Unincorporated Parkland is getting a new community trail this month. Pierce County will host a grand opening celebration for Phase 1 of the Parkland Community Trail on September 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., giving residents their first official walk across a newly paved, 12-foot-wide path that stretches from Sprinker Recreation Center to Tule Lake Road.
According to Pierce County, the celebration will include remarks from local leaders and community partners, free bike helmets from Planning and Public Works, and giveaways of trees and garden seeds for attendees. Event-goers can park at Brookdale Elementary or along new pathways near the site, and the ceremony itself takes place at the Tule Lake Road Trailhead near Parkland Prairie. Project elements include street crossings, safety delineators, directional signage, landscaping, and a newly built bridge over Clover Creek, according to Pierce County.
A Long-Awaited Fix for a Trail-Starved Community
The project addresses a gap that county planners have flagged for years. The trail is intended to serve Central Pierce County communities and support active transportation.
The county's planning records describe the project as supported by grant funding. Construction officially got underway at a public groundbreaking ceremony on September 27, 2025, an event that offered tree giveaways and helmet distributions similar to what's planned for this month's grand opening.
Building Around Clover Creek and Parkland Prairie
Getting the trail built meant temporarily disrupting the 4.5-acre Parkland Prairie Nature Preserve, which was closed during construction for gravel-trail resurfacing, the county has said. The preserve is home to native Garry Oak trees and 15 native grass and flower species growing alongside Clover Creek, according to Pierce County.
Crews installed the trail's pedestrian bridge over Clover Creek in May 2026. Clover Creek Commons has discussed planning for future asphalt removal along the waterway, according to Clover Creek Commons. The creek runs along the south edge of Parkland Prairie.
Guided Walk and Speakers Kick Off the Celebration
Ahead of the ribbon-cutting, regional nonprofit ForeverGreen Trails is hosting a “Trails & Tales” walk starting at 9:30 a.m. on September 19, leading participants 1.5 miles from Sprinker Recreation Center to the ceremony site while highlighting local history, mobility safety, and stream health, according to ForeverGreen Trails. Registration for the guided tour is free but required.
The speaker lineup for the grand opening includes Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello, Pierce County Councilmember Jani Hitchen, Planning and Public Works Deputy Director Lauren Flemister, and Blue Zones Project Parkland-Spanaway Executive Director Queena Tupou, according to Pierce County's project page. Tupou's presence adds a health-promotion perspective to the event.
What's Next: Phase 2 Would Reach Two More Schools
Phase 1 runs from Sprinker Recreation Center to the north end of Tule Lake Road, with Sprinker serving as the trail's southern connection point after the county opened a new connector path there in August 2024 alongside a regional spray park and outdoor fitness zone, as Hoodline reported at the time. That earlier work was designed from the outset to link into the trail that has now materialized.
Phase 2 remains in the planning stage and would extend the path through the Pacific Lutheran University campus to reach Washington High School and Keithley Middle School, according to the Foothills Coalition. The full multi-phase alignment is intended to eventually connect five schools and three county parks across Parkland, the coalition notes, though that expansion depends on further coordination with the university and remains unbuilt for now.
