Point Ruston

Point Ruston is located on a finger of land jutting out into Commencement Bay in Tacoma, east of Point Defiance Park, with incredible views of Mt Rainier.  

This spectacular, 97-acre piece of land was originally the site of a copper smelter producing up to 25% of the world's copper supply. In 2018 it was cleaned up and redeveloped.  

The new waterfront development includes an open air mall with shops and restaurants, a cinema, and the swanky Silver Cloud Hotel with a rooftop pool.

Visitors can follow a 1-mile concrete path along the waterfront from Dune Peninsula at its northern end, to the Point Ruston Historic Ferry. Dune Peninsula has an abundance of open grassed areas, ideal for picnics and watching the marine traffic out on the bay.

The path is popular for biking and walking, and also passes a Grand Plaza with a splashpad, and a nautical themed playground. The path continues another 2.5 miles south along Ruston Way, past restaurants and beaches until it reaches the Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park.

Another great feature of Point Ruston is that it's connected to Point Defiance Park by a footbridge up the hill.  The footbridge has a fun "snakes and ladders" feature where visitors can take a series of slides all the way to the bottom!

10 best things to do at Point Ruston

1. Point Ruston Restaurants.

Point Ruston has a total of 5 restaurants to choose from, including sushi, pizza, thai, burgers and northwestern cuisine.

Enjoy incredible views of Commencement Bay and Mt Rainier from the WildFin American Grill at Point Ruston, with a large patio.

This is the entrance to WildFin Grill, on the Grand Plaza.

Another great option is Stack 571 Burger and Whiskey Bar.

2. Bike rentals.

Rent a bike from Wheel Fun Rentals on the Point Ruston waterfront, near the Grand Plaza. Choose from the 4-wheel surrey, the chopper, cruiser bikes, kids' bikes and electric bikes.

3. Playground.

The fun playground is next to the Grand Plaza, and has a ferry to climb on modeled after the M/V Point Ruston, and a swingset. 

4. Stroll along the Ruston Way Waterwalk.

The Ruston Way Waterwalk stretches 1-mile from Dune Peninsula to the Point Ruston Historic Ferry.  It's another 2.6 miles along the waterfront to the Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park.

There are plenty of benches along the walkway.

See magnificent views of Mt Rainier.

The Ruston Way Waterwalk ends at the Tacoma Chinese Reconciliation Park, passing some well known waterfront restaurants like The Lobster Shop, Duke's Seafood, Katie Downs Waterfront Tavern, RAM Restaurant and Brewery, and Harbor Lights.

5. Shops.

Explore shops at Point Ruston, including a gift shop, boutique and toy store.

6. Ice-cream.

Stop for a delicious ice-cream at Ice-Cream Social at Point Ruston.

7. Point Ruston Public Market.

Shop at the Point Ruston Public Market, with 40 stalls of vendors selling jewelry, glassworks, fresh produce, baked goods, flowers, artworks and so much more.

8. Silver Cloud Hotel.

Enjoy incredible water views from the rooms at the luxury Silver Cloud Hotel at Point Ruston. There's also a rooftop swimming pool, wellness spa, and breakfast or dinner at the swanky Copper & Salt Northwest Kitchen.

9. Wilson Way Pedestrian Bridge.

Cross the footbridge that connects famous Point Defiance Park to Point Ruston, opened in 2019. The 50-foot high Wilson Way Pedestrian Bridge is 600-feet long, and has incredible views. There are six sets of slides and steps that flank the east side of the bridge, known as "Chutes and Ladders", creating a fun way for kids to get to the bottom.

10. Dune Peninsula.

The 11-acre Dune Peninsula is at the north end of Point Ruston, and has raised, grassy mounds, perfect for watching all the action out on the water.  There's plenty of benches and tables, and the Cambia Legacy Lawn for concerts. Stroll along the Frank Herbert Trail at Dune Peninsula, named after the Tacoma native who authored the Dune novel, with lots of quotations integrated into the walkway.