SOUTH SOUND

New Section of Point Defiance Park Loop Trail Complete; Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Date Set

Jul 14, 2026, 3:56 PM

Sound Sound...

Sound Sound

Originally published on South Sound.

Parks Tacoma has announced that the newest section of the paved trail in Point Defiance Park is complete and open to pedestrians and cyclists. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on July 31.

The celebration will run from 3:30-5:30 p.m and will include a ribbon-cutting behind the Pagoda and a guided walk to Owen Beach along the newly opened trail.

The yearlong construction concluded earlier this month, and visitors can once again enter the park via Pearl Street or Mildred Street. The project added 1.6 miles of trail, connecting visitors to Wilson Way Bridge, the Pagoda, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Environmental Learning Center, and Owen Beach.

This was the second phase of the Loop Trail, which cost about $6 million. Phase 1 was completed in 2023 and added a new sidewalk to Park Avenue west of the Mildred Street entrance roundabout, among other improvements.

sign up for the 425 Magazine newsletter

South Sound

Sound Sound...

South Sound

Feel Good Friday: A Cat Rescue, a New Playground, and a Youth Resource

Originally published on South Sound. A Cat-Rescue Mission Sixty cats were rescued this week from a sailboat stationed at Tacoma’s Owen Beach over the weekend. The vessel’s owner has since said that he couldn’t afford to neuter and spay the growing cat population that originated from a COVID-era adoption. King 5 reported yesterday that more […]

3 days ago

Sound Sound...

South Sound

Tacoma Narrows Airport Day is Ready for Takeoff

Originally published on South Sound. The Tacoma Narrows Airport is on Aug. 29 celebrating Airport Day, an event designed to give community members an up-close look at aviation operations. Visitors can stop by the airport to participate in STEM-related activities, watch (depending on the weather and flight schedules) aircraft flybys, check out aviation booths and […]

3 days ago

Sound Sound...

South Sound

Lakewood Playhouse Reveals Lineup, Theme for Upcoming Season

Originally published on South Sound. Lakewood Playhouse has confirmed the theme and lineup of its 88th season. The 2026-27 slate of shows is applying the theme “Heroic Acts” and will feature seven productions celebrating shared humanity, empathy, courage, and heroism in all forms, according to a press release from the South Sound theater organization. The […]

6 days ago

Sound Sound...

South Sound

National Nonprofit Hosts Lakewood Back-to-School Event for Military Families

Originally published on South Sound. To ease the financial burden many military families face during the back-to-school shopping season, national nonprofit Operation Homefront provided 400 local military children with free backpacks filled with school supplies at its recent Back-to-School Brigade event in Lakewood. According to the Military Family Advisory Network, one in three military-connected families […]

6 days ago

Sound Sound...

South Sound

How the Grit City Gala Sets the Table for Tacoma

Originally published on South Sound. A typical visit to the Tacoma Farmers Market — on Broadway between South Ninth and South 11th streets — might begin with a stop at Cha Boran’s stall for some traditionally inspired Thai coffee or tea. From there, shoppers might find themselves perusing fresh produce from Yakima Valley’s Amador Farms, […]

6 days ago

Sound Sound...

South Sound

DuPont Historical Museum Unveils 3D-Printed Steamship

Originally published on South Sound. The DuPont Historical Museum is bringing the Pacific Northwest’s nautical past to life with a new exhibit featuring a 3D-printed model of the SS Beaver, the first steamship to ever operate on the region’s coast. Researched and curated by Jer Holm, the exhibit showcases how the Hudson’s Bay Co. vessel […]

6 days ago

New Section of Point Defiance Park Loop Trail Complete; Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Date Set