Arts & Entertainment Community
Two in Tow & On the Go | Our guide to Gig Harbor-area playgrounds
The Gig Harbor area offers recreation opportunities galore, thanks to a variety of local agencies that help keep our community active and outdoorsy. From sports fields to serene forests and walking trails, there’s something for everyone.
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On the hunt for a great playground? We’ve got you covered with this curated list and new playground map for your next adventure.
Gig Harbor
Crescent Creek Park
3303 Vernhardson St., Gig Harbor
Good to know: There’s a fenced-in upper tot lot at this playground, separate from the main play space. It features an extra large sandbox with lots of little scooping and building toys next to a pint-sized dome climber. In the big-kid lot, there’s a large boat-shaped climber (that’s both walkup and wheelchair accessible) called the Maritime PlayZone. It opened in 2014 and has a steering a wheel up front, barnacles below and interactive panels. Across from it is a whole row of swings, including a molded harness seat with a structured back and an orange-and-white spinning buoy with footholds and a handle.
Related: >>> Master plan pursuing a more connected Crescent Creek Park
Kenneth Leo Marvin Veterans Memorial Park
3580 50th Street Court, Gig Harbor
This playground features an older tot lot and a big-kid area. The larger area has a tower slide, a tall rope jungle gym, and a disc swing. There’s also a baseball diamond, soccer fields, a picnic shelter and restrooms.
Good to know: You’ll also find Gig Harbor’s World War II Veterans Memorial Monument here. The statue honors 14 men with Peninsula ties who died while serving their country. The names inscribed on the statue are the subject of Gig Harbor Now’s 14 Names to Remember Project detailing the lives of the young men and how they died.
Related: Playground Review >>> Two in Tow & On the Go: Kenneth Leo Marvin Veterans Memorial Park
Skate Park
3510 Grandview St., Gig Harbor
This playground is adjacent to the Gig Harbor Civic Center buildings in the same complex. Located just west of the Civic Center parking lot, kids can play on older play equipment featuring a slide climber, swings, and a rock wall with hand and feet grips. The adjacent skate park features a concrete bowl, curves and ramps for bikes, scooters and skateboards.
Related: Playground Review >>> Two In Tow & On The Go | Four surprising finds to explore outside the Gig Harbor Civic Center
The Kids’ Gig
4905 Rosedale St. NW
On the Discovery Elementary School campus, there’d a special community park hybrid site with the school district that offers an all-wood fort type playground with slides, monkey bars, lookout towers and stepping platforms designed for children ages 5 to 12. The Kids’ Gig is a hidden gem of a playground designed by students and built by community volunteers in 2002. It’s open to the public outside of school hours and accessible through a pedestrian gate in the chainlink fence in the back parking lot.
Good to know: This park doesn’t have restrooms, it’s not visible from the street and lacks a website, but park rules are posted at the entrance.
Related: Playground Review >>> Two in Tow & On the Go: Kids’ Gig playground charms with nods to local landmarks
Rosedale Park
8205 86th Ave. NW, Gig Harbor
Rosedale Park’s “playground” is teeny tiny. But it works in a pinch for some outdoor play and features some neat balancing platforms. This site also has a softball/youth baseball field, playground and picnic shelter. Rosedale Hall is available there to rent for small meetings and gatherings.
Sehmel Homestead Park
10123 78th Ave. NW, Gig Harbor
Sehmel Homestead Park opened in 2010, and its playground floor got a fresh resurfacing update in summer 2024. Fan favorites at this park include a long line of swings and a rainbow of colors on the play equipment. The climbing structure is made up of an intricate platform system with raised walkways, ramps and slides. It also offers interactive activity panels. The Sway Fun Glider is an all inclusive standalone piece. Children use it by working together by shifting their weight in unison so the glider sways back and forth. There’s space for a wheelchair, stroller as well as bench seating for others. The little table in the middle features handholds so those using wheelchairs can make the glider sway, too.
Outside of the playground, Sehmel Homestead Park has sports fields, restrooms, a rentable indoor pavilion and a large forested trail system with a map that’s linked here. The west side of the park is home to the colorful Gig Harbor Demonstration Garden and a large grassy amphitheater near the park’s entrance hosts summer movies and concerts.
Good to know: Depending on where you sit at this playground, the climber’s platform layout can make it tricky to keep an eye on younger kids from certain angles.
Related >>> Two in Tow & On the Go | Our favorite features at Sehmel Homestead Park
Doris Heritage Park
10770 Harbor Hill Drive, Gig Harbor
This site is set to open in May 2025.
Construction of the playground at Doris Heritage Park in January. Photo by Vince Dice
Run by: City of Gig Harbor
This brand new park is set to open this month as part of Gig Harbor’s new sports complex project on the city’s north end. Behind the construction work, one can see a playground with a rope-web climber, an accessible swaying toy that looks similar to Sehmel’s described above, at least one slide, accessible hard-back swings, belt-type swings and an interesting-looking double swing. There will also be picnic shelters, restrooms, concessions, pickleball courts, bocce ball courts, a performance stage and an event lawn.
Related >>> Council officially names new park in honor of Doris Heritage
Fox Island
Fox Island Playground
690 9th Ave., Fox Island.
Run by: The FICRA Building Trust
Located in the back of the Nichols Community Center, this older playground opened in July 2000, according to the Fox Island news site. It has swings, a little metal fire truck toy for pretend play, a spring toy to stand on and small climbers. There’s also a picnic gazebo, sports field and walking path.
Port Orchard
South Kitsap Regional Park
2729 Jackson Ave. SE, Port Orchard
The playground features two lots — one big and one small. The largest features climbers, slides, circular monkey bars and rope climbers. There’s also a separate line of swings.
Good to know: The park’s SE Marbeth Lane entrance leads to the playground, restrooms, picnic shelter and the mini trains run seasonally by the nonprofit Kitsap Live Steamers. The 2841 SE Lund Avenue entrance leads to the skate park, batting cages, ball fields and portable restrooms.
Horseshoe Lake County Park
3101 SE Marbeth Lane, Port Orchard
Playground featuring an older climbing structure with a twisty slide and a seperate row of swings. There’s also swimming, walking trails, picnic/BBQ areas, ball field, restrooms and life jacket stand. Horseshoe Lake Park is open from April to October. Gates to the parking lots and park areas are closed and locked during the off-season.
Good to know: Open seasonally and has a park map
Key Peninsula
Three parks in Key Pen Parks’ system have playgrounds, according to this chart. They are:
Gateway Park
10405 State Route 302 NW, Gig Harbor
This playground is large and spread out. Several picnic tables are set around the playground’s perimeter. It features slides, swings, tall climbing structures and everyone’s favorite – a zip line! Elsewhere on site, folks will find sports fields, skateboarding, disc golf, and restrooms.
Good to know: This park has a splash pad open from Memorial Day through Labor Day each year.
Volunteer Park
5514 Key Peninsula Hwy NW, Lakebay
Playground, sports fields, disc golf, skateboard park, horseshoe pits, and restrooms.
Good to know: Disc golf rules
Home Park
17220 8th Ave Ct NW, Lakebay
Playground featuring a climbing structure with multiple short slides, monkey bars and a tot lot.
Pierce County
Twelve parks in Pierce County Parks’ system have playgrounds. Find them on this page by selecting the “playgrounds” link from the list of recreation amenities.
Agency: Pierce County Parks & Rec
Other
Olympus Way Community Park
4488 Copper Court, Gig Harbor
Neighborhood playground with a small climbing structure, slides and a balance beam. It’s located in the ungated, private Harbor Hill housing development in Gig Harbor North.
Google Maps for an aerial view.
Athena Park
10425 50th Ave NW, Gig Harbor
Neighborhood playground with a small climbing structure, slide, springy ride-on toy, a large grassy lawn and picnic tables. It’s located in the ungated, private Harbor Hill housing development in Gig Harbor North.
Google Maps for an aerial view.