Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood, Washington

Lakewood, Washington

Lakewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 58,163 at the 2010 census.-History:Lakewood was officially incorporated on February 28, 1996. Historical names include Lakewood Center and Lakes District...

 is the largest park in the city. The 340 acres (1.4 km²) park includes Waughop Lake

Waughop Lake

Waughop Lake is a lake less than 1.6 km east of Steilacoom in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The lake lies within Fort Steilacoom Park, in the city of Lakewood, Washington. Waughop Lake has a surface area of approximately and a mean depth of . The lake is fed by groundwater and...

, an off-leash dog park

Dog park

A dog park is a facility set aside for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners...

, and several soccer fields and baseball fields. It is adjacent to Pierce College

Pierce College

Pierce College is a community college district operating in and serving Pierce County in the U.S. state of Washington. The district consists of two main colleges, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom in Lakewood and Pierce College Puyallup in Puyallup, and auxiliary campuses at Fort Lewis, McChord Air...

, historic Fort Steilacoom

Fort Steilacoom

For the adjacent park, see Fort Steilacoom ParkFort Steilacoom was founded by the U.S. Army in 1849 near Lake Steilacoom. It was among the first military fortifications built by the U.S. north of the Columbia River in what was to become Washington...

, and Western State Hospital

Western State Hospital (Washington State)

Western State Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located at 9601 Steilacoom Boulevard SW in Lakewood, Washington, which is a suburb of Tacoma. Administered by the Washington Department of Social and Health Services , it is the largest mental facility west of the Mississippi River, with 806 beds,...

.

The area became a homesteader's farm circa 1844, then became Fort Steilacoom

Fort Steilacoom

For the adjacent park, see Fort Steilacoom ParkFort Steilacoom was founded by the U.S. Army in 1849 near Lake Steilacoom. It was among the first military fortifications built by the U.S. north of the Columbia River in what was to become Washington...

 in 1849. In 1868, the government purchased it for use as the "Insane Asylum for Washington Territory

Western State Hospital (Washington State)

Western State Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located at 9601 Steilacoom Boulevard SW in Lakewood, Washington, which is a suburb of Tacoma. Administered by the Washington Department of Social and Health Services , it is the largest mental facility west of the Mississippi River, with 806 beds,...

". Hospital residents grew crops and orchards in the park area, and planted many of the poplar

Poplar

Populus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar , aspen, and cottonwood....

 trees that line the lake shore. More than 3,000 hospital residents are buried in the cemetery near the parking lot.

The park is the site of high school cross country

Cross country running

Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

 meets in the fall and Pierce College utilizes it for athletic activities. In September or October the Fort Steilacoom Invite is held, hosted by Lakes High School

Lakes High School

Lakes High School is located in Lakewood, Washington. It serves students from 9th grade to 12th grade. It is one of the two major high schools in the Clover Park School District.-Daffodil Festival:...

. It is currently the second largest meet in Washington state.