Tacoma, WA

Being the owner of two energetic dogs, I have learned that no matter where I live, I should always know where the nearest off-leash dog park is. My dogs are never happier than when they are bounding across a wide-open space with boundaries bigger than my modest backyard. They can run to their hearts’ content; and, when we get back home, I can benefit from the peace and quiet in the house while they lie on the floor exhausted.

It is hard to imagine an off-leash dog park more ideal than the one within Fort Steilacoom Park. Located in Lakewood at the intersection of Steilacoom Boulevard and 88^th Street SW, south of the Tacoma Mall area, it is easily accessed and well-maintained. The park itself is a stately 340 acres, and is a treasure of Northwest history.

The dog park is fully fenced, and divided into two sub-areas: one for small dogs, and another for large ones. My dogs are far too large and rambunctious for the small-dog area, where there always seems to be a sizeable group of friendly dog owners, chatting and enjoying the fresh air with their pets. My dogs definitely know when we are remotely within the vicinity of “their” park, and will pull (or drag) me to the very gate of the “big” dog area.

When I visited the park this week, I had to be sure my dogs took a healthy swig from the one of the two pump-fed water dishes near the entrance, since they had worked up a thirst by whining and crying in anticipation from the park entrance to the parking lot.

I have to say that I don’t blame them for whining. The big-dog area is chock-full of dense brush, tall grasses, and shady groves. It’s about 22 acres-worth of sights, smells, and sounds – and, if you do the math, the foot path along the perimeter fence is nearly a mile long. So, I can easily keep track of the distance I’ve walked while the dogs are chasing birds or sniffing strangers.

My love for this park is partly due to its history. As I walk along the perimeter path, I often look over the fence at the old Western State Hospital Cemetery, just on the other side. Thousands of past patients of the historic facility now lie in unmarked graves, collectively signified by a simple stone obelisk and informative warning signs. I’ve read more about the history of the hospital at this informative site. I recently visited the ruins of the hospital’s former location, which lie adjacent to the parking lot for the off-leash area, and intend to go back soon to take pictures. It can’t be long before the structure site is deemed hazardous and cleared, but I highly recommend that anyone with an interest in Northwest history go take a look.

Your dogs will certainly appreciate it.