The Best Things to Do in Steilacoom, Washington

I’ve lived in Washington State for most of my life, and it wasn’t until this summer that I visited Steilacoom for the first time. Steilacoom quickly established itself as one of my favorite coastal towns in Washington! It has all the ingredients for being the perfect weekend getaway. It’s close to major cities such as Seattle and Portland, it’s located right on the water, there’s lots of good restaurants, and there are tons of outdoor activities. This post will introduce you to this charming town and show you our picks for the best things to do in Steilacoom.

5 Things to Do in Steilacoom

1. Visit the Steilacoom Tribal Cultural Center and Museum

I think a good place to start is always with learning about the indigenous people. The Steilacoom Tribal Cultural Center and Museum is located in the heart of downtown. Currently they are open on Saturdays by appointment only. 

2. Enjoy One of the Many Parks

One of our favorite parts about our trip to Steilacoom was all of the parks along the water!

Pioneer Orchard Park is within walking distance from the ferry terminal and has beautiful views of the Puget Sound and islands. They have a grandstand that is perfect for family photos. There’s lots of grassy hills for kids to run around, and benches to sit back and soak in the views. (There’s no beach access at this park.)

Saltar’s Point Park is located about a half mile from the ferry terminal. This is a good place to go if you want to walk along the beach. The park has 500 feet of shoreline, restrooms, and a picnic shelter. There’s also a couple of stone buildings from the 1930s.

Sunnyside Beach Park is an oceanfront park one mile away from the ferry terminal. It has lots of shoreline, a volleyball court, and a large playground. You do need to cross the railway tracks to reach the park, so be sure to exercise caution. For non-residents, there is a $5 parking fee. My favorite thing about this park was the swing set with a direct view of the water.

Chambers Creek Regional Park is four miles away from the downtown area. It’s a very large park with a pedestrian bridge over the train tracks that connects to the beach. The park has over two miles of shoreline. In addition to the beach, there are many public trails, a golf course, and a restaurant.

Fort Steilacoom Park has lots of trails, an amazing playground, and an off-leash dog park. The Waughop Lake Trail is a mile-long paved loop trail that is perfect for strollers if you have young children. The park also has baseball, soccer, and softball fields, as well as a radio-controlled aircraft area for people that like to fly drones and remote-control planes.

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3. Take the Steilacoom Ferry to Anderson Island

It only takes 30 minutes for the ferry to travel from Steilacoom to Anderson Island. If you walk on the ferry, you wont have to worry about the ferry line. If you’re bringing your vehicle, we recommend that you leave early to avoid a long ferry line. Go to Anderson Island for a quiet experience in nature. The island has no stoplights and only one restaurant, one cafe, and one general store.

The island has two freshwater lakes and some beautiful beaches that are much more secluded than beaches you will find on the mainland. You can visit Lowell Johnson Park (known as the the “Ol’ Swimmin’ Hole” by locals), where there is a freshwater sandy beach. You can also visit Andy’s Marine Park, which has beach access on the west side of the island and woodland trails.

4. Visit the Steilacoom Historical Museum

There’s tons of history in Steilacoom, and the Steilacoom Historical Museum does an excellent job of capturing it. As the oldest city in Washington State, you can imagine that there is a lot to share! 

5. Attend the Farmers Market

The Steilacoom Farmers Market runs on select days during the summer. In 2021, the dates were June 16th-August 25th from 3pm to 7pm. We were lucky to be in town on a Wednesday and really enjoyed the market! There were lots of food booths (we ordered dinner from a grilled cheese booth and a taco booth), and lots of local crafts and food products. They block off the whole street at the kids in our family had a fabulous time running around. The market is located in downtown Steilacoom on the corner of Lafayette and Wilkes Street. 

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Where to Eat in Steilacoom

We were lucky to have some pretty delicious meals in Steilacoom. Here’s a few places to try out the next time you visit…

Bair Drug and Hardware

Bair Drug and Hardware is a restaurant that combines local history with some serious comfort food. From their breakfast menu, they have entrees such as the Bair’s Monte Cristo, Steilacoom Scramble, Hemmingway Benedict, and Mama’s French Toast (thick-cut french toast with brandied-orange batter). For lunch, they have a solid sandwich menu with choices such as the Cubano, the Reuben, and the Turkey Berry. 

Topside Bar and Grill

Topside Bar and Grill is a great place to visit for lunch or dinner. If you can, try to make reservations for the rooftop deck. You’ll get to enjoy water views while you dine! Some of their menu items include clam chowder (a must for any coastal visit!), steamer clams, and a Maple Pecan Wild Salmon. They also have a solid burger menu.

Berry Dock Ice Cream Shop

The Berry Dock Ice Cream Shop is located right next to the ferry line to entice waiting motorists. In addition to ice cream, they have quick bites such as breakfast burritos and dessert bars. 

Steilacoom Pub and Grill

The Steilacoom Pub and Grill has an excellent selection of beers on tap, and lots of good pub fare. When the restaurants in town were busy with long wait times, we were able to get food to-go here very quickly. Their menu has items like fish’n’chips, a bleu cheese burger, and a Captain’s Delight Pizza. They also have an ice cream counter! We were able to get an ice cream cone we promised to our daughter after finding out we were too late for the Berry Dock Ice Cream Shop.

Delish Bakery

The Delish Bakery is centrally located on Lafayette Street. They have tons of sweet treats on their menu, including muffins, pastries, cinnamon rolls, pies, mini cheesecakes, french macarons, jumbo cookies, bars, and brownies. They also make custom cakes and have gluten-free options. We stopped by and got a few french macarons that were delicious! This is the place to go to pick up a sweet treat for breakfast, some sweets for a beach picnic, or a dessert. Currently they are closed Sundays and Mondays (and by appointment for Tuesdays). Check out their website for current hours.

Steilacoom Taproom

Steilacoom Taproom is the place to go for craft beers, wine, and cider. The beers they have on tap reflect local favorites from the Pacific Northwest. They currently have adjusted hours due to the covid pandemic, so check their website for updated information. 

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About Steilacoom

Steilacoom was established in 1851, making it the oldest incorporated town in Washington State.

Phonetically, the word Steilacoom sounds like sti·luh·km. This is one of the most mis-pronounced words in the region, so if you know how to say it, you’ll already seem like a real local!

The city was named after the Steilacoom Tribe, which spoke a subdialect of the Salish language called Whulshootseed. The tribe named their primary village Scht’lǝq^wǝm, which in the English language was translated to Steilacoom. The indigenous people called themselves the Scht’leqwem-amsh, which means “Steilacoom People.” The word Steilacoom signifies the Fringe Cup flower, which is pink and grew abundantly in the area. 

My favorite time to visit Steilacoom is in the summer, preferably in September when the weather is still fairly sunny yet the summer tourists have left. 

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Directions

Steilacoom is located conveniently along Interstate 5.

Steilacoom is located about 44 miles south of Seattle, Washington, and about 133 miles north of Portland, Oregon.

For Seattleites, Steilacoom a great place to meet up with friends from Portland to spend the day or weekend together. 

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Where to Stay

Booking.com  

When we visited Steilacoom, we met up with some family and stayed at the historic Appleby House. The house was charming and very centrally located. We were able to walk almost everywhere, even with our toddler! There was even a small park and playground directly behind the house, so it made it extra-convenient with kids. The house was very pricey though, and we were surprised to have stained towels and sheets for the amount we paid. Overall, though, we would recommend it as a good place to stay. 

The Inn at Saltar’s Point is another good option within Steilacoom. The inn has a handful of rooms with private decks that overlook the Cormorant Passage, Ketron Island, and the Olympic Mountains. 

If you don’t mind staying a little outside of town (10 miles), you might like Thornewood Castle. The castle has romantic rooms that are each uniquely decorated. 

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Attractions Near Steilacoom

Museum of Flight

The Museum of Flight is about 45 minutes away from Steilacoom. It’s the largest independent, non-profit air and space museum in the world. During your visit, you can learn all about fighter plans, the history of Boeing, and hop inside a cockpit. Children and adults alike tend to really like this museum.

Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium

The Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium is a premier zoo located in Tacoma, Washington (about 27 minutes away from Steilacoom). The zoo has an Asian Forest Sanctuary, Arctic Tundra, Rocky Shores, Red Wolf Woods, Pacific Seas Aquarium, South Pacific Aquarium, and a Kids’ Zone. At the time of this writing, the price of admission for an adult is between $18-20. 

LeMay – America’s Car Museum

You can also visit America’s Car Museum, about 24 minutes from Steilacoom. The exhibits feature cars from the early 1900s, NASCAR cars, and much, much more. Adult admission at the time of this writing is $18.

Museum of Glass

You might also enjoy visiting the Museum of Glass. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday and showcases all things related to the art of glassblowing. Some of their art installations are absolutely stunning. Price of admission for an adult is $17.

 

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Summary

When visiting Steilacoom, we recommend the following activities:

• Steilacoom Tribal Cultural Center and Museum
• Pioneer Orchard Park
• Saltar’s Point Park
• Sunnyside Beach Park
• Chambers Creek Regional Park
• Fort Steilacoom Park
• Ferry to Anderson Island
• Steilacoom Historical Museum
• Farmers Market

We completed a recent trip to Steilacoom, and we really enjoyed this charming coastal city. We hope this post inspires you to visit Steilacoom as well!

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Disclaimer: We always strive for content accuracy. Since the time of publishing, travel-related information regarding pricing, schedules, and hours may have changed. Please look up such information directly from each vendor or institution for the most current information.