January 2016 Trail Highlight: Swan Creek
Starting out the New Year with a local favorite, this month’s trail highlight—a 373-acre site located just southeast of downtown Tacoma—is Swan Creek!
With dual ownership (373 acres by Metro Parks Tacoma and 97 acres by Pierce County), Swan Creek Park (Phase 1) now offers ~3 miles of trail and skill building options in the 50(ish) acre “Douglas Fir Forest” zone of the park.
Offering a number of options for varied skill levels, Swan Creek is a close ride opportunity for families, younger riders, and after-work-leg-stretcher-seekers in the area.
“Hustle and Flow”, a 1.75 mi cross country loop that circumnavigates the ~50 acre Douglas Fir Forest, is designed to be similar to Bootcamp at Duthie -- smooth and flowy with lots of rollers and banked turns.
"Braking Bad" and "Light Rail" allow for a more advanced optional trail options and extend the cross country loop to ~2.5 mi of progression opportunity, with steeper climbs, more difficult terrain, and more advanced features.
The park also boasts 3 jump lines descending into the clearing on the north side of the forest, and a skinny practice zone, drop zone, and pump track on the north side.