A paved trail in Point Defiance Park meant to improve safety by separating vehicles from pedestrians and cyclists is halfway complete.

The second phase of Loop Trail will create 1.6 miles of trail connecting visitors to Wilson Way Bridge, the Pagoda, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Environmental Learning Center and Owen Beach.

The project kicked off in June and is scheduled to be completed in early summer 2026.

Thanks in part to a redesign of a section of trail between the Pagoda and the intersection of Five Mile Drive and Animal Loop Road, 33% fewer trees were removed as part of construction.

Initial plans called for the removal of 64 trees; only 48 trees have to be taken out.

In the coming months, crews will be planting 175 trees and more than 2,200 native shrubs around Loop Trail. Tree species include Douglas fir, bigleaf maple, red alder, western hemlock and Sitka spruce. Shrubs will feature salal, western sword fern, huckleberry, Oregon grape and more.

“The forests of Point Defiance Park are cherished by the millions of people who visit every year,” said Park Board President Andrea Smith. “We’re grateful that we were able to remove fewer trees than expected and will be planting more trees than originally planned. It’s a win not just for the project, but for Tacoma.”

Project status

Although crews from Global Contractors are still working on Loop Trail, three sections are nearly finished.

• Trail extending from Park Avenue to Five Mile Drive near the Northwest Native Plant Garden
• New sidewalk created from the Environmental Learning Center to the intersection of Animal Loop Road and Five Mile Drive
• Trail segment that extends north from the intersection of Animal Loop Road and Five Mile Drive to Owen Beach. This section took over the right-hand lane of the former two-lane road and connects with pedestrian and cyclist access to Owen Beach revamped in 2022. A small parking lot in this area was also renovated.

Winter weather and permitting the redesign has caused slight delays in construction but crews are moving forward to two more areas of the Loop Trail project.

Still to be done are creation of a sidewalk and crosswalk connecting the Park Avenue trail section to the entrance of Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and building trail segments behind the Pagoda and in the redesigned area behind Rocky Shores.

The redesign will bring the trail closer to the roadway to preserve trees. It will vary in width from 8 to 10 feet and be separated from the road by a 3-foot buffer with a vehicular rail.

Construction zones remain closed, and detours are in place.

History of project

This project is a continuation of the first phase of Loop Trail completed in 2023, which included a new sidewalk and improvements to Park Avenue west of the Mildred Street entrance roundabout. It also paved the top of Trolley Lane trail leading north from the roundabout to the Japanese Garden, featuring a small plaza at the entry of Wilson Way Bridge and a safer pedestrian road crossing near the garden.

Phase 1 construction, April 2023

Phase 2 is estimated to cost about $6 million. The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office provided a $3.25 million grant and Parks Tacoma’s 2014 voter-approved bond funded the rest.

Loop Trail stems from a community priority listed in the Point Defiance master plan update in 2015. The public identified a major need to improve safe pedestrian access throughout the park, especially in summer months when traffic peaks at all park destinations.

The 760-acre urban park draws more than 3 million visitors annually.

Loop Trail will create multi-modal access to major destinations within Point Defiance Park, increasing connectivity, safety, and accessibility.

Call to artists

Parks Tacoma dedicates 1% of the district’s capital projects budget for public art. The public art budget for Loop Trail is $65,000.

Artists interested in creating public artwork that enhances the user experience of Loop Trail are asked to submit qualifications and examples of past work through the application form here. Deadline for submissions is Jan. 19.

Storytelling is important to this project due to the layers of historic and cultural significance at Point Defiance Park. The artwork should tie the Loop Trail sections together around the front of the park, helping orient visitors along the trail. The artwork will be informed by engagement with Parks Tacoma staff, local community members and the Puyallup Tribe.

Media Contact:

Stacia Glenn, Public Information Officer
[email protected], (253) 345-0948