One-way drive
≈40 min via I-5 + WA-16
Day trip 05 · about 40 min one way
Point Defiance + Owen Beach
Seven hundred sixty acres of old-growth forest on a saltwater point, forty minutes from downtown: clifftop viewpoints, a rebuilt beach promenade, and a fenced seven-acre off-leash park when the leash finally comes off.
40 min one way
35 mi one way
4–7 hours
Free
Off-leash area + beach
Shape of the day
Simple out-and-back; pairs with Gig Harbor or VashonThe park
760 acres, old-growth, 5-mile scenic loop driveDog verdict
Leashed everywhere + fenced 7-acre off-leash areaPasses
None — free entry and parkingBonus door
Tahlequah ferry to Vashon leaves from inside the parkGetting there from downtown
A straight interstate shot with a dramatic finish: I-5 south past the Dome, onto WA-16 toward the Narrows, then north up Pearl Street until the city simply ends at a forest gate. Inside, a one-way loop road circles the point under 400-year-old firs.
- Downtown → I-5 South28 mi · ~30 min
South through the industrial district and past Boeing Field; keep to I-5 through the JBLM-free northern stretch to Tacoma.
- Exit 132 → WA-16 West4 mi · ~5 min
Follow WA-16 toward Gig Harbor for 3 miles, then take the 6th Ave exit.
- Pearl St north to the park3 mi · ~8 min
Right on 6th, quick left onto Pearl St / WA-163, and ride it 3 miles north until it dead-ends at the park's grand entrance.
- Five Mile Drive5 mi loop · as long as you like
The one-way loop opens to cars at 9 AM (walkers own it earlier); pull-outs at Vashon, Dalco Passage, Narrows, and Gig Harbor viewpoints.
- Down to Owen Beach1 mi
A spur road drops from the loop to the rebuilt beach pavilion and promenade on Commencement Bay.
- Home35 mi · ~40 min
Reverse it — or continue west over the Narrows to Gig Harbor (trip 06), or ferry from inside the park to Vashon (trip 04).
Your day, hour by hour
9:00
Roll south
Post-commute I-5 is painless; you're at the park gate by 9:45.
10:00
Five Mile Drive
Loop the point with viewpoint stops — Rainier over Commencement Bay, the Narrows bridges through the firs.
11:00
Owen Beach
Promenade + driftwood beach walk with the dog (leashed); kayak and paddleboard rentals at the pavilion.
12:30
Off-leash hour
The fenced 7-acre area off Five Mile Drive — big-dog and small-dog sides, forest shade.
13:30
Lunch
Anthony's at the boathouse, or Antique Sandwich Co. just outside the gate.
15:00
Optional add-ons
Fort Nisqually's 1855 palisade, the rose garden (no dogs), or cross the Narrows for a Gig Harbor evening.
Worth stopping for
Five Mile Drive & viewpoints
The classic loop under genuinely old growth — 400-plus-year Douglas firs. Before 9 AM it's car-free and full of joggers and dogs.
MapOwen Beach
Rebuilt in 2022: a curved promenade, driftwood sand, and Vashon across Dalco Passage. Leashed dogs welcome on beach and promenade.
MapPoint Defiance off-leash area
Seven fenced, forested acres off Five Mile Drive with separate small-dog paddock — the region's best official off-leash stop.
MapFort Nisqually Living History Museum
The Hudson's Bay Company's 1855 outpost, rebuilt log-for-log. Grounds are compact; check pet policy at the gate — usually outdoor-grounds leashed OK.
MapBoathouse & marina
Rental skiffs, a fishing pier, and the Tahlequah ferry sliding in and out next door.
MapZoo, aquarium & gardens
All excellent, all no-dog zones — flag them for a dogless return.
MapWith the dog
The best official dog infrastructure on the list: leashed nearly everywhere plus a real fenced off-leash park.
- Metro Parks Tacoma: 8-foot max leash except inside the designated off-leash area.
- Off-leash area: current license and vaccinations technically required; leash up to and from the gate.
- No dogs: zoo, aquarium, rose and Japanese gardens, and inside Fort Nisqually's buildings.
Raccoons are bold here — keep snacks zipped. Bluff edges along Five Mile Drive's viewpoints are fenced but real. Summer weekend afternoons the beach lot overflows; the walk down from the loop road is the fallback.
Food & coffee
Anthony's at Point Defiance
Boathouse, in-parkChowder and fish over the marina; patio has water views.
MapAntique Sandwich Co.
Just outside the gateBeloved 1970s-vintage sandwich hall — get the potato salad.
MapMetropolitan Market Proctor
10 min southThe picnic-provisioning stop before you enter the park.
MapPasses, parking & costs
- Park entry, parking, viewpoints, off-leash area, Owen Beach: all free.
- Fort Nisqually: modest admission if you go inside the palisade.
- No tolls this direction (the Narrows toll only applies if you continue to Gig Harbor and return east).
Timing & conditions
Before 9 AM, Five Mile Drive is closed to cars and becomes the region's best traffic-free dog walk — worth engineering an early start around at least once.
Owen Beach faces north: afternoon light is best for Rainier-over-the-water photos.
Pairs naturally: morning here + Narrows crossing for a Gig Harbor dinner, or arrive via Vashon's Tahlequah ferry and make it a two-island epic.
The place, in photos
Real photography — AllTrails contributors, Wikimedia Commons, and Openverse (CC); credits in credits.json.
