Prairie Line Trail

The Prairie Line Trail is a converted rail corridor running through downtown Tacoma, connecting the University of Washington Tacoma campus and the waterfront cultural district. The trail passes through the heart of Tacoma's history as a railroad terminus city, with interpretive installations along the route telling the story of the Northern Pacific Railroad's role in building the city.

The trail is a practical connection as well as a historic walk — it links the museums, UW Tacoma, and the riverfront in a sequence that can fill a half-day. Art installations and landscape features along the route reflect the industrial and maritime heritage of this part of the waterfront. At the southern end, the trail connects to the Museum of Glass and the Bridge of Glass.

things to do outdoor sight
A story
The Prairie Line was a Northern Pacific Railroad spur line built in the 1870s as part of the transcontinental railroad connection that made Tacoma a terminus city. The railroad's choice of Tacoma over Seattle as its Puget Sound terminus shaped the region's development for decades, and the Prairie Line — the commercial artery connecting the waterfront to the interior — was central to that history. The rail tracks are gone now, replaced by a linear park connecting the University of Washington Tacoma campus to the waterfront.