Parks Tacoma will soon break ground on Phase 1 of a new inner Loop Trail that will connect cyclists and pedestrians to key destinations around the core of Point Defiance Park.

Tacoma, WA: It was part of the public’s vision for Point Defiance Park, Tacoma, expressed in the 2015 Master Plan Update: an accessible path for walking and cycling that connected visitors to the most popular core areas of this beloved urban park.

Now, it’s about to become a reality. Phase 1 of the core Loop Trail project (two spurs reaching out from the entrance roundabout) will break ground this month, with Phase 2 (connecting the Phase 1 spurs and leading out to Owen Beach) soon to be submitted for permitting.

The Loop Trail – not to be confused with the Outer Loop of Five Mile Drive, which closed in May to vehicles – will eventually create an entire loop of paved trail separate from roadways that connects visitors through the park to Wilson Way bridge (and Dune Peninsula), the Pagoda, Owen Beach, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and back to the roundabout. It will connect with other trails as well as transit, parking and the Science and Math Institute.

Phase 1 of the Loop Trail will occur in two sections:

• A new sidewalk and improvements to Park Avenue west of the roundabout to the park road near the Mildred Street entrance
• Paving on top of the current gravel Trolley Lane trail leading north from the roundabout over grass to the Japanese Garden, featuring a small plaza at the entry to the Wilson Way bridge and a safer pedestrian road crossing near the garden

Neither area of construction will impede access to park users. However, as the Wilson Way plaza is built, the current cycle and pedestrian path may be temporarily rerouted.

Aerial of Loop Trail Phase 1 Trolley Lane segment and ferry road.

All segments of the core Loop Trail have been carefully designed by Tacoma-based BCRA architects to minimize disruption to the ecosystem and maximize human benefits such as safety, accessibility and enjoyment. Phase 1 has been contracted to Sound Pacific Construction.

While the topography of the Loop Trail does not allow full ADA compliance, it will be a paved route that is safe, barrier-free and accessible to wheeled users and pedestrians.

The Loop Trail project is funded by $3.25m of 2014 voter-approved bond funding and $3.25m from a Washington State RCO grant. One percent of construction costs ($20,375) will be allocated towards public art, per Parks Tacoma’ public art policy.

“We’re excited to get started on this first phase of the Loop Trail,” said Joe Brady, deputy director of regional parks for Parks Tacoma. “We know how much our community loves Point Defiance Park, and expanding eco-friendly access to all those attractions is a big part of protecting both the ecosystem and the park experience.”

Point Defiance Japanese Garden

Phase 2, which is yet to be permitted but fully funded, will begin construction in 2023. The design contains four segments:

• The Japanese Garden segment, an improved trail leading west from the garden
• The Picnic Area segment, which continues northwest with a trail along the retaining wall and a boardwalk plank system protecting a key madrone tree. This segment will also include a revision to the parking lot on Five Mile Drive just past the Zoo road, and a trail adjacent to the roadway connecting to the new Owen Beach entry
• The North Zoo Spur segment, adding improvements on the west side of the Loop Trail to help visitors better access the Zoo and Environmental Learning Center from the north
• The South Zoo Spur, a fully multimodal path leading south from the Zoo entrance past the employee parking lot to connect with the Park Avenue segment of the trail

“The Loop Trail will continue the work envisioned in the 2015 Master Plan Update, which clearly gathered our community’s wishes for a Point Defiance Park that is accessible, connected and enjoyable for people, and a safe home for wildlife,” commented Park Board President Andrea Smith. “Caring for this regional park, which is so important to so many, is a responsibility we take very seriously.”

LEARN MORE: At https://www.parkstacoma.gov/project/point-defiance-loop-trail/