Cherry Blossoms in Tacoma and Beyond
/Isn’t it so wonderful to walk or drive around town and see all the cherry blossoms?! Ahh, I love it!! It’s such a welcome sign after the cold, wet days of winter. I point out every tree as I drive around. I’m sure my family is tired of me doing that, but I can’t help myself.
If you share my love for cherry blossoms, then let me give you a few tips on where to go see them. The season is at peek or on the downward end of the season right now, so jump off your computer and get out there!
Wapato Hills Park
You may have seen Metro Parks share this location on Instagram. It’s probably one of the biggest clusters of cherry blossom in the Tacoma area. It just happens to be surrounding a basketball court.
It makes for a fun visit with kids because there is a playground next to the basketball courts. You can enjoy the flowers and the kids can enjoy the slide and swings. We also took a little family walk on the nearby path.
Note on Directions: My navigation took us to a spot on the opposite side of all the blossoms. We drove around until we got there, but here is a link to a pin I dropped. Hopefully it helps!
Tacoma Neighborhoods
The North End Tacoma has a bunch of cherry blossoms. Here’s a few specific spots:
N 22nd St and N Puget Sound
N 33rd and N Masson Street
Or just roam down N Proctor St and around the neighborhood of University of Puget Sound.
Point Defiance and Zoo
There is a wise old tree near the exit of Point Defiance. I can never seem to get there when it’s in full bloom. We went today (3/31/24) and it wasn’t quite there (or was done for the season, I couldn’t tell)—see first photo. However, there are plenty of cherry blossoms scattered around the park. We saw some around the Japanese Gardens and pagoda area.
Within the zoo itself there are some beautiful cherry blossoms. It would be the perfect place to spot for a snack with the kids. These photos were from the covid era, but the photos were too pretty not to share.
Olympia Capitol Buildings
For some really beauty head down to our state capitol, Olympia. To get there, set your navigation to the Legislative Building. This is were most of the cherry blossoms grow, but there are also some scattered all around. If you’re lucky, hop inside the Legislative building. It was fascinating for my boys.
University of Washington
The big destination for cherry blossom season in our area is the University of Washington’s courtyard. Be warned: it’s crowded especially on a weekend. If you really want to go, head there on a weekday. It truly is magnificent. I haven’t been since 2016, but I still remember how beautiful it was. It’s just a bigger outing these days with two kids and coming in from Tacoma (we used to live in Seattle).
Photos from March 2016
My life bucket list includes a visit to Washington DC during cherry blossom season AND Japan.
Where do you go to see the cherry blossoms? Share in the comments!