Pierce County, Washington · Seattle & Puget Sound
Bonney Lake
Bonney Lake stretches along the plateau above the Puyallup valley, where Lake Tapps turns suburban Pierce County into a summer waterfront.
POPULATION
22,500
INCORPORATED
1949
FROM SEATTLE
About 45 minutes
COUNTY
Pierce
KNOWN FOR
Lake Tapps
LAKE TAPPS
2,800 acres
Bonney Lake, Washington grew up fast. The town incorporated in 1949 with 327 residents who mainly wanted electricity and running water, and today it is a city of more than 22,000 spread along SR 410 on the plateau between the Puyallup and White river valleys. What sets it apart from the rest of suburban Pierce County is water: Lake Tapps, the 2,800 acre reservoir on its northern edge, gives Bonney Lake a genuine summer waterfront, with swimming, boating, and shoreline parkland at Allan Yorke Park.
The surprises hide off the main drag. Victor Falls drops 70 feet through a wooded ravine inside city limits, the Fennel Creek Trail threads three miles of forest and meadow through the middle of town, and the 1864 Kelley Farm on Fennel Creek, one of the oldest homesteads in the county, hosts the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire every summer. Bonney Lake works best as the recreation stop between Sumner and the mountain towns up SR 410, and in August, when Bonney Lake Days takes over Allan Yorke Park, it is a destination in its own right.
Getting Here
Bonney Lake sits on SR 410 about 45 minutes from Seattle: take SR 167 south to Sumner, then SR 410 east up the hill. From Tacoma, SR 512 to SR 410 makes it about half an hour. The city stretches several miles along the highway, with the older lakeside neighborhoods to the north and newer commercial districts at midtown and on the eastern plateau. Allan Yorke Park and Lake Tapps sit a few minutes north of SR 410 via Bonney Lake Boulevard; Victor Falls and the Fennel Creek Trail are south of the highway off Rhodes Lake Road.
Things to Do
Parks
Spend a Lake Day at Allan Yorke Park
Bonney Lake’s flagship park lines the south shore of Lake Tapps with a summer swimming area, boat launch, ballfields, courts, and a skate park. The Bonney Lake Historical Society keeps a small museum and archive nearby in the former city hall.
Nature
See Victor Falls
Fennel Creek drops 70 feet through a wooded ravine at Victor Falls Park off Rhodes Lake Road. The city bought the property in 2013 to open public access to a falls that had been private for a century; check the city parks page for current trail conditions before you go.
Outdoors
Walk the Fennel Creek Trail
Three miles of paved and soft surface path follow Fennel Creek through forest and meadow in the middle of the city, with trailhead parking off Victor Falls Road. It is the local favorite for a morning walk, and connects neighborhoods to parkland without touching SR 410.
History
Visit the 1864 Kelley Farm
William Kelley homesteaded Fennel Creek in 1864, and his farm is one of the oldest intact homesteads in Pierce County. The grounds host weddings and events, including the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire on summer weekends.
Water
Boat or Paddle Lake Tapps
The 2,800 acre reservoir is the busiest summer boating water in east Pierce County, with launches at Allan Yorke Park. Water levels drop in the off season when the utility draws the reservoir down, so plan lake time for June through September.
Family
Catch Bonney Lake Days
The city’s signature festival takes over Allan Yorke Park each August with stage shows, kids activities, food vendors, a beer garden, and fireworks over the lake to close the weekend.
“Lake Tapps gives Bonney Lake what almost no Puget Sound suburb has: a real waterfront summer, ten minutes off the highway.”
Explore Washington State
Where to Stay
Econo Lodge Buckley Bonney Lake
The closest hotel beds, on SR 410 just east toward Buckley, with free breakfast and pet friendly rooms. A practical base for lake days and byway trips.
Check ratesHoliday Inn Express & Suites Sumner Puyallup Area
Down the hill in Sumner, 10 minutes west, the most reliable modern rooms in the immediate area.
Check ratesLake Tapps vacation rentals
Rental homes around the Lake Tapps shoreline put the water outside the door; summer weekends book far ahead.
Browse rentalsFind a Cabin Near Bonney Lake
Find a Cabin Near Bonney Lake
Food & Drink
Al Lago serves Italian dinners near Lake Tapps and fills its dining room on summer weekends, so reserve ahead. Rainier Valley Coffee Co. is the hometown espresso stop, known for white mochas and bacon breakfast sandwiches. For craft beer, Griffin Brewing pours its own lineup with comfort food from its Hangry Bird kitchen a short drive east in Enumclaw. The SR 410 corridor carries the full roster of familiar chains if you need fast and predictable on the way to the mountain.
Festivals & Events
July
Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire
The historic Kelley Farm transforms into a sixteenth century village on weekends from late July through mid August, with jousting, costumed performers, and craft vendors. One of the largest renaissance faires in the state.
August
Bonney Lake Days
Two days of stage entertainment, kids activities, vendors, a beer garden, and competitions at Allan Yorke Park, capped by fireworks over Lake Tapps.
Day Trips
Sumner sits at the bottom of the hill, 10 minutes west, with its antique district and the Old Cannery. Puyallup and the Washington State Fairgrounds are about 15 minutes beyond. East on SR 410, Buckley and Enumclaw open the road to the Chinook Scenic Byway, Crystal Mountain, and the Sunrise entrance of Mount Rainier National Park, about 90 minutes from Bonney Lake in summer.
Planning Your Visit
Summer is the season. The Lake Tapps swimming area at Allan Yorke Park runs on summer hours, the Renaissance Faire fills Kelley Farm on weekends from late July into August, and Bonney Lake Days brings fireworks over the park in August. The reservoir is drawn down in the off season, so shoulder month visits are better spent at Victor Falls and on the Fennel Creek Trail, which hold up year round. Bonney Lake is a half day stop or a summer afternoon; pair it with Sumner below the hill or the SR 410 mountain corridor above it.
More Bonney Lake on EWS
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bonney Lake, Washington known for?
Bonney Lake is best known for Lake Tapps, the 2,800 acre reservoir on its north side that serves as east Pierce County’s summer waterfront, with swimming and boating at Allan Yorke Park. It is also home to Victor Falls, the Fennel Creek Trail, and the historic 1864 Kelley Farm.
Is Bonney Lake worth visiting?
Yes, in summer especially. A morning on the Fennel Creek Trail, an afternoon at the Lake Tapps swimming area, and an evening at Al Lago make a full day, and the Renaissance Faire at Kelley Farm is a statewide draw on late summer weekends. The city also works well as a staging stop for the SR 410 route to Mount Rainier.
How do you get to Bonney Lake, Washington?
Take SR 167 south from Seattle to Sumner, then SR 410 east up the plateau, about 45 minutes total. From Tacoma it is roughly 30 minutes via SR 512 and SR 410.
Can you swim in Lake Tapps?
Yes. Allan Yorke Park maintains a designated summer swimming area on the south shore. Lake Tapps is a working reservoir, so water levels drop in the off season; swimming season generally runs June through early September.
How many people live in Bonney Lake?
About 22,500 people. The city incorporated in 1949 with only 327 residents and has been one of Pierce County’s fastest growing cities since the 1990s.
When is the best time to visit Bonney Lake?
July and August, when the swimming area is open, the Renaissance Faire runs at Kelley Farm, and Bonney Lake Days brings fireworks to Allan Yorke Park. Victor Falls and the Fennel Creek Trail are worth the stop year round.