The 760-acre (3.1 km2) park includes Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Rose Garden, Rhododendron Garden, beaches, trails, a boardwalk, a boathouse, a Washington State Ferries ferry dock for the Point Defiance-Tahlequah route to Vashon Island, Fort Nisqually, an off-leash dog park, and most notably about 400 acres of old-growth forest.

From high bluffs overlooking the Tacoma Narrows people can watch bald eagles feed on salmon runs passing through on the strong tidal currents.

In winter, sea lions migrating from California feed in the swirling tides beneath the Gig Harbor overlook on the northernmost point of the peninsula.

The park also provides habitat for mule deer, red foxes, coyotes, pileated woodpeckers, Douglas squirrels, and raccoons.

Point Defiance Park began as a military reservation after the Wilkes Expedition visited Puget Sound in the 1840s to map the bays and estuaries.

[citation needed] In 1964, Point Defiance Park was home to the fairytale and nursery rhyme based attraction known as Never Never Land.

Created by Alfred Petterson, the park featured various figurine characters from fables such as Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, and the Little Red Riding Hood.

It is sited on a bluff looking down on a waterfront containing the boathouse, Anthony's Restaurant and Washington State Ferry landing providing access to Vashon Island.

After a century of depositing slag into the waters of Puget Sound, Asarco's Tacoma Smelter created a peninsula to form the park's protected harbor.

Metro Parks was approached by the school district and gave them space for portable classrooms on the site of the recently evicted Camp 6 Logging Museum.

[9] In addition to old-growth forest with 450-year-old Douglas fir (Mountaineer Tree) are 250-foot vertical bluffs exposing rich geology.

Groups and individuals regularly gather at the park for picnics, weddings, organized runs, and other special events.

As the largest urban park in Pierce County, the network of roads and trails weaving through the forest preserve provides a quiet retreat for joggers, cyclists, and hikers.

Defiance's bluffs and through its forest, including trails with sweeping views of Vashon Island, Dalco Passage, Gig Harbor, and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.