Our new home in Tacoma is situated near the Lincoln District on the East side of I-5. Having previously lived in University Place, we weren’t too familiar with this area. So, we were excited when we arrived to get out and explore the area.

McKinley Park is a little over 2 miles from our house and is one of our new favorite places to visit.

The area, which includes four streams and wetlands, was once an off-leash dog park. However, the doggies weren’t being so kind with the natural habitat. The dog park closed in 2016 and work began on restoring the area and turning it into a wetland.

The park’s hiking trails provide a good amount of elevation change to get the heart pumping. There’s even a playground, but we avoided the area so Catarina didn’t get distracted during our nature hike.

The park is maintained by the city and a group of volunteers. There are little treasures that can be found on the trails and my favorite part is all the bird sounds.

There are three trails: Larry’s Loop trail (.62 miles), Hawthorn Heights trail (.44 miles) and Strawberry Hill trail (.26) miles.

This park is also unique in that it sits right alongside I-5. The sound from the traffic isn’t very noticeable until you get closer to the interstate. But the trees, bushes and birds do a good job of blocking out the noise.

10/10 would recommend!