Federal Way is home to Weyerhaeuser, the largest private owner of softwood timberland in the world. The company has graciously opened a great portion of its land to the public, including two botanical gardens: the Rhododendron Species Foundation & Botanical Garden and the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection.
Federal Way also boasts the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, featuring an Olympic-sized swimming pool that was used for the 1990 Goodwill Games. There are 28 developed parks and 19 open-space parks on approximately 82 acres of land, including Steel Lake Park, a large lakefront park with picnic areas and a boat launch; Dumas Bay Centre, a beautiful 12-acre park with on-site conference and retreat facilities, along with a beautiful theatre that features local productions and is home to the Centerstage Theatre Company; Dash Point State Park, the city’s only developed waterfront park; Celebration Park with sports fields and wooded trails; and West Hylebos Wetlands Park with its many scenic hiking trails through wetlands. The city also features the BPA and West Campus Trails totaling nearly 3.5 miles, as well as over 4 miles of gorgeous coastline, with the charming Redondo Beach community as its centerpiece.
Wild Waves Theme Park, the largest amusement park in the region, is known as Wild Waves and Enchanted Village. It is the Seattle area’s only permanent amusement park. Prepared to be wowed at the World Championship of Sand Sculpting, which relocated to Federal Way in September 2010. Arts Alive, a juried arts exhibition program designed to give regional artists an opportunity to display their works in a public setting, also returned to Federal Way in September 2010.
The quality of life in Federal Way can’t be beat, making it an ideal place to work, start a business, or raise a family. It’s no wonder the City has adopted the slogan “Federal Way: It’s All Within Reach.”