NORTH REGION

In This Region Region Highlights

Recreational Facilities

North Lake Tapps Beach, Lake, and Boat Launch

Parks

North Lake Tapps Park

Riverside Park Trails

Foothills Trail

North Lake Tapps Park Trails

The Foothills National Regional Trail is a 21-mile-long, 12-foot-wide asphalt trail, primarily built along an old railroad bed, designed for foot traffic, human-powered vehicles, and equestrian use. Pierce County Parks has been working on extending the trail from Cascade Junction Bridge to Carbonado by evaluating the feasibility of the undeveloped trail section and gathering community feedback. In 2022, the Foothills Trail hosted 24 runs and events, ranging from large events like the Rainier to Ruston with 1,132 attendees to 5k fun runs with 140 attendees.

North Lake Tapps Parks continued to see high demand, especially on sunfilled days. Over 42,000 visitors played on the newly updated bulkhead and peninsulas May through September.

To the southeast of the Foothills Trail, Pierce County Parks stewards more than 1700 acres in the Carbon River corridor, located northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. Many backcountry visitors to the area are unaware of the historical mining dangers that exist. In partnership with the Federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), Pierce County Parks was able to close a 14-foot wide and 800-feet deep air shaft from an abandoned mining fan house. OSMRE and Pierce County Parks will continue to work together to make the Carbon Valley a safer place to recreate.

Special Events

North Region

Foothills Dash

6 6.2K Events Event Participants

Performance Highlights

946K PEOPLE used the Foothills Trail in 2022.

2,024 ACRES of undeveloped park lands.

45 PARTNERS & STAKEHOLDERS collaborated on the Carbon River Corridor Cooperative Action Plan.

Improvement Projects

Buckley Forest Preserve

2K RUNNERS participated in races on the Foothills Trail.

42.8K PEOPLE visited North Lake Tapps Park in 2022.

$76K+ GRANT FUNDS FOR CONSTRUCTION to improve safety at an abandoned mining site near Carbonado.

The foothills dash returned in 2022 and welcomed 142 runners of all ages and abilities. The race featured a 5k, 10k, and half marathon. The run began at Orting Main City Park and followed one of the most scenic sections of the trail for unobstructed view of nearby Mount Rainier, traveling along the Carbon River, upstream through farmland and forest.

Swimsafe Campaign

Completed environmental studies and cost estimating for a north entry route through 126th ST E. Completed a forestry plan for habitat improvements and commissioned studies to stabilize and improve 134th St E for logging, emergency and maintenance vehicle access.

Carbon River Corridor Action Plan

Completed the plan with federal, state, local and private landowners to identify actions to improve conditions and access in the Carbon River Corridor. The County Council adopted the plan.

Foothills Trail

Puyallup Trailhead Expansion: Design was completed for an expanded trailhead at East Puyallup to include 81 parking stalls, ADA compliance with restrooms, signage, lighting, landscaping and drainage.

Cascade Junction to Carbonado: Began stakeholder discussions and analysis of trail challenges and alternatives to the Wilkeson Creek Canyon area. Alternate routes have been identified for further analysis.

White River Bridge: Finalized an interlocal agreement with King County for a bridge extending across the White River.

The SwimSafe program is a free water safety program focused on teaching the public the basics of water safety and swimming skills through a combination of videos, signage, classroom instruction and training. New signage and a life jacket station were installed at North Lake Tapps Park.