Project Administrator: Roger Stanton
Dune Peninsula encompasses 11 acres of newly landscaped park property on the breakwater peninsula surrounding the Tacoma Yacht Club boat basin at Point Defiance Park.
Latest Updates
COMPLETE
July 2019
- The park opened on July 6, 2019. The public can now enjoy sweeping views on this 11-acre 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.
Project Details
- Thanks to the approval the 2014 Parks and Zoo Bond by Tacoma voters, the ASARCO Superfund site was transformed into a major waterfront attraction. The project broke ground in 2015 and opened to the public in July 2019.
- Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park is big enough to accommodate public gatherings, with 11 acres of newly landscaped park property on the breakwater peninsula surrounding the Tacoma Yacht Club boat basin. The park's unique location boasts an unparalleled perspective of both the bay and the sky above.
August 2022 Update
- The EPA hired the Army Corps of Engineers to perform shoreline repair on the outer edge of Dune Peninsula. This project area is on the Salish Sea side of the peninsula. It was kept out of the previous Dune Peninsula remediation by the EPA. This scope was completed at the cost of the EPA.
- The construction project began in August 2022 with scheduled complete by the end of 2022. This project has substantial long-term environmental benefits for both our park and the Salish Sea, completely financed and carried out by the EPA with minimum disruption to park visitors.
News
Tacoma’s Real-Life “Dune”
Shoreline at Dune Peninsula Park to get some extra protection
Capital projects at Point Defiance Park receive national award for historic restoration
About the Project
Parks Tacoma was the lead agency on the highly complex effort to build the pedestrian bridge and convert the peninsula created by toxic slag from the ASARCO copper smelter into a safe, welcoming park.
The work involved moving 400,000 cubic yards of dirt—that’s 22,000 truck-and-trailer loads—and installing a woven geotextile cap. All of this work was managed by general contractor Atkinson Construction under the watchful eyes of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington State Department of Ecology.
As the largest project in Parks Tacoma history, the park district and numerous partners guided a multi-faceted approach to enhance the park experience and honor its character. The new features include:
- Wilson Way bridge: The 605-foot-long bridge serves as the link between Point Defiance and Ruston Way. The bridge, which towers above a new parking lot for park users and boat trailers, includes a middle section 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.
- Slides: 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.
- Dune Peninsula: Eleven acres of the peninsula created by ASARCO slag were covered with tons of dirt and the artificial cap, and then beautifully sculpted and landscaped. The results speak for themselves: the Cambia Legacy Lawn for concerts and other events, as well as raised “sail mounds” for spectacular views, and lots of benches and tables to take in all of that nature. A small pavilion features restrooms and rentable space.
- Frank Herbert Trail: 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 will be embedded in the path later this year.