The Dune Peninsula is a 20-acre landscaped park that juts into Commencement Bay at the northern edge of Point Defiance, built on the site of the ASARCO copper smelter that operated here for nearly a century. The smelter's 571-foot smokestack was demolished in 1993 — an event watched by tens of thousands of Tacoma residents — and the subsequent cleanup converted contaminated industrial land into one of the city's most spectacular public spaces.
The peninsula has sweeping views of Commencement Bay, the Cascade Range to the east, and Mount Rainier to the south. Native plantings of grasses and shoreline vegetation have attracted wildlife. Walking paths loop through the peninsula, and interpretive signage covers both the ecological restoration and the industrial history of the site. Access is free; the peninsula is adjacent to Point Defiance Park.