The Trust for Public Land, along with its partners, is proud to announce the opening of new outdoor climbing boulders at the First Creek Community Space on Tacoma’s Eastside. The site is located next to the Eastside Community Center, Swan Creek Park and along the Pipeline Trail.
Two members of the South Sound Boys and Girls Club will mad the “first ascent” of the climbing boulders on February 5 at the First Creek Community Space.
“We are incredibly excited that these boulders are open for public use,” said Andrew McConnico, Northwest Project Manager for The Trust for Public Land. “Now more than ever it is important to play outside for our mental and physical wellbeing. We hope this space inspires exploration and a place for Eastside youth to be outside together.”
At the end of 2019, The Trust for Public Land met with the Boys and Girls Club, students at First Creek Middle School, and residents of the Salishan Association to understand what type of amenities they would like to see in their neighborhood. We received overwhelming support for climbing features and benches and tables to spend time outside.
The Trust for Public Land was able to create this space through a national partnership with The North Face as part of the “Walls are Meant for Climbing” campaign designed to drive more access and inclusion in climbing and support from Kaiser Permanente.
This work was done in partnership with Metro Parks Tacoma who will manage the new boulders going forward as part of an extension of the Eastside Community Center. These boulders are part of a movement to make climbing more inclusive and accessible.
Assuming it is safe at the time and able to meet Covid-19 health guidelines, The Trust for Public Land hopes to hold a larger celebration with community members and athletes on The North Face Climbing team at part Global Climbing Day on August 22.
This project was completed with the help of many partners, listed here:
- Kaiser Permanente
- The North Face
- The Russel Family Foundation
- Boeing
- The Salishan Association
- Orcas Love Rain Gardens
- The Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound
- First Creek Middle School
Thanks to partnerships and community support, The Trust for Public Land is working to create more free climbing walls in city parks around the country—starting in neighborhoods where kids face the highest barriers to exploring the outdoors.
In the next three years The Trust for Public Land will also be working to build five Green Schoolyard projects in the Eastside with Metro Parks Tacoma and Tacoma Public Schools. To learn more, visit www.tpl.org/our-work/tacoma-green-schoolyards.
About The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live within a 10-minute walk of a Trust for Public Land park, garden or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org.
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