First Creek Community Space

At TPL, we’re working to connect all Washington residents to the outdoors—especially in communities that need it most. Tacoma’s Eastside community had a large lot that sat vacant for years between the Eastside Community Center, Swan Creek Park, and First Creek Middle School.

Fenced off and unwelcoming, TPL worked with students, neighbors, and local partners to reinvent this space into a community hub for everyone to enjoy. Listening to feedback during engagement sessions, their priorities were clear: people wanted a dynamic and adventurous place to climb, play, and explore.

In partnership with The North Face, TPL created a unique park space centered around two impressive climbing boulders. Since the park opened in 2021, First Creek Community Space has introduced hundreds of kids to rock climbing. The boulders have become a popular destination for First Creek Middle School students and other community organizations like the Boys and Girls Club. Now open to everyone, the park connects the heart of the Eastside community to the benefits of nature through green space, climbing boulders, miles of nature trails in Swan Creek Park, and to a regional bike path.