This is our favorite dog park to take our pup. Simply put, it's MASSIVE. Our dog can run, play, and…read moresocialize with so many different dogs all over this park and he comes back exhausted and so happy from his fun filled day. Worth the drive no matter where you are in WA. Rain or shine this park is always open. Just don't be surprised if your pup comes back covered in mud on a rainy day .

This is on the site of a former territorial military fort, then a state mental hospital and work…read morefarm (c.1868). With the farm's closing in the 1970's, a wonderful gift to the people of Lakewood and Washington state grew out of the distress of those hospital days. A diamond rising from the ashes, so to speak. There are a few of the farm buildings remaining plus the foundation to the barracks for the hospital's farm workers. More over there is tons of room to spread out, no matter what your activity might be (sports fields, trails, picnic areas......)

Playground by the Sound is the Chambers Bay park playground on the northeast corner of the park…read more Decent size parking lot, though it can be full on super nice days and in the summer (in a pinch I've parked along the road and walked back). The playground is split into an older kids side and a younger kids side, with 1 entry (and a fence surrounding). Visibility isn't perfect but the single entry point is great if you want to stand in the middle to keep an eye on kiddos. Great spot for play dates (come with a coffee!). There are portapotties at the park and a real restroom a small walk down the path. Park is great for kids to use their imaginations and play, which is so much fun. Great spot to bring a ball and play catch or picnic to sit and relax or bikes! Can get hot - wear sunscreen if the weather is nice. Friends said it's also fun to bring bikes or a stroller and hit up the cafe (a bit of distance from the playground) and have some sweet potato fries.

Absolutely love this playground! Almost* fenced in so it makes it easy to keep tabs on your little…read moreone! Plenty of options for kiddos of all ages

Nice beachfront. Parking can be tight in warm months and securing covered bar-b-Que....get there…read moreearly. Please don't play loud music in car or waterfront. Lots of folks go there to relax and enjoy sound of beach water but most times others just intrude on your space w their sounds of music they want. Why can't natural settings be just that.

Sunnyside Beach Park is a nice spot to bring your family, friends, etc to spend some time in the…read morewarmer months. The paid $5 lot fills up fast in the summer however there is street parking only 1/2 mile away and you can just park/walk over. You have to cross train tracks to get over to the beach and park which is worth mentioning. The playground has an area for older and younger kiddos. Restrooms are available, but not always well kept. A lot of picnic tables throughout and space to make your own picnic area if you wanted. Overall: I recommend in the summer - come earlier if you prefer it a little less crowded!

Overall a nice park in UP! There's a steep, one-way road that goes down to the park, so the sooner…read moreyou clear it the less likely you are to run into another car going the other direction! Tiny parking lot at the bottom, maybe 8 spots? Enough room to maneuver a truck, but it's tight! There's a very well built building right next to the parking lot with bathrooms, tables, and a grill. Right next to the creek so it's an awesome spot to pull up a seat and enjoy the shade! As you leave the parking lot and go through the ravine, you'll have a fairly nice short walk with no elevation gain. Go over the bridge and up the hill and you hit the edge of the park. Take the first steep hill on the right before the bridge and you'll be sent through the trail system. Very nicely maintained stairs and boardwalks. Be warned that the stairs are steep! A few times I felt like I was climbing attic stairs, it's definitely not disability friendly. Overall it's a great place to hide from the sun and I'll definitely be back!

Hot day went here as plenty of shade and not crowded with people friendly people the creek is not…read morevery deep fried meyers very close to gret grilling stuff for a bbq it's nice and cool place to take your pets

This hidden park in the community at the edge of Steilacoom is a real true hidden gem this place is…read morean absolute slice of heaven perfect in every way it has a barbecue grill. It has the beach access. The only hard part is the stairs going down are very very steep and could definitely prevent anyone with a walking disability. there is parking at the top of the beach, but I will definitely be back and this will be a hidden secret that I won't share with many it would be a shame for this to be overpopulated

It's beautiful , tranquil and rocky. Not a lot of people come here I think cause of the fricken…read morestairs! Whew they are steep! I was hoofing down a chair, umbrella, floatie and bag... yikes. Then I had to climb back up ... yikes. Lol Had to say I was the only one for about 1 1/2 hrs then a few more folks. Group with Inflateable paddle boards, few kayak. Not a lot of people sunbathing. Just me haha. Water was cold but on a hot day was inviting. It was also pretty calm at this beach as well so floating was excellent! It was peaceful. I got lucky and hit low tide too. Nice view to Narrows bridge tho too!

I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. I'd say Wapato Park is a decent place to go…read morefor a walk along the trailhead, especially around the lake. There's a dock and pedestrian bridge area where many people fish or disembark from a boat. There's also plenty of picnic areas, pergolas, and grassy areas with shade where you can take food, read, or just have a conversation and relax. I also observed a dog park in close proximity as well as unleash areas in and around the park. My only complaint was that I had an encounter with a gaggle of aggressive geese that left me kind of uneasy, but other than that, it was a fairly calm environment.

I like walking so I don't mind to explore new place. My husband recommended me this park because he…read morespent his childhood with his siblings over there. It's about 3 or 4 miles if you go around that lake park. We walked in a sunny day, weather was so nice. You can have picnics with your family or friends , why not?

Not much sand to really feel like a beach. Hella dirt instead that we were sunbathing on, so bring…read morea towel or a blanket to lay on. Water was very beautiful and super duper clear. So many water activities going on left and right with people fishing, jetskiing, riding on their personal boat, etc. it was a good time all around. Do not think that you can drink here. Be sure to bring snacks and drinks, especially with the hot weather going right now in the month of June 2026. Pick up after yourself so we could continue to have this beauty, please! Watch out for the military police. Multiple sites to rest at, including summer cove where I was at with my Asian migration group, hehe! Many parking spots no matter where it is that you and your group decide to settle at around this site.

Out of all honesty I'm hovering between three to four stars on this park. Much of it revolves…read morearound the timing of when you go here I imagine. Most of the surrounding shore that makes up American Lake looks to be private and this park seems to be more of a boat launching point for the general public to use for utilizing the lake. The park itself is quite small and that also goes for the parking lot as well. The day I went was a warm day so the park was full as well as the designated lots. Filled lots for certain parks often times in neighborhoods aren't really that big of a deal because you can use curbside parking that is usually nearby but in this part of Lakewood there is no curbside parking at all and it looks like parking in front of someone's house doesn't seem like it's a good idea because one gets the idea you are parking in their yard and not on a curb. So what I did was park in an area that was designated for a school and carefully looked for any parking restrictions given the amount of time it would take for me to walk to the park, check it out for a bit then walk back. This proved to not be an issue parking here but the walk was a bit long. Fortunately the day that I picked to go to American Lake was a clear day and if you walk to the boat docks you can get a good view of Mount Rainier and the the lake itself is very pretty. But don't assume you can get a clear view of the mountain all of the time. Overcast is not unusual. There is also a decent looking beach here as far as lake beaches go but like everything the day I went it was fairly crowded. The boat ramp was in full use as well and a line of cars were waiting to unload as well. Definitely a very busy park the day I went despite it's size. Aside from the crowds this park isn't too bad and if you can enjoy the view of Mount Rainier and the water I'd definitely bump that aspect of the park up to four stars.

Easy to find off I-5, Harry Todd Park is on the civilian side of American Lake. With bathrooms,…read morepicnic tables, playground, covered areas, and fishing pier- my kids and I went for fishing and playground. Didn't catch any fish but saw a couple folks who did, the fishing pier was easy and not too crowded (though not empty either on a Saturday). Playground was nice though the park had a lot of trash on the ground. Seems to be a place where folks know they can have a cookout for a bigger group. At least 2 groups were meeting up and had staked a claim on parts of the green space early. There is a decent sized parking lot with handicapped parking a lot closer. There's also a beach for swimming but not for me today (too cold!).

What a beautiful lake! Bring the whole family, fire up the BBQ, and enjoy a fun day together!read more

The park it self is pretty nice and right next to Manitou elementary. The playground equipment is…read morebrand new and it includes swings, two play structures, climbing rocks, and other fun things that children can explore. The park is also very large with plenty of grass, trees for shade, picnic tables, covered eating areas, and restrooms. This really is an ideal place to spend a few hours letting the little ones get some exercise and have a picnic if you wish. So why only a three stars you ask? The neighborhood is AWFUL!!!! It is full of rift rafts who congregate at this park at all hours. During the day your likely to run into teenagers skipping from near by high school and middle school and occasionally you get a few tweekers who lay on the benches or sit on the playground equipment talking to themselves. The teenagers are the worst of the bunch, they come to smoke cigs and be as vulgar as possible. They also use the equipment for drawing inappropriate pictures on as well as their own personal toilet (I have seen this more then once). It's really a shame cause like I stated earlier this is a great park that is just suffering because it is being overrun by delinquents.

We really like this park. It's a perfect place to throw out a blanket and read a book. Or let…read moreyour kids run around on the playground. Well kept and clean.

We showed up in August hoping to rent kayaks. Due to algae bloom it was not safe to go in the lake…read more They charge to go in the lake. When I went thru the gate, there was no mention of the lake being contaminated. Other than that, it was a nice lake. Will try it again next summer.

Family picnics here many times, always turned out great. Well kept grounds boat launch and lake…read moreclose by. Playgrounds for the kids just a great place