"I Climbed Fern Hill" Community Event -
Fern Hill area, Tacoma, WA

"First Ever" Fern Hill hill climb - April 26, 2003

Watch this website for an announcement of the next Fern Hill climb so you can put it on your calendar of family activities and list of things to do in Tacoma.

Fern Hill Climb Summit Elevation: 389 Feet

Just for the record - for those of you who aren't familiar with the area - the community within Tacoma know as the Fern Hill area is fairly flat by local standards. Except for a very small nearby gulch - and probably even including that - the ground elevation seems like it does not vary more than 35 feet, maybe 40 feet at most, although this is an unscientific assessment. What seems like a 35-foot ground elevation change within about a 1-mile radius barely counts as a hill ... especially in these parts. So why do they call it Fern Hill? (Keep watching this website for more of a history of the Fern Hill area, and possibly an explanation of the name.)

The Climb

The purpose of the Fern Hill hill climb was simply outdoor family fun in the community and to help bring together neighbors who might not otherwise meet. The actual climb consisted of a designated walk in the community from the Fern Hill Climb Base Camp (elevation: 304 feet above sea level) which was set up on the lawn at Fern Hill Elementary School.

Climbers tough enough to make the "gruelling" trek of about one-half mile, from "base camp" to the summit, ascended an astonishing 85 (yes, it was posted: "eighty-five") feet along the journey. The summit of the Fern Hill Climb is near an historic landmark church. Successful climbers received prizes of "I Climbed Fern Hill" T-shirts.

For skilled hikers and mountain climbers the Fern Hill event is a sort of tongue-in-cheek "climb". For casual climbers and children it is some fresh air and exercise. It is hoped that this will become an annual event inspiring new community friendships and awareness of local history.

See more pictures below.

Below is a rough re-creation of the original flyer advertising the event.