Tacoma's Newest Park is Now Open
Enjoy sweeping views from the 11-acre Dune Peninsula. Learn about some of the park features at the link:
Park Hours:
Open ½ hour before sunrise
Close ½ hour after sunset
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About Dune Peninsula
Thanks to approval of the 2014 Parks and Zoo Bond by Tacoma voters, the ASARCO Superfund site has been transformed into a major waterfront attraction.
Enjoy sweeping views on the 11-acre Dune Peninsula park, or walk, run and bicycle across the 605-foot-long, 50-foot-tall Wilson Way bridge which links Point Defiance Park to Ruston Way.
With space enough to accommodate public gatherings, Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park is 11 acres of newly landscaped park property on the breakwater peninsula surrounding the Tacoma Yacht Club boat basin. It is a unique location with an unparalleled perspective on both the bay and the sky above.
In 2018, the Park Board approved the name Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park for this highly anticipated space near the Tacoma Yacht Club. In addition, a winding, paved pedestrian loop on the peninsula has been named Frank Herbert Trail.
Features and Amenities
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Frank Herbert Trail
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This paved pedestrian trail, named for the Tacoma native and famed author of the groundbreaking science fiction novel “Dune,” loops around the peninsula and connects to the Ruston Way Waterwalk as well as the trail that crosses Wilson Way and heads into Point Defiance Park. Medallions containing Herbert and “Dune”-based quotations are embedded in the path along the way.
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Wilson Way Bridge
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The 605-foot-long bridge is the missing link between Point Defiance and Ruston Way. The bridge, which towers above a new parking lot for park users and boat trailers, includes a section in the middle that designers call “The Moment” because visitors can’t help but stop and take in the expansive views. The Park Board named the bridge after Jack C. Wilson, who retired in 2016 after 17 years as executive director of Parks Tacoma.
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Slides and Stairs
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Affectionately described by staff as a real-life “Chutes and Ladders” experience, this series of six slides next to the east end of the bridge is the fun way to quickly get down to the marina complex below. Each slide has a set of stairs next to it for those who prefer a slower route.
News
Art on the Peninsula
Artwork Title: Alluvion
Artist: Adam Kuby
Date: 2017
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Artwork Title: Little Makers
Artist: Nichole Rathburn
Date: 2019
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Replica Slag Pot
This 35-ton slag pot is similar to the one used during the Asarco smelter operation. It marks the entry at Dune Peninsula, the new 11-acre park area at Point Defiance.
