Point Defiance Park
Encyclopedia
Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Washington
is one of the largest urban park
s in the United States
. The 702 acres (2.8 km²) park includes Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
, the Rose Garden, Rhododendron Garden, the Camp 6 Logging Museum
, beaches, trails, a boardwalk
, a boathouse
, a Washington State Ferries
ferry dock for the Point-Defiance-Tahlequah route to Vashon Island
, Fort Nisqually
, an off-leash dog park, and most notably a stand of old-growth forest. More than two million people visit it every year. Point Defiance Park is maintained and operated by the Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma
.
people can watch Bald Eagle
s feed on salmon runs passing through on the strong tidal currents. Their calls can be heard from their nests in the old growth forest that is preserved and make up the northern 400 acres (1.6 km²) of the park.
In winter sea lions migrating from California frolic and feed in the swirling tides that rush beneath the Gig Harbor overlook—the northern most point of the peninsula. Harbor seals are common near the tip of the point most of the year. Seal pups are frequently observed north of Owen Beach in late summer and early fall (humans and their dogs should keep their distance to avoid spooking the pups.)
The park also provides habitat for mule deer, red foxes, pileated woodpeckers, Douglas squirrels, and raccoons. The latter are often fed from cars despite numerous signs noting that feeding wild animals is illegal in the park.
Endangered Species: One of the unique features of the park is to sit in quiet contemplation in one of the Japanese Gardens. At sunset wolves howl as the sun sinks into the tall trees with the Olympic Mountains
silhouetted on the horizon. The wolves are temporary guests as part of a restoration project for endangered species that the Zoo & Aquarium and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
sponsor.
, the network of roads and trails weaving through the forest preserve provides a quiet retreat for joggers, cyclists, hikers, and friendly stoners. Trails are marked with symbols, but it is best to just enjoy being lost in its beautiful wilderness. Portions of The Five are closed to cars on Sunday, allowing humans to roam free, without having fear of being ran over by cars. There are many great hiking trails along Pt. Defiance's cliffs, that have sweeping views of Vashon Island
, Dalco Passage
, Gig Harbor, and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
. The road network also passes by Fort Nisqually
.
From Owen Beach, kayakers launch and ride the strong currents north into the tidal rips. Fishermen drift in these tides waiting for salmon bound to south sound rivers. The 100 feet (30.5 m) tall cliffs provide a buffer. Gliding out into the narrows, kayakers find a quiet oasis in the middle of an urban environment. There are also many beach goes, willing to venture further up the pennensula.
visited Puget Sound in the 1840s to map the bays and estuaries. Wilkes is thought to have noted that with a fort positioned at the point, and at Gig Harbor across the narrows, one could "Defy" the world. The high cliffs and prominent location were never used for military operations. In 1888 President Grover Cleveland
authorized its use as a public park. By 1890 streetcars brought visitors to wander among the gardens. In 1903 a waterfront pavilion was completed. By 1907 a seaside resort designed by Frederick Heath
offered heated saltwater bathing in a pavilion called the Nereides Baths located on a bluff above the boathouse.
Fort Nisqually
is a replica of Hudson's Bay Company's
presence in the region in 19th century when the English trading company had trading forts stretching from Fort Vancouver
on the Columbia River
, Fort Nisqually
on south Puget Sound near the Nisqually River
and continuing to the Far North to Fort Yukon on the Yukon River
in Canadian territory which later became the state of Alaska
.
In recent years, Fort Nisqually programs invite traders, trappers and Indian Tribes to dress in period costume and return to the fort replica for a weekend of re-enacting this early period of trade and travel through the region by birch bark canoe
.
The gardens remain today. Visitors find a Japanese Garden, Rose Garden, Dahlia gardens surrounding the former superintendent's home. The home was built in 1898 in the year of the Yukon Gold Rush. The gardens are located near the park's main entrance on the approach to the Zoo & Aquarium. It is sited on a bluff looking down on a bustling waterfront containing the boathouse, Anthony's Restaurant and Washington State ferry landing providing access to Vashon Island
.
Weddings in historical structures: The prominent feature in the Japanese Garden is the Pagoda built in 1914 as a streetcar station. When buses replaced street cars in urban areas throughout the West, the Pagoda became a waiting area for buses in 1938. In 1963 it was transformed into a center for flower shows and social gatherings. The Pagoda and Lodge were refurbished in 1988 and today are rented throughout the year for weddings and receptions.
Tacoma Smelter created a peninsula to form the park's protected harbor. The Tacoma Yacht Club sits on the peninsula's promontory as a guardian of snug harbor. A public boat launch at the entrance of the harbor is part of the park's recreational facilities.
, Tacoma School of the Arts (TSOTA).
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
is one of the largest urban park
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The 702 acres (2.8 km²) park includes Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is a combined zoo and aquarium located in Tacoma, Washington, US, owned by Metro Parks Tacoma. Situated on in Tacoma's Point Defiance Park, the zoo and aquarium are home to over 9,000 specimens representing 367 animal species...
, the Rose Garden, Rhododendron Garden, the Camp 6 Logging Museum
Camp 6 Logging Museum
Camp 6 Logging Museum is located on a forested site inside Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Washington. Established in 1964 by logging engineers, Camp 6 includes a replica of an operating railroad connecting the working sites with the bunk houses and bunk cars of the camp.The museum is a National...
, beaches, trails, a boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
, a boathouse
Boathouse
A boathouse is a building especially designed for the storage of boats, normally smaller craft for sports or leisure use. These are typically located on open water, such as on a river. Often the boats stored are rowing boats...
, a Washington State Ferries
Washington State Ferries
Washington State Ferries is a passenger and automobile ferry service owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation that serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the most used ferry system in the world and the largest passenger and automobile...
ferry dock for the Point-Defiance-Tahlequah route to Vashon Island
Vashon Island
Vashon is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon-Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. The population was 10,624 at the 2010 census. At , it is about 60 percent larger...
, Fort Nisqually
Fort Nisqually
Fort Nisqually was an important fur trading and farming post of the Hudson's Bay Company in the Puget Sound area of what is now DuPont, Washington and was part of the Hudson's Bay Company's Columbia Department. Today it is a living history museum located in Tacoma, Washington, USA, within the...
, an off-leash dog park, and most notably a stand of old-growth forest. More than two million people visit it every year. Point Defiance Park is maintained and operated by the Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma
Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma
Metro Parks Tacoma is a municipal corporation that oversees parks and recreation services in and around the city of Tacoma, Washington, United States.-History:...
.
Wildlife
Point Defiance Park offers something for all its visitors, both whales, wildlife and people. Not all the wild animals are confined inside Zoo & Aquarium. From high cliffs overlooking the Tacoma NarrowsTacoma Narrows
The Tacoma Narrows , a strait, is part of Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. A navigable maritime waterway between glacial landforms, the Narrows separates the Kitsap Peninsula from the city of Tacoma....
people can watch Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s feed on salmon runs passing through on the strong tidal currents. Their calls can be heard from their nests in the old growth forest that is preserved and make up the northern 400 acres (1.6 km²) of the park.
In winter sea lions migrating from California frolic and feed in the swirling tides that rush beneath the Gig Harbor overlook—the northern most point of the peninsula. Harbor seals are common near the tip of the point most of the year. Seal pups are frequently observed north of Owen Beach in late summer and early fall (humans and their dogs should keep their distance to avoid spooking the pups.)
The park also provides habitat for mule deer, red foxes, pileated woodpeckers, Douglas squirrels, and raccoons. The latter are often fed from cars despite numerous signs noting that feeding wild animals is illegal in the park.
Endangered Species: One of the unique features of the park is to sit in quiet contemplation in one of the Japanese Gardens. At sunset wolves howl as the sun sinks into the tall trees with the Olympic Mountains
Olympic Mountains
The Olympic Mountains is a mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of western Washington in the United States. The mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are not especially high - Mount Olympus is the highest at - but the western slopes of the Olympics rise directly out of the Pacific...
silhouetted on the horizon. The wolves are temporary guests as part of a restoration project for endangered species that the Zoo & Aquarium and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
Northwest Trek
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is a wildlife park located near the town of Eatonville, Washington, United States. Its primary feature is a tram tour which takes visitors through a free-range area....
sponsor.
Recreation
As the largest urban park in Pierce CountyPierce County, Washington
right|thumb|[[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] - Seat of Pierce CountyPierce County is the second most populous county in the U.S. state of Washington. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory...
, the network of roads and trails weaving through the forest preserve provides a quiet retreat for joggers, cyclists, hikers, and friendly stoners. Trails are marked with symbols, but it is best to just enjoy being lost in its beautiful wilderness. Portions of The Five are closed to cars on Sunday, allowing humans to roam free, without having fear of being ran over by cars. There are many great hiking trails along Pt. Defiance's cliffs, that have sweeping views of Vashon Island
Vashon Island
Vashon is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon-Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. The population was 10,624 at the 2010 census. At , it is about 60 percent larger...
, Dalco Passage
Dalco Passage
Dalco Passage is a tidal strait within Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. Located between the southern end of Vashon Island and the mainland near Tacoma, Dalco Passage connects the northern main Puget Sound basin to the southern basin, via the Tacoma Narrows strait. Colvos Passage,...
, Gig Harbor, and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
Tacoma Narrows Bridge
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge is a pair of twin suspension bridges in the U.S. state of Washington, which carry State Route 16 across the Tacoma Narrows strait of Puget Sound between Tacoma and the Kitsap Peninsula...
. The road network also passes by Fort Nisqually
Fort Nisqually
Fort Nisqually was an important fur trading and farming post of the Hudson's Bay Company in the Puget Sound area of what is now DuPont, Washington and was part of the Hudson's Bay Company's Columbia Department. Today it is a living history museum located in Tacoma, Washington, USA, within the...
.
From Owen Beach, kayakers launch and ride the strong currents north into the tidal rips. Fishermen drift in these tides waiting for salmon bound to south sound rivers. The 100 feet (30.5 m) tall cliffs provide a buffer. Gliding out into the narrows, kayakers find a quiet oasis in the middle of an urban environment. There are also many beach goes, willing to venture further up the pennensula.
History
Point Defiance Park began as a military reservation after the Wilkes ExpeditionCharles Wilkes
Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...
visited Puget Sound in the 1840s to map the bays and estuaries. Wilkes is thought to have noted that with a fort positioned at the point, and at Gig Harbor across the narrows, one could "Defy" the world. The high cliffs and prominent location were never used for military operations. In 1888 President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
authorized its use as a public park. By 1890 streetcars brought visitors to wander among the gardens. In 1903 a waterfront pavilion was completed. By 1907 a seaside resort designed by Frederick Heath
Frederick Heath
Johnny Kidd was an English singer and songwriter, the front man for the rock band Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. He was one of the few pre-Beatles British rock and rollers to achieve worldwide fame....
offered heated saltwater bathing in a pavilion called the Nereides Baths located on a bluff above the boathouse.
Fort Nisqually
Fort Nisqually
Fort Nisqually was an important fur trading and farming post of the Hudson's Bay Company in the Puget Sound area of what is now DuPont, Washington and was part of the Hudson's Bay Company's Columbia Department. Today it is a living history museum located in Tacoma, Washington, USA, within the...
is a replica of Hudson's Bay Company's
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
presence in the region in 19th century when the English trading company had trading forts stretching from Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Columbia District...
on the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
, Fort Nisqually
Fort Nisqually
Fort Nisqually was an important fur trading and farming post of the Hudson's Bay Company in the Puget Sound area of what is now DuPont, Washington and was part of the Hudson's Bay Company's Columbia Department. Today it is a living history museum located in Tacoma, Washington, USA, within the...
on south Puget Sound near the Nisqually River
Nisqually River
The Nisqually River is a river in west central Washington in the United States, approximately long. It drains part of the Cascade Range southwest of Tacoma, including the southern slope of Mount Rainier, and empties into the southern end of Puget Sound....
and continuing to the Far North to Fort Yukon on the Yukon River
Yukon River
The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...
in Canadian territory which later became the state of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
In recent years, Fort Nisqually programs invite traders, trappers and Indian Tribes to dress in period costume and return to the fort replica for a weekend of re-enacting this early period of trade and travel through the region by birch bark canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
.
Formal Gardens
Vashon Island
Vashon is a census-designated place in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon-Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. The population was 10,624 at the 2010 census. At , it is about 60 percent larger...
.
Weddings in historical structures: The prominent feature in the Japanese Garden is the Pagoda built in 1914 as a streetcar station. When buses replaced street cars in urban areas throughout the West, the Pagoda became a waiting area for buses in 1938. In 1963 it was transformed into a center for flower shows and social gatherings. The Pagoda and Lodge were refurbished in 1988 and today are rented throughout the year for weddings and receptions.
Brownfields & boating facilities
After a century of depositing slag into the waters of Puget Sound, Asarco'sASARCO
ASARCO LLC is a mining, smelting, and refining company based in Tucson, Arizona that mines and processes primarily copper. The company, a subsidiary of Grupo México, is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy...
Tacoma Smelter created a peninsula to form the park's protected harbor. The Tacoma Yacht Club sits on the peninsula's promontory as a guardian of snug harbor. A public boat launch at the entrance of the harbor is part of the park's recreational facilities.
Science and Math Institute
A new Science and Math High School will open at Point Defiance, with classes on the beach, pagoda, forests, and Zoo. Metro Parks approached the school district and gave them space for portable classrooms. The school will have a very similar concept and schedule to the district's other magnet high schoolMagnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
, Tacoma School of the Arts (TSOTA).