Lace up your walking shoes and get your cameras ready! The popular Tacoma Trails Challenge is back. Sign up now for free and get ready to explore parks and trails from June 1 to 30.

Doing the Tacoma Trails Challenge is easy—complete a minimum of five challenges from nearly two dozen options. The choices are a mix of self-guided and staff-led activities, making it easy for people to get out on the trails at their convenience or with a group.

Participants track their progress on a bingo card and attempt to collect five in a row or a blackout bingo. Bingo cards can be downloaded from the website or picked up at community centers, Tacoma Nature Center, the Parks Tacoma main office and from Park Guides who work on-site at Point Defiance and community parks.

Each square on the bingo card is associated with a “challenge,” which are explained in detail on the website. To complete a challenge, participants can visit certain parks, volunteer, or participate in scheduled programs. In addition, some of the bingo squares can be completed at the participant’s convenience and at any park in Tacoma, such as the “Build your own” challenge, the “Happy tails trail challenge” (take a walk with a dog), or the “Sunrise or sunset challenge.” Other challenges are assigned to specific locations or dates, such as Park Guide walks and the Swan Creek Trail Run.

Those who complete five challenges to get a bingo and submit the online finisher form will be entered for a chance to win one of several prizes including this year’s grand prize: a getaway package to the Silver Cloud Hotel at Point Ruston Waterfront, which includes a one-night stay in a Waterview King room and restaurant credit to Copper & Salt Northwest Kitchen, provided by Silver Cloud Hotel. In addition, four runner-up prizes will also be awarded at the end of the challenge, including Apple AirPods from Proliance Puget Sound Orthopaedics, two gift baskets provided by Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and a gift basket from the Tacoma Parks Foundation.

A line bingo consisting of five challenges in a row, horizontally, vertically or diagonally, is the minimum requirement to be entered in the prize drawing, but those who complete every square to get a blackout bingo win an exclusive Trails Challenge iron-on patch, triple entries into the prize drawing, and bragging rights for finishing them all!

Participants track their own progress and mark off their own bingo squares as they complete challenges. The event relies on the honor system and participants self-report that they have completed a bingo using the finisher form.

Parks Tacoma encourages everyone to document their adventures on social media by tagging @ParksTacoma. Favorite photos can be uploaded on the event page and voted on for a chance to earn additional entries into the prize drawing.

The Tacoma Trails Challenge began in 2021 as a fun way to encourage the public to get out in nature, explore local parks and trails, and discover locations close to home that they had never been to. Nearly 2,000 people have participated each year.

Being in nature is good for your mental and physical health so get ready to explore new-to-you trails, learn about local parks, meet the Park Guides and take in some incredible views.

The event is free, and people of all ages are encouraged to participate.

Register now, get a bingo card, and start planning which challenges you’ll complete at ParksTacoma.gov/trails-day.

Register for the event  Learn About the Challenges  Prize List

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