The Trail Around Waughop Lake

The 9/10 mile paved loop trail around Waughop Lake at Fort Steilacoom Park is one of the best places to walk in Lakewood.  The path trail is wide, the area is peaceful, and the scenery is beautiful.  It often has gorgeous sunsets that reflect on the water of the lake.  There are many birds there--mallards and coots and Canadian Geese (though not the geese so much recently) often swim on the lake, and you may even spot a wood duck.  We've seen cormorants there, and a couple times we've even seen bald eagles perched high in black cottonwood trees near the edge of the lake.  Beautiful plants and trees surround the lake--willow, black locust, black cottonwood, coast redwood, douglas fir, and more. 

Way back until a little over 30 years ago it used to be a one-way road that cars could drive around.  My husband fondly remembers he and his sister, when children, taking turns sitting on their father's lap while driving around the lake.  They would put their hands on the steering wheel with their father and steer around the lake together.

Though the time when cars could travel around it is long past, these days the paved trail around the lake provides a wonderful place for families and people of all ages to travel around on foot or bicycle.

This post is linked to
Outdoor Wednesday.