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Walking rocks
Good health is found on the trail
By J.M. Simpson on April 28, 2016
Walking the 3.25-mile path around the Chambers Bay Golf Course is fun. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson
Put one foot in front of the other.
It's called walking, and health professionals have been saying this for years - walking is good for you.
What follows is a sampling of where to take a good walk in the South Sound area.
Tacoma Nature Center: Located at 1919 Tyler St., Tacoma, this easy one-mile loop is flat. Open daily from sunrise to sunset.
Fort Steilacoom Park Trail/Waughop Lake: In Lakewood's largest park, a one-mile flat trail circles the lake. Open from dawn to dusk.
Tacoma Mall: Located at 4502 South Steele St., Tacoma, this indoor walk of 1.1 miles is available Monday thru Saturday at 7 a.m. and Sunday at 8:30 a.m.
DuPont Powderworks Park: Beginning at 1775 Bob's Hollow Lane, DuPont, this 1.25-mile loop circles the park. The park is open from dawn to dusk.
Seeley Lake Park: Found at 9112 Lakewood Drive SW in Lakewood, the 1.3-mile trail circles a 48-acre site featuring small marshes and ponds. Open from dawn to dusk.
Thea Foss Waterway: This 1.3-mile walk begins near the Museum of Glass in downtown Tacoma and ends in a small park on Dock Street. Open all the time.
South Hill Community Park Loop Trail & Nathan Chapman Memorial Trail: Found at 86th Ave. E. and 144th St. E., South Hill, Puyallup, walkers can follow a 1- or 1.6-mile nature trail. Open dawn to one-half hour after dusk.
Ruston Way: Situated on the water's edge in Tacoma's Old Town, this two-mile walkway offers panoramic views of Commencement Bay, Vashon Island, the Olympic Mountains and northeast Tacoma.
Cushman Powerline Trail: This woodsy 2.5-mile trail stretches from the middle of Gig Harbor to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The trail is available from dawn to dusk.
Spanaway Park Loop: Three miles of path await walkers around scenic Spanaway Lake. Located at 14905 Bresemann Blvd. S. in Spanaway, the loop is open from dawn to dusk.
Grandview & Soundview Trails: Surrounding the Chambers Bay Golf Course, this 3.25-mile walk offers stunning views of the golf course, Puget Sound and the surrounding islands. Open all the time.
Puyallup Riverfront Trail: This five-mile trail extends from the truck scales on River Road at the city's westerly limit to East Main Ave. Open all the time.
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Walk: Located off I-5 off Exit 114, this five-mile trail offers encounters with a myriad of bird species, harbor seals, otters and other animals. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Point Defiance Park Loop: Walk past old-growth forest and on saltwater beaches on this five-mile trail. The park is located at N. 54th St. at N. Pearl St., Tacoma. Open 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
10 Foothills Trail: Sixteen miles of rural terrain await the serious walker. Trailhead is at 3207 East Main Ave. on River Road in Puyallup. Open dawn to dusk.
For more information, visit www.piercecountywa.org/parks; www.metroparkstacoma.org; www.wta.org; or www.piercecountrytrails.org.
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