Point Defiance Park

Point Defiance Park is Tacoma's 760-acre municipal park, occupying a forested peninsula at the city's north-western tip above Commencement Bay. It is one of the largest urban parks in the United States and works less like a single attraction than like a small district: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, Owen Beach, the formal gardens, Five Mile Drive and its trail network, the marina, the Wilson Way pedestrian bridge and the Washington State Ferries dock to Vashon Island all sit inside one boundary. Entry to the park itself is free — the trails, gardens, beach and drive cost nothing — while the Zoo & Aquarium and Fort Nisqually are separately ticketed by their own operators. Parks Tacoma manages the park and sets its hours around sunrise and sunset.

Verified details

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What to know

• Parks Tacoma manages the park, but the zoo, the fort and the marina inside it are run by separate operators with their own hours and admission.

Editor's tips

• The outer loop of Five Mile Drive is now permanently closed to motor vehicles. Walkers and cyclists have it to themselves; drivers use the inner loop during park hours.

Where this leads

• Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

  The separately ticketed zoo and aquarium sits inside the park boundary and keeps its own hours and admission.

Related guides

• point defiance complete guide