Enjoy the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest—without leaving Tacoma.
Point Defiance Park is a must-see for anyone visiting Tacoma. Just a ten-minute drive from campus, "Point D" features a large public beach, hiking trails, and the Five Mile Drive through iconic Washington forests. It is also home to the Point Defiance Zoo, the Tacoma Rose Garden and a ferry to nearby Vashon Island. Take a drive through the park, windows rolled down with your favorite music playing. Stop at the multiple viewpoints along the Five Mile Drive and take in what it truly means to live in the PNW.
After you spend some time at Point Defiance you may be getting hungry. Walk from the park's main entrance over the Wilson Way Pedestrian Bridge to the Dune Peninsula and on to Point Ruston. Point Ruston is home to the Point Ruston Public Market, Ice Cream Social, Wild Fin American Grill, and lots of other shops and restaurants. Take your lunch and eat at the picnic tables along the waterfront bike path, or in the nearby Dune Peninsula Park.
Want something more off the beaten path? Walk from Point Defiance's main entrance down Pearl St. to Antique Sandwich Co.—a favorite study spot for Puget Sound students—for sandwiches, pastries, coffee, and a dine-in garden.