Chambers Creek Canyon is a part of Chambers Creek Regional Park that is jointly owned by Pierce County and the City of University Place. In 2013, the Cities of University Place and Lakewood, and Pierce County held a public open house to gauge interest in creating a trail through this forested canyon. The response was overwhelmingly positive, so the Parties surveyed a possible trail alignment in the canyon and developed a draft trail implementation plan.
In 2015, an interlocal agreement was adopted to guide the planning, design, and permitting work on this project and to provide for collaboration in seeking grants and other funding sources for the project. In 2016, the partners jointly funded the hiring of a design firm to complete preliminary engineering work and cost estimates to establish a Chambers Creek Canyon Trail route that would guarantee success during the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office’s 2016 and 2018 grant cycles. Both grants are funding current efforts to complete the trail, bridge, and boardwalk design and construction.
Work on a new bridge that was installed as part of the Chambers Creek Canyon Trail project was completed in December 2020. Dubbed ‘bridge 1,’ the new bridge crossing connects the City of Lakewood to University Place near Kobayashi Park. The bridge is open to trail users. Additionally, a 1.0-mile portion of the trail has been constructed between the trailhead at the Chambers Creek Dam and the trailhead at Zircon Rd.
The map below shows the proposed Chambers Creek Canyon Trail route, illustrating how the trail connects people throughout the region to each other, to other parks, and to a unique, back-country experience just minutes from their homes.