 and now home to the Bair Bistro with many relics from its previous incarnation, Bair is the place to grab a bite to eat or a coffee to keep you driving.

Finally you’ll arrive (and have to find parking) to enjoy Saltars Point Park, with 500 feet of saltwater shoreline and two historic stone buildings built in the 1930s. The view from the road doesn’t do this quaint park justice, so make sure and take the opportunity to put your feet in the sand and enjoy the end of your afternoon excursion.