Titlow Beach, Park & Sprayground Review

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Titlow Beach, Park, & Sprayground

The Pacific Northwest is filled with many opportunities to get your kids out and active on a budget. At the top of that list are the many parks we have throughout the Northwest. These include National Parks, State Parks, Neighborhood Parks, Water Parks, Lakes, Skate Parks and more! Lets face it though, not all parks are created equal. Not every family is looking for the same thing in a park outing, and different parks appeal to different ages. Some are all day outings, and some are perfect for a short outing.

You can find our full series of NW park reviews here, so you will have some more detailed info when planning a day of frugal park fun for your family. We would also love to hear your thoughts and opinions on these parks. Please comment below with your tips, or submit your own park review here (get a $10 Amazon card if we use yours)! If you have requests for additional parks that you would like to see reviews on please email us at [email protected]. We are always looking for new ideas!

We also post a weekly Frugal Family Fun roundup, of each weeks best and most affordable entertainment and event options for families. Be sure to check that out for more ideas on what to do on a budget!

Titlow Beach & Playground – Tacoma Wa

This spot really has something for everyone. The park website describes some of the highlights:

“The extensive beach frontage and estuary lagoon serve as the focal point to park visitors. Other site amenities include tennis and basketball courts, playfields, trails, spraygrounds, playgrounds and picnic areas. The historic Titlow Lodge, formerly the Hotel Hesperides, constructed in 1911 is a central feature of the park. ”

There are two main trails:
• Hidden Beach Trail (blue) 1.3 miles
• Lagoon Loop (red) 0.75 miles
• the park is 75 acres

Highlights: (Favorite aspects of the park)

This park has it all. There is a great spraypark for the kids to cool off while playing at. There are also playgrounds for school age kids and younger kids too. There is a grassy field, and walking trails. Plus a short walk away you can hit the beach, and find some fun eateries. We loved spending the day here and I cannot wait to go back when I have more time to explore too!

And, if you have a little one who loves trains, they will not be disappointed. I lost track of the number of trains we saw when we visited, but there were quite a few that go by (you are right next to them if you go down to the beach, and you can see them easily from the park area too. We had a little boy with us who adores trains, so it made this aspect of the park really stand out. We had to stop and watch them each time they went by. I loved to see his excitement for each train.

Things To Know: (fees, parking availability, are there bathroom facilities, what to bring)

Parking is free. There are bathroom facilities as well. Be sure to bring shoes that will work for a park and the beach.

Other useful supplies for this park: 

• Chairs or blanket (table space is limited and when park gets busy they can fill up, but there is plenty of grassy space or spots on the beach).
• Beach toys, or water toys if you plan to let your kids swim in the sound, towels etc.

Recommended for ages:

All Ages. There is something for the youngest to oldest to enjoy here!

This is the main entrance to the beach from the walking trails near the historic lodge. Some table and bench seating available here.

Recommended eating spots nearby:

There are BBQs on site if you want to do your own thing, but right in between the park and the beach are a few restaurants you could walk to eat at. These include:

Titlow Beach Lunch & Grocery – this spot is right next to the Tavern, and you can get the same food they serve at the tavern through a pass through window at the grocery (burgers, fries, etc)

Steamers – great spot for fish and chips and clam chowder

Arnold’s Happy Days food truck is also at the park from 10am to 7pm many days in the summer. You can find the schedule on the park website here (scroll down the page a bit).

If you are willing to drive, Trip Advisor has these 10 restaurants nearby that they recommend.

Location:

Titlow Beach Park & Sprayground

8425 6th Ave.
Tacoma, WA 98406

Review:

Man did we enjoy this spot. Its one of my new favorites. I loved it so much, because it had so many things we love all in one spot (spraypark, walking trails, beach fun, great restaurants, park to play at, beautiful views and more). Its  spot to consider for a full day of fun, or just a shorter venture out to the park. Its also great for birthday parties, or someplace to bring company when they are in town. Here are some of the things we loved there:

Spraypark –

The spraypark was lots of fun for the kids, and located right by the playground too, so the kids can enjoy both. You can find the spraypark hours here.

Traditional Playparks-

I loved how they had the parks set up. There was a main playground area (shown above), swings (seen below) and then a toddler play area (also shown below). They are all set next to each other, and next to the sprayground, but spread out enough that you dont feel crowded with lots of kids at the park. It was great to have all of the different play areas. If your kids are spread out in age it can make it more challenging to watch them if they take off to different spots, but in general I loved the layout.

Here is the toddler park area for younger kids to have fun, as well as the swings in the back ground.

Titlow Beach –

Man, the beach did not disappoint either. From the park its a short walk past the parking lot and through a trail. The trail will take you out to a street where you will have to walk on a sidewalk on the street and cross over some train tracks. This is a very short part of the walk, but something to be aware of if you have small kids.

This is the trail we started down to get from the park to the beach.

The first thing that grabbed my attention when we hit the beach area was the beautiful view of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. This view never gets old to me, its so pretty!

Once on the beach you can either walk the beach for long distances, or there is a paved path above the beach that is bordered by a fence with train tracks on the other side. Hidden Beach is also a fun spot if you want to walk further. Sounds Fun Mom has a review on Hidden Beach here.

The kids could have spent all day on the beach finding crabs, and snails and many more sea life. The fish were also jumping like crazy when we were there.

Additional Tips: (are there BBQ pits onsite, rental facilities, etc.)

They have special family tidepool discovery days, or nature walks too where kids can learn more with park rangers etc.  (scroll to bottom of page to find current dates).

Some of the sport courts and BBQs as well as extra tables can be found over near historic Titlow Lodge. You can also rent out the lodge (details on the park page).