Stopping here with the kids was a success. The nature playground was fun and challenging. The hike to the bridge, and the anticipation of possibly seeing a turtle along the way, was fun.

This is a review of Snake Lake Park, which is open, not Tacoma Nature Center, which is closed due to covid 19, but Google purposely removed the entry for the park itself, so Im leaving a review for the great park.Extensive trails that go around the entire property. From forest to fields, you can choose to just go around the main path that has no significant inclines or declines, or you can do a little hiking and get access to some great places.I highly recommend, just dont pay attention to the temporary closed except for the actual Tacoma Nature Center exhibit.

My boys love this place! Lots of information and education! The trails are well maintained and full of adventure! Great for all ages!The playground area is unique and fun too. The bridges over the little creek/ponds are so fun to explore! Plus a tree house and a slide through a log... so exciting and fun for all!!

My toddler had so much fun here! We didnt even get a chance to go inside the building because they were closed but we had so much to do outside it is totally worth another trip to explore more. We spent a lot of our time at the point and play area and we go a chance to walk the trails. The little one loved the bridges and seeing the ducks. Even has stopping points to read a sign and learn.

Nice level trail with flowers, turtles and sunshine! And baby ducks!

Love coming and walking. The changes of the seasons are great. Family friendly.

The place is very cool, clean and organized. Its very good for children in any age, a lot of activities especially summer. I loved walk around and breathed some fresh air.

Great play area and center. We love walking around the trails. Never know what animals you will come across. My only wish is for a higher fence between playground and public sidewalks. Sorry, I am a worrier and think how easy it is for a child to climb over or someone to reach in from the sidewalk.

Beautiful trails to walk, lush trees, and ponds. Great interactive visitor center for the kids with a nice little shop to pick something up as well. And brochures showing all the events they host there.

Great place to take the kids. Nature trails with lots of animals and even water. Beautiful place right in the north end. Park for the kiddos to play after the walk was a favorite for my group. Check this place out you won’t regret it!

Great little gem in Tacoma. Doesnt look that pretty on the outside, but if you hike the Hill Loop and see all the wildflowers youll know what Im talking about. The lake itself is more of a marsh, and near the middle bridge youll see turtles sunbathing on a nice day. Nice quick hike that lets you eventually see a new view of Tacoma at an incredible hilltop viewpoint, if you dont mind highway 16 being right below you!

Been coming here since I was a child. Wonderful place to escape into nature in the middle of Tacoma. Easy, introductory trails for beginning hikers.

Great place to take the kids to learn about nature.

Thought it could offer a little more. Maybe its the season.

A great way to spend some time outside. Their playground is unique and very accessable. The facilities are clean and inviting with hands on exhibits and activities for kids.

We came here for a field trip. Its free to go to and has a couple trails to hike that Id like to go back and complete. We got to test water clarity and learn about ph and nitrates in water and how a water shed works. The kids had a lot of fun and we saw lots of birds and even a field mouse on the trail. The staff was really nice too.

What an absolute treasure hidden in the midst if a big city this place is! So many great trails for all fitness levels. Stick to the water for a easy walk or take to the elevation trails to get a view. Word to the wise, dont forget the bug spray. Mosquitos are out in force! *smack*

Fantastic loop to walk with kids. Easy walk with a stroller or for young ones. If you have mobility issues, there are some slopes that would not be appropriate with a walker or someone not completely sure on their feet. The nature center attached is beautifully kept and always has clean bathrooms.

Great place for easy hiking (aka walking). Its a bout a mile long. If you decide you want a little challenge. You can take a path up the mountain.

Tacoma Nature Center aka Snake Lake is amazing! It has a free indoor educational area with live animals and various activities and a unique playground experience with miles of beautiful trails to its back. We affectionately refer to that area as Snake Lake even though it isnt a lake at all, but rather a watershed. If you visit inside first they can give you a guide to take with you on your walk. It has sights to see and kids love finding the corresponding numbers. Be aware that it can a little muddy at times. I wouldnt recommend your best clothes or shoes. Hidden utopia in the middle of busy Tacoma!

Nature center is EPIC. My wife and I love bringing our kids here to spend some time in the trees lol. If your looking for a quiet and peaceful and happy place than go on over to the Tacoma Nature center.

Some know, some share, some experience for themselves! Be the person you were destined to be, find your moment here at Snake Lake! Tacoma Nature Center exists here for a reason, dont be a timid turtle!

I love to take walks here. No dogs allowed. You have several different walks choices from simple to challenging for those just starting out with regular walks. You will see different types of wildlife, and it has a great small interactive center/gift shop. Support our communityAdding education, sanctuary, beauty, and value of the soul.

Beautiful park and a very lovely walk. I made three laps with my date and it was a very nice walk. Keep up the good work.

This is such a pretty park, with some really fun trails. The information center is so cute and cozy, and they have turtles and frogs that kids might love to see. The main pond is adorable and you can see the ducks and turtles swimming around!

This place is low-key huge. Really awesome urban park and restoration area for those who like to walk or jog. Natural wetland under HW 16 is beautiful, especially in the late summer. They also have event spaces and summer programming for youth, which I think is pretty cool.

There are things to do here for all ages. The playground is a lot of fun and different than any other in the area. We like to go on the walk and can choose between the big and the small loop. There are usually turtles sunning on the logs in the water that you can see from the bridge. The inside is a nice quiet area to play, color, and do puzzles. The bees are fun to watch.

Great place! Nice trail

Took the family and had an amazing day and it was clean!!!

Amazing little place, love the animals you can look at in the center it was a great places to take kids. We loved the outside play area and we loved the small hike we took.

Fun Nature place right in the middle of Tacoma to let kids & parents alike blow off some steam! Peaceful, super duper easy trail walk and a small playground with climbing & slide toys for kids 10 & under.

Its a nice area to walk and view little creatures likes ducks, squirrels, turtles, and other little birds.

Relaxing walk and nice nature center!

Turtles and Herons and dragon flys oh my!Great place to take a walk and if your patient the critters will come out.

Awesome gem in the heart of the city. Tacoma parks and rec rocks!!

I attended a meeting of the Washington Native Plant Society in order to attend a lecture and photos by. The TNC is a great venue for this. I hope to return for other activities and maybe volunteer!** Please LIKE my review, if it helps you!

Great nature themed playground. Children have a good opportunity to take risks and learn here.

Loved it! Kid friendly trails and plenty to see. The Lil center they have there is also nice. Able to see some of the creatures you my find on the trails up close.

I went to their annual fall native plant sale. I should have gotten there earlier as its a popular sale: Go early! They sell natives from small to large with prices accordingly. There are a lot of people there to help you with what they are, where to plant what etc. The Nature Center also has a nice gift store on the main floor with outdoor gifts for kids, nature books and calendars, etc.

My boy and I absolutely love this place. The indoor area has lots to play and learn, and outdoors has beautiful trails around the snake lake - a great place to watch the turtles in the summer ;), and there is also a cool fenced playground, which is full of natural elements.

The trails and nature center are very nice and enjoyable. However, the playground area has a lot of blind spots where you cant see your child. And a lot of different little trails right there where they can run. Other than that the playground is very cool. I just think you need a couple sets of eyes.

Nice nature walk in the middle of Tacoma. If it wasnt for all the cars you could hear itd be a very peaceful and quiet walk.

Its a really great nature area to run or walk and feel relaxed. Its quiet, peaceful and there is lots of great plants, trees, birds, snakes, turtles and ducks.

My 2 year old son and I really enjoyed this nature center! We got to see turtles and frogs and ants and tadpoles and ducks and even a blue heron! We went inside the building, through the discovery pond play area, and we walked the trails. I really liked the huge tree slide there because its actually a metal slide so it goes really fast but it was a little too scary for my little one.All of the staff and volunteers that we met were friendly and helped us spot all the different wildlife. The building itself is very nice now too.We will definitely be coming back here again and again!

Great bathroom. Lovely place to take a small child on a rainy day.

This is a must for kids. Donations welcome, but no money required. A nice little indoor play area for kids with educational books, puppets, dress up, and other things. There are local live critters (turtles, toads, ants, etc) for kids to see. If you are sensitive to dead animals being stuffed, you should know they do display these in the play area. The outside play area for children is even more impressive, with a little Creek and everything. Then theres the nature wall, which is beautiful enough on its own, but recently theyve added a neat feature where you can download an app and play an educational treasure hunt sort of game as you walk through. A truly wonderful and relaxing gem in the Tacoma area.

My daughter and some of her Girl Scout troop pals were here for some badge work. It was a great learning opportunity and very well put together. She loved making paper.

Awesome place to hike and see turtles and birds. Good signage and info about nature and the cosmos. The building has a great play area for kids and cool little zoo type thing. Theres also two sweet playgrounds and I think a daycare. You can rent the place out for parties and even get a lesson for your kids!

Its small, but has a cool kids area inside along with a gift shop and some cool reptiles. The playground is cute and the trail is the perfect size for a quick jog or walk. They keep it clean.

Great trails to walk them all day. Brings you back to Nature

We love taking the kids here for nature walks and playing in the amazing playground. Highly recommended

Beautiful location for all kinds of nature-oriented outdoor recreation. The building houses a stunning array of wildlife and knowledge appropriate for all ages, especially youth. The childrens outdoor play area is expansive, while there is also a sheltered area with a small grass lawn for a shady spot to sit and eat or play.

Never a bored spot for my daughter. :-)

The indoor facility is great for curious 2 year olds. If you need to get energy out, then I’d recommend the playground. If you have small kids, the trail to the bridge where you can watch turtles is a long walk with those tiny legs. Our short walk turned into an hour and a half.

Feels like you drove 2 hours out of the city. Love the trails and visitor center

My new happy place

Absolutely love it here. There’s an awesome playground, an area for a forest school type program, beautiful nature walk that’s perfect for kiddos, and they put on events for families and kids to help enjoy the outdoors and learn to care for it. Definitely a place to checkout if you have little explorers!!

Tons of things for the kids to see and learn about. The nature trail is awesome!! The kids playground is a hit too, very creative structures and learning opportunity!

Wish it wasnt so close to the intersection and freeway . Theres a lot of noise when you just want peace and quiet but its really a nice walk

Great location, a cool little indoor museum with a cool animal and critter display, aqaurium, and good clean restrooms. The play area for kids is great with little trails, multiple slides, and one that is shaped like a tree trunk. The snake lake trail is also attached, which is a good mile and half walk, through the forested area... With a planetary theme at different checkpoints, and explanations of animals that are indigenous to the area. It also has a gazebo area that can accommodate up to 60 people, for events. If restrooms in the visitors center are closed (only open during business hours, then the only restroom available is a portable potty by the gazebo area. So plan accordingly if you bring your little ones here.

This is a place of relaxation and meditation. Enjoy nature and take a walk knowing that Noone is going to bother you. Even though is a safe place, I recommend to go a long with a friend or family member

The small hikes are good. The play area needs some love. It has seen better days. The small hikes are well marked and dry all year round.

Views good learn and have great experience

Excellent for little kids. Educational and fun.

My son loved the day camp. Definitley a must if you want your children to have a good time learning.

Nice escape in the city.

I love the place not only does it have great trails, picnic tables both covered and non. They also have a nice area for kids to play and run and the Conservatory itself is great and offers the public a lot if interesting ideas on how to both help and enjoy the environment!!

Great place to take the kids for a good look at nature & the animals that live in it. Also a great place to get in a bit of exercise

Very nice nature area in the middle if the city.

Love going here to watch the nature while walking around the lake !

My family and I have a great time every time we go there. The 1-mile hiking route has been awesome in helping me get back in shape.

Great place for anyone very clean you can do a lot of activitys

I went for a seminar for Premera Medicare Advantage Plans. The room they used was perfect for our needs. The Nature Center is a cool place, Ive walked their trails & encountered lots of runners because it offers lots of changes in the terrain. There are benches to sit on scattered on the trails, I had packed a picnic lunch, that we ate on one. We we not able to hear the traffic ! Very nice.

Great for toddlers! Play area was awesome. Trails of half or whole mile that was safe enough to let our 16 month and 3.5 year old run! Will return again and again.

Great! Maybe even better on a rainy day.

Nice little place to get out and walk around.

Open fun kids had a blast. Educational

I like walking the trails. And the turtles and ducks along the Bridge over the water are pretty.

Ample parking. Birds chirping, saw 3 turtles sunnying themselves on a log in lake. Highly recommend.

Fun shady walk... visitor center was nice.

I love this nature center! Great place to take my little one on a good day. The trails are fairly covered so even if it is a little drizzly we can still have fun adventuring in the woods. My daughter loves the indoor displays, puzzles, puppets, and animal habitats to play in. I take one star off because the trails are pretty noisy right alongside the road but you can still hear the birds and frogs. We probably go visit a few times a month. Also, the loop trails are very manageable for my 17 month old daughter. She usually walks the whole way!

Mary inside was very helpful.Answered all our questions and provided insight into the solar system that is represented on the walk around the loop trail.Wonderful choice of trails and wildlife.Most peaceful and relaxing.

Walking around the lake in the cold and snow was great. Kids loved the still partially iced over water.

Friendly staff. Little dress up, play area inside with puzzles and other activities.Have great classes but very hard to get into and the distance from where we live makes it difficult to get to. Wish we had something like this at Swan Creek.

Hidden jem in the city. Nice trail and picnic area. Great for families!

Fun outing with family. Can be a little hectic if school groups are also there. Maybe difficult to navigate for younger children.

Good place for kids to play and learn while walking around

Great trails and nature, cant really hear all the city traffic.

Loved my hike here. Dog friendly as I dont go where my dog isnt welcome. My hiking buddy Teddy Bear

Nice walk through the woods and wetlands. My 5 year old likes the playground section.

Attended a seminar. Nice, quiet, clean.

Excellent place to take kids. Indoor and outdoor activities. My daughter just turned 2 and she loved it!

Easy enough trail for the littles, fantastic outdoor play area. A really lovely area in the middle of the hustle and bustle.Outdoor bathrooms were a pretty gross no-go that day, but we were there after 4pm so I dont really know the norm

Its a nice place but a LOT of mosquitoes.

Would have given it a 5 star just from looking in from the outside. But, cant leave my pooch in the car. No dogs allowed.

Great place to take the kids. They have a little natural play ground area with slides, tunnels, things to climb on. Great walking trails too, some are short so toddlers can walk them.

Nice nature walk and clear path. Enjoyed the discovery pond and the nature trail. Will definitely visit again and try a different path. Multiple paths for different skill levels. Youll enjoy this serene and peaceful opportunity.

Snake Lake has come a long way since I was a kid. The play area is espeacily nice. There is a lot of trash though under the Route 16 bridge in the lake, however.

What a beautiful park! Its a walk in the woods around a lake, right in the middle of the city.

I take 23 to 26 kids every summer for field trips. The kids love the new renovated play area...tons of natural climbing items..creeks..an old fashion water pump. Them you can go inside where theres animal costumes and puppets. A store. Some live animals like turtles...bees...reptiles. Then take a hike along the trails. Itll definitely wear the kids out. Educational and yet lots of fun