Fort Steilacoom Park in Tacoma, WA
Fort Steilacoom Park in Tacoma, WA, is a beautiful, historic park that has been preserved and maintained for many years. It’s one of the best Northwest-style Historic Battle Memorials you’ll find on the West Coast. With its lush green lawns, rolling hills, and scenic views of Commencement Bay, it’s no wonder why this location was selected as an ideal spot to host summertime events like concerts and festivals.
With its rich cultural heritage dating back to 1853, when it served as a military outpost during the Indian Wars era, Fort Steilacoom Park is truly unique among all other parks in our area. Its grounds are lined with beautiful mature trees and are the perfect place to spend a summer day.
Fort Steilacoom Park has been recognized as one of Tacoma’s historical treasures by being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. This designation ensures that our cultural heritage will be preserved for generations to come so we can all enjoy this wonderful area filled with historical significance from days gone by.
The park itself offers visitors several scenic trails where you’ll have access to some breathtaking views overlooking Commencement Bay, Lake Steilacoom, McNeil Island, and Mount Rainier, beyond offering panoramic scenery along its many miles of rustic hiking paths throughout these rugged wooded areas. There are also basketball courts located at Fort Steilacoom Park and a playground area to enjoy.
The park also has several picnic areas with BBQ grills where you can relax in your lawn chairs while enjoying lunch during one of the many festivals held at this location throughout the year. There’s even a theater on-site, which is perfect if you want to host any outdoor event here like weddings or birthday parties; it offers plenty of room for fun activities like horseshoes, croquet, volleyball, and badminton, among others. The famous Camp Long natural recreation area is also located within proximity, making Fort Steilacoom Park ideal for family outings or anything else that might be on your summer calendar!
With all that this historic park has to offer, it’s no wonder why so many people enjoy coming here year after year. If you’re looking for something fun and exciting to do in Tacoma, Washington, make plans today to visit Fort Steilacoom Park!
About the Fort Steilacoom Park
Fort Steilacoom is a historic park that preserves the only artesian well in Washington State. The Fort was built in 1849 to protect settlers from local Native American tribes, but it never saw any battle action during its relatively short life span of 20 years. It became an essential part of Tacoma’s history when the Civil War broke out. Many Unionists fled north for safety, fearing imminent invasion by pro-slavery groups coming down from Oregon. One year after the Fort was decommissioned in 1868 following the end of U.S. military occupation on Puget Sound, President Andrew Johnson declared Pierce County as ‘the seat’ where he would send all freed slaves escaping bondage across state lines looking for new beginnings.
This 26-acre historical park is a Washington State Heritage Site, and it preserves an essential part of local history, including the original Fort, Native American artifacts from the area, Civil War relics from settlers fleeing south to escape slavery persecution, and a fantastic artesian well that came into existence after glaciers melted thousands of years ago. The spring water flows at 12 gallons per minute with very high mineral content why early pioneers settled in this location! Today visitors can learn more about Pierce County’s role in nation-building through exhibits housed inside old military buildings restored between 2004 and 2007. There are also walking trails along Puget Sound, where you will find an old well house along with a small graveyard and the second oldest cannon in Washington State.
Facts about the Fort Steilacoom Park
Fort Steilacoom Park is a popular place to visit in Tacoma, Washington. It’s also the most extensive historic park in Pierce County. This northwest-style battle memorial was built as part of an army garrison on land that used to be owned by Henry and Sarah Judson Clark, who were pioneers living in 1851 at Puget Sound’s southern tip where they established “New Market.” The Clarks originally purchased 640 acres of farmland near what would become Lakewood for $200 from Isaac Edwards, who had received it as his share of ceding Native American lands under pressure after signing treaties with the U.S. government during the Indian Wars and removal era (1850–1855) when tribes including those led by Chief Seattle were moved to reservations.
Fort Steilacoom Park in Tacoma, WA, was built during the Civil War (1861–1865). It included barracks, officers’ quarters, hospitals, parade grounds, stables for cavalry horses, and storage sheds surrounded by agricultural fields, including wheat crops. It’s named after Stella Creek, an Indian chief of the Nisqually tribe at Fort Nisqually that had been established nearby in 1833 to serve as an intermediary trading post between the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Puget Sound Indian tribes.
A tragedy occurred at Fort Steilacoom Park in Tacoma, WA, when, on March 1885, four soldiers decided to take a break from their workday so they could go hunting for ducks since it was Saturday. The first soldier killed his dog that had been trained as a retriever; then he shot through the fort window into the barracks, which injured two of his fellow hunters who were sleeping inside, with one dying later that night after being transported by boat to St Joseph Hospital (now called St Clare Hospital). No charges were filed. However, an army court-martial sentenced him to nine months of hard labor without or privileges because “he willfully and unnecessarily fired upon his comrades.”
Fort Steilacoom Park in Tacoma, WA, is a public park used for picnics and fishing (freshwater) and bicycling, jogging, or hiking. It features tennis courts and covered picnic areas, and it’s perfect for those who love to explore nature since the site has over six miles of trails, including a five-mile loop trail plus two one-mile loops. The best times for taking walks here are during the morning hours when fog often hangs around and afternoons on sunny days where bicycles can enjoy laps within view of Puget Sound waters while listening to birds chirping among tall pine trees. During the summer months at this Northwest-style battle memorial, it’s possible to watch the sunset into the ocean and firework shows on holidays like Fourth of July at Point Defiance Park, which is nearby.
Fort Steilacoom Park in Tacoma, WA, was named to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on May 17th, 1976. It’s located at 6900 Fort Steilacoom Rd S.W. next to Lakewood Towne Center, which has restaurants like Ruby Tuesdays and Cinebarre theaters, plus it’s near St Joseph Hospital (now called St Clare Hospital). There are several other places nearby, including Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Museum of Glass, Pierce County Historical Society, and Narrows Bridge that leads into Gig Harbor, WA. This northwest-style battle memorial is open daily from dawn till dusk during the year, while boat access is available for fishing or kayaking between April through October 31st.
Activities in Fort Steilacoom Park
The park offers several activities for visitors, including picnicking, hiking trails, and fishing. Several picnic shelters can be reserved in advance, along with the playground areas throughout the park. Fort Steilacoom Park is also home to an 18-hole golf course called Toboggan Golf Course. Tacoma City Councilmember Ryan Mello recently renovated as president of the board of directors at Fort Steilacoom Association. This historic battle memorial is located on Lakeview Drive S.W., only ten miles from downtown Tacoma Washington. Visitors enjoy exploring this historical site while having fun swimming or kayaking in Puget Sound, where it meets up with Commencement Bay. This area has a rich history going back thousands of years to Native American hunting and fishing camps in the area.
Visitors enjoy exploring this historic site while having fun swimming or kayaking in Puget Sound, where it meets up with Commencement Bay. This area has a rich history going back thousands of years to Native American hunting and fishing camps in the area. Other historical items are the K-25 building where plutonium was produced for atomic bombs to help end WWII.
See cannons and trenches from the War of 1812-1815, including replica gun batteries at Fort Nisqually Living History Museum. The grounds are landscaped with many beautiful trees to walk under while you explore this preserved piece of Northwest history. If you’re trying to find out what to do at Fort Steilacoom Park in Tacoma, WA, you’ll be pleased with the variety of things there are to see and enjoy.
Fort Steilacoom Park is located in Lakewood, Washington. The park has a rich history of more than 200 years. With over 400 acres to explore, there are many things that you can do at the beautiful site. You’ll find parking lots and picnic areas with grills all around the grounds for your convenience while you’re exploring the park. You can even bring your dogs because several paths are designated for leashed pets in this beautiful historic area.
There are even special events held here throughout the year where children of all ages will have hours of fun exploring Fort Steilacoom Park in Tacoma, Washington. There are many beautiful structures on the grounds, including replicas of gun batteries from the War of 1812-1815. You can even learn about life at this time in history with some guided tours offered at certain times throughout the year.
If you’re looking for a House Cleaning in Tacoma, you can book with us!
Next Thing To Do In Tacoma:
