Looking for a beautiful outdoor retreat that has a little something for everyone under the sun? Look no further than Bresemann Forest. Located in Parkland, Bresemann Forest has almost two miles of walking trails. Both Morey Creek and Spanaway Creek run through the 70-acre parcel, which is a part of the Clover Creek Watershed.
Aside from the walking trail, wildlife and beautiful views, visitors can enjoy barbecues on the outdoor grills with plenty of green, lush grass to set up tables, lawn chairs, and covered tents perfect for parties and get togethers. Visitors can also set up volleyball or badminton nets on the spacious grass. Sunbathing and relaxing along the water is always a peaceful experience. Rent a boat, canoe or paddle boat or launch your own boat. Or play a few holes on the golf course.
Jon Garza, a Puyallup resident, has been visiting Bresemann forest since the 1990s when his oldest son practiced soccer at the Sprinker Recreation Center. “Rather than sit and wait for him, I would run the trails in the forest,” said Jon. “I like the flat, woodland trails. They are soft under foot and if you ran all of them you could run about a mile and then enter the trails at a different location to add some more distance.” Jon’s last visit to the forest was about a year ago after he and his kids climbed SPIRE Rock at Sprinker Recreation Center.
Bresemman Forest History
Gustav Bresemann was born in Germany in 1845. He moved to Chicago in 1869, then to San Francisco, and arrived in Steilacoom in 1870. Locally, Bresemann built the first furniture factory in the Northwest. In 1873, Bresemann filed a Donation Land Claim on Steilacoom Lake. Shortly after he received the rights to build a sawmill and furniture factory on the lake. In 1877, he married a local woman named, Bertha Vogel.
Carly Calabrese
In 1888, Bresemann sold a large portion of his land to the Tacoma Light & Water Company. The company built a water flume line from Spanaway Lake to downtown Tacoma.
In 1903, the Tacoma Railway & Power Company opened a park on Spanaway Lake. The streetcar line served the park. By 1910, Bresemann was the manager of the park, which was known as the Bresemann Park and Spanaway Park.
In 1959, Spanaway Park became property of the Pierce County Parks, after a land switch with the Metropolitan Park District. In 1965, the Bresemann family sold their remaining parcels of land to Pierce County. This sale included today’s Bresemann Forest.
For more information on this hidden gem in the Parkland/Spanaway area, please visit the Bresemann Forest website. Bresemann Forest is located at 8th Avenue Court South in Parkland, just around the corner from Spanaway Lake Park. Dogs are permitted on leash.
