All parks are open 7 am to dusk
This ‘off the beaten path’ location is one of the peninsula’s best-kept secrets. Featuring viewing areas, a small creek, and picnic shelter.
Park Description
Description: This ‘off the beaten’ path location is one of the peninsula’s best-kept secrets. This 35.0-acre property has 1,315 feet of sandy-rock beach that face the Narrows Passage with excellent views of the Narrows Bridge and Tacoma. The 6.0-acre waterfront area has a paved parking area, grassy play, and picnic area, picnic tables, a non-motorized boat launch, telescopes, and a gazebo overlook.
Please see the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife’s attached link for fishing and shellfishing regulations and
seasons wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations.
Park Features
General
Dogs on leash
Picnic
Picnic Areas with Tables
Sports
Boating, Fishing
Buildings & Venues
Picnic Shelter, Sanicans on Site
Natural Features
Wildlife, Creek
Additional
Whale watching, Photography, Handicap Accessible Viewing Area
History
Narrows Park’s 36 acres include mature forest, and 1,315 feet of saltwater beach, and is the result of the combination of several parcels owned by several different families over the years.
In 1889, Section 33, including Narrows Park, was owned by W.S. Ladd.
In 1915, the north portion of Narrows Park was owned by J.A. Hosher.
In 1924, N.M. Lawson owned the southern portion after it served as part of a U.S. Military Reservation.
In 1951, Doc Weathers owned a 36-acre parcel in the south portion, and also owned several hundred surrounding acres including the site of the Tacoma Narrows Airport.
Doc Weathers’ wife, Lucille, inherited the 36-acre parcel in 1985 from his estate.
Fred and Grace Gemmel inherited the property in 1992 from Lucille’s estate.
In 1994, the Gemmels gifted the property to the Lutheran Church Foundation in St Louis, Missouri.
The Trust for Public Land acquired the property from the Lutheran Church Foundation in 1996 in anticipation of selling it to Pierce County.
Pierce County acquired the property in 1996 for $2.5 million through the use of Pierce County Conservation Futures funds and a Washington State IAC (later RCO) federal Land and Water Conservation Fund grant.
The road, parking, and viewing areas were developed in 2005 as a component of the third Tacoma Narrows Bridge construction.
In 2011, Pierce County transferred the property to the Peninsula Metropolitan Park District which now owns, operates, and maintains the park. Eagle Scout projects have added picnic tables and other amenities.
The main residence was built in 1961.
The property is one of PenMet Parks’ waterfront sites for use with non-motorized watercraft that have been adopted into the state’s Cascadia Marine Trail and supported by the Washington Water Trails Association. Please see the WWTA’s website for more information here.
Park Rules
Download Park Use Regulations (PDF)
Download Leash Regulations (PDF)