Written by: Tammy Guill, Bravo Tours
Experience adventure in Lakewood and her surrounding areas! Zipline over forest canopies, enjoy ferry rides, scenic island escapes and wide-open bird watching estuaries with unmatched trails and viewpoints – Lakewood has it all for the outdoor enthusiast! Get your heart racing with new sights, sounds and fond memories that will last years!
Highlights to Visit:
- Anderson Island General Store
- Jacobs Point Park
- Riviera Lakeshore Restaurant
- Nisqually Wildlife Refuge
- Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
- LeMay Collection At Marymount
- Mount Rainier National Park
- Fort Steilacoom Park
- South Puget Sound Wildlife Area
The spirit of adventure thrives here in Lakewood, with outdoor options that will thrill and delight those looking for an off the beaten path experience. Enchanting seascapes, secluded islands, old-growth forests and scenic waterways are waiting to be discovered by you, your friends and family!
Day One:
Arrive in Lakewood, WA., and start your day with a stop at the iconic Original House of Donuts, for a quick breakfast. Grab a freshly made donut and cup of joe …. Or for substantial fare, enjoy a leisurely breakfast at Carr’s Restaurant where you will enjoy deliciously HUGE portions of all your favorite breakfast meals. There’s also Bur’s Restaurant. Since 1952, this family owned and run restaurant has been Lakewood’s destination restaurant for generations. Then head south to the small town of Steilacoom, to catch your scenic ferry ride to Anderson Island. This short 20 minute ride on a clear day, offers views of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the Olympic Mountain range and Mount Rainier!
Just 8 miles long, with a population of 1,200 people, you’ll find Anderson Island charming and secluded. Be sure to stop at the Anderson Island General Store for locally roasted coffee and snacks. Hike the 2.5 – mile loop trail at Jacobs Point Park. This trail will take you around a peninsula, with short spur trails to viewpoints of small bays and marinas, Puget Sound and Mt. Rainier.
Hungry? Head to the Riviera Lakeshore Restaurant. Located on Josephine Lake, this stop with delight your taste buds and be a feast for your eyes. After lunch take a bicycle ride on the islands’ trails and paved roads.
Soak in the water views as you take the ferry back to Steilacoom and enjoy dinner at the Topside Bar and Grill, a family oriented with the best view in town! Check into your vacation rental for three nights in Lakewood. If you’re looking for a unique place to call home, Airbnb offers bungalows, and lakefront options. Imagine the wonderful sounds of lapping waves lulling you to sleep. Enjoy a glass of wine in a hot tub, or next to a wood burning fire pit as you watch the sun set over the water’s edge.
Day Two:
Drive southbound on interstate 5, for about 20 minutes. The Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Wildlife Refuge is a protected estuary on the Nisqually River Delta. Here the freshwater of the Nisqually River combines with the saltwater of Puget Sound. The estuary is protected and offers a rich diversity of fish and wildlife habitats. Nisqually estuary was restored in 2009, by removing dikes and reconnecting 762 acres with the tides of Puget Sound. Enjoy long walks along raised boardwalk trails to the water viewpoints and abundant wildlife.
After your invigorating walk at the wildlife refuge, you’ll need a stop in Yelm, to refuel for lunch at Casa Mia, a national award -winning pizza joint established in 1952. Pizza is hand tossed, with fresh dough made daily, then baked on a brick hearth. Their tomato sauce is made daily, simmered for six hours to develop its rich and distinctive flavors.
Ready to get wild?
Continue east to incredible Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. Dedicated to conservation, education and recreation through native Northwest wildlife, NW Trek offers naturalist guided tram tours through a free roaming area, partnered with walking trails through a wet lands exhibit and predators in their natural forest environments.
Want to get up close and personal with a moose? Stare down a bison? Then hop in the Jeep with one of their keepers, get off the tram tour roads and join a 90-minute animal adventure you’ll never forget. Premier Keeper Tours are available twice a day starting in June and running through September.
Need more adventure? The Zip Wild Deep Forest Challenge, at Northwest Trek offers five exhilarating zipline courses which run through the park’s breathtaking tree canopy. Soar along each zipline, then walk, climb, crawl or clamber over obstacles in between. All courses are different, but all take mental toughness and physical agility.
After zipping through the trees at Northwest Trek, stop at LeMay Collections at Marymount. See over 1,500 vintage vehicles, a wide variety of Americana and memorabilia (dolls, toys, antiques, farm equipment, vintage radios, etc.), a Rodin Sculpture Garden and much more.
Then have dinner at the Kyoto Japanese Restaurant, in Lakewood and enjoy quality service serving delicious genuine dishes like Sushi and traditional Japanese food. Relax after your incredible adventure packed day in your vacation rental.
Day Three:
Today you’ll head up to The Mountain! Along your drive, you’ll see amazing views of majestic Mount Rainier National Park. An active volcano that last erupted 1,000 years ago, Mt. Rainier offers 260 miles of hiking trails. The Trail of the Shadows, across from the National Park Inn, is a loop trail of .7 miles. Walk through forests and marvel at the historic masonry wall with a bubbling spring and a replica of an early homestead cabin.
Two spectacular waterfalls are visible on the drive to Paradise, Narada Falls and Christine Falls. Arriving in Paradise, you can visit the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center offering exhibits, films, guided ranger programs, a book store, a snack bar and a gift shop.
Have dinner at the historic Paradise Inn, where you’ll discover there is something magical here. Huge dual fireplaces in the main lobby welcome you and the massive dining room with old growth timber beams awaits. The Paradise Inn transports you back in time when things were a bit simpler and the pace much more relaxed. Maybe it really is Paradise…
Enjoy your final night in your vacation rental relaxing and maybe sipping a glass of local wine while remembering the days’ incredible experiences.
Day Four:
Before you go – be sure to do a little bird watching at Fort Steilacoom Park, Lakewood’s 342-acre park offers a diversity of habitat ranging from open meadows, brushy areas, hillsides, deciduous groves, coniferous woodland, and Waughop Lake. There are numerous foot trails throughout the park making excellent access for birding that has included 146 species identified within the park’s boundaries.
Need a little more outdoor immersion before departing? Visit the South Puget Sound Wildlife Area, home to over 50 species of birds and waterfowl. When you return home, you can’t help but reflect on the amazing sights, sounds and experiences that will now be memories for a lifetime from Lakewood.
Resources:
Lakewood Chamber of Commerce
6310 Mt Tacoma Dr SW, Lakewood, WA 98499
(253) 582-9400
Original House of Donuts
9638 Gravelly Lake Dr SW, Lakewood, WA 98499
(253) 588-2647
https://www.originalhouseofdonuts.com
Carr’s Restaurant
11006 Bridgeport Way SW, Lakewood, WA 98499
(253) 584-4622
https://www.carrsrestaurant.net/
Burs Restaurant
6151 Steilacoom Blvd SW, Lakewood, WA 98499
(253) 588-4844
Steilacoom Ferry
56 Union Ave., Steilacoom, WA 98388
(253) 588-1950
https://www.co.pierce.wa.us/1793/Ferry
Anderson Island General Store
10202 Eckenstam-Johnson Road, Anderson Island, WA 98303
(253) 884-4001
http://www.andersonislandgeneralstore.com/
Riviera Lakeshore Restaurant
11019 Country Club Drive, Anderson Island, WA 98303
(253) 884-3344
Jacobs Point Park
Eckenstam – Johnson Road—south of Oro Bay Rd
Anderson Island, WA 98303
https://andersonislandparks.org/jacobs-point-park
Topside Bar and Grill
215 Wilkes St, Steilacoom, WA 98388
(253) 212-3690
https://www.topsidebargrill.com/
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Wildlife Refuge
100 Brown Farm Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98516
(360) 753-9467
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/billy_frank_jr_nisqually/
Casa Mia
134 Prairie Park Lane SE, Yelm, WA 98597
(360) 400-2277
http://www.casamiarestaurants.com/restaurants/yelm-casa-mi/
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
11610 Trek Drive East, Eatonville, WA 98328
(360) 832.6117
LeMay Collection at Marymount
325 152nd St E, Tacoma, WA 98445
(253) 272-2336
Kyoto Japanese Restaurant
8722 S Tacoma Way, Lakewood, WA 98499
(253) 581-7229
https://kyoto.site.mobi/
Mount Rainier National Park
39000 State Route 706 E, Ashford, WA
(360) 569-6575
https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm
National Park Inn
47009 Paradise Rd E, Ashford, WA 98304
(360) 569-2411
Paradise Inn
52807 Paradise Rd, E, Ashford, WA 98304
(855) 755-2275
Fort Steilacoom Park
8714 87th Ave SW, Lakewood, WA 98498
South Puget Sound Wildlife Area
Phillips Road, Lakewood