Point Defiance and Tahlequah Ferry Terminals: Parking, Directions, Bikes & Busy Times

WA Ferry Tracker › Point Defiance and Tahlequah Ferry Terminals

	Point Defiance (Tacoma)	Tahlequah (Vashon)
Address	5810 North Pearl Street, Tacoma, WA 98405, inside the Point Defiance Park area	Vashon Hwy SW & SW Tahlequah Rd, at the south end of Vashon Island, where Vashon Highway ends
Ferries	Point Defiance ⇄ Tahlequah, about a 15-minute crossing. One boat runs the route. WSF's fall 2026 schedule lists the 64-car M/V Chetzemoka
Reservations	None. Cars load first come, first served
Tickets	All fares are collected here, for the round trip	None sold. No WSF staff are based here
Walk-on boarding	Via the dock and car deck (no overhead loading, no elevator)	Via the dock and car deck
Facilities	Waiting room and restrooms. No food at the terminal	No waiting room, no restrooms
Parking	Lot to the left of the terminal, run by Tacoma's park district	King County Metro Park & Ride next to the dock
Transit	Pierce Transit Route 11 to downtown Tacoma	King County Metro routes 118 and 119

Why you only pay in Tacoma

On this route, WSF collects every fare at Point Defiance, going to the island. Nothing is sold at Tahlequah. In fact, WSDOT says there's no staff at Tahlequah at all: the terminal workers arrive on the boat each time it lands. Drivers and motorcyclists buy a round trip at Point Defiance, and walk-ons and cyclists ride free from Tahlequah back to Tacoma.

That has two practical effects. If you start on Vashon, you can just get in line at Tahlequah and ride. And the Point Defiance tollbooth is where everyone gets processed, so a long line of cars at the booth can build up even when the boat itself isn't full. Riders under 19 travel free on WSF. A prepaid Wave2Go ticket speeds up the booth, but WSDOT notes it doesn't guarantee you a spot on the boat.

Driving to Point Defiance

WSDOT's route from I-5 is to take exit 132 onto SR 16 west. After about 3 miles, take the 6th Avenue exit, which is signed for the Vashon ferry. Turn left on 6th Avenue, then right at the next light onto SR 163 (Pearl Street), and head north about 3.5 miles. At the stop sign at the Point Defiance Park entrance, stay in the right lane and bear right. Don't drive into the park. The auto toll plaza is about a block farther on the right, and the terminal is at the end of the street.

Pearl Street is the only real way in, and the holding lanes sit right where park traffic comes and goes. On sunny weekends, expect some extra traffic from zoo, beach and park visitors near the entrance. Check the WSDOT terminal cameras before you leave so you can see how long the line is.

Tall vehicles: the 13'6" limit

This is the detail that catches RV and box-truck drivers. WSDOT says the overhead wires on the approach to the terminal and at the terminal are only 13 feet 6 inches high, so anything taller can't reach the dock, even though the boat itself has more room. WSF's usual rule also applies here: trucks over 80,000 lbs gross or wider than 8'6" need travel approval before they cross.

Drop-off and parking at Point Defiance

To drop off a walk-on, WSDOT says to continue past the tollbooth in the left lane to the Marina parking area. A bus stop next to the dock works as a temporary drop-off point. Don't leave a car there.

WSF doesn't run a lot here. WSDOT says Metropolitan Park Services (Tacoma's park district) handles the parking next to the terminal, which sits to the left of the terminal building. The lot is shared with the park and marina, so it can be busy on nice days. Rules and any fees are posted on site, so check the signs before you leave a car for the day.

Walking on

Point Defiance has a waiting room and restrooms, but no overhead walkway or elevator. Walk-ons buy a ticket at the passenger booth and then board across the dock and the car deck. For walk-ons who need step-free access, that's actually simpler than an overhead ramp. On the boat, the Chetzemoka has an elevator from the car deck to the passenger decks. If you're driving and need to park near that elevator, tell the ticket seller when you arrive. The terminal has no food service, but WSF lists a galley on the boat for fall 2026, with a limited menu and card payment only during daytime hours.

If you're new to walking on, our walk-on passenger guide covers tickets, when to arrive and what to do with luggage.

Bikes, motorcycles and carpools

Bikes at Point Defiance: skip the car line and ride down to the lower dock. You buy your ticket at the lower booth. Arrive about 20 minutes before the sailing to board first. If you arrive after cars start loading, you board at the end. There are no bike racks, just two Pierce Transit bike lockers.
Bikes at Tahlequah: no ticket needed, and you can bypass the car line. The same 20-minute advice applies, and there are no racks.
Motorcycles at Point Defiance: traffic permitting, you can use the local access lanes to bypass the holding lanes and pay at the booth on the dock. If you come through the upper tollbooth, you're told to leave the holding lanes and go down to the lower dock across from the passenger booth. Large groups check in at the upper tollbooth, and if the boat is unloading, wait before you go to the holding area. Loading order is bikes, then motorcycles, then cars, then any late motorcycles.
Motorcycles at Tahlequah: go to the front of the holding lanes. You won't pay, because your round trip was bought in Tacoma.
Carpools and vanpools get preferential loading if they're ticketed and in line 10 minutes before the sailing.

At Tahlequah

Tahlequah is about as simple as a WSF terminal gets: a dock, holding lanes where Vashon Highway ends and a Park & Ride lot next door. There's no waiting room and no restrooms, so walk-ons wait outside. Bring a layer in winter and plan restroom stops in Vashon town or on the boat. Because no one sells tickets there, getting off and back on is quick.

King County Metro routes 118 and 119 serve the Tahlequah ferry, connecting up the island toward Vashon town. Service is limited, especially on weekends, so check Metro's current schedule before you count on a bus to meet the boat. If you're continuing to Seattle, it's usually a drive or bus up the island to the north-end ferry. Our Vashon and Southworth terminals guide covers that dock and its passenger boats to downtown Seattle.

Buses to Point Defiance

Pierce Transit Route 11 runs between Commerce Street Station in downtown Tacoma and the Point Defiance Ferry Terminal by way of the Proctor area. It runs roughly hourly on weekdays, with weekend service as well. Youth 18 and under ride Pierce Transit free. Check Pierce Transit for current times, because the bus and boat schedules aren't coordinated.

When the boats fill up

WSDOT's fall 2026 best-times chart for this route shows a clear commuter pattern:

Leaving Point Defiance: early-morning commute boats are often full Monday to Thursday and sometimes on Friday. Weekend mornings are unlikely to fill. There's a midday gap in the weekday schedule, and the first boat after it is likely to be full Monday to Thursday and often full Friday to Sunday. Mid-afternoon boats are often full too. Evening sailings, from about 7:30 p.m. on, are unlikely to fill.
Leaving Tahlequah: weekday boats from about 8 a.m. through late morning are often full. Early to late afternoon is often full as well, and a few sailings, including Wednesday afternoons, are marked likely full. Weekends are mostly "sometimes full." Boats from about 7 p.m. on are unlikely to fill.

With only one 64-car boat shuttling back and forth, missing a sailing means waiting for its next round trip. If you're flexible, an evening trip, or a weekend morning from Tacoma, is the safest bet. Our guide to avoiding ferry waits explains how to read these charts for every route.

Low tides and maintenance

The south end of Vashon can see very low tides, and the WSF schedule for this route includes a "Vashon low tides" notice. During periods of extreme low tide, WSDOT says it may not allow vehicles with less than 14 inches of ground clearance to travel to or from Vashon. This mostly affects lowered cars, some trailers and long-overhang RVs. Check WSF rider alerts if you're unsure.

WSDOT's terminal maintenance list in fall 2026 includes dolphin (the pilings that guide the boat in) repairs at both Point Defiance and Tahlequah, plus new holding-lane cameras and crosswalk repairs at Tahlequah. Work like this can occasionally slow loading or close part of a dock, and WSF announces it in rider alerts.

While you wait at Point Defiance

The terminal sits at the edge of Point Defiance Park, Tacoma's large waterfront park, home to the zoo and aquarium, Owen Beach, gardens, forest trails and Five Mile Drive. The marina and a waterfront restaurant are right by the dock, and the Dune Peninsula park is just to the east. If you've got time before a sailing, a short walk along the water beats sitting in the car. Park and attraction hours vary, so check Parks Tacoma before planning around them.

Lost something?

Items found on this route are held at the Point Defiance terminal for 30 days. Call (206) 515-3439 or email WSFLost_Found@wsdot.wa.gov, weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. WSF's general information line is (206) 464-6400.

FAQ

Do you pay for the ferry from Tahlequah to Point Defiance?

No. On this route WSF collects all fares at Point Defiance, going to Vashon. Drivers and motorcyclists pay for a round trip in Tacoma, and walk-ons and cyclists ride free from Tahlequah back to Point Defiance. No tickets are sold at Tahlequah.

How do I get to the Point Defiance ferry terminal?

From I-5, take exit 132 to SR 16 west, then the 6th Avenue exit (signed Vashon ferry). Turn left on 6th Avenue and right onto SR 163 (Pearl Street), then go north about 3.5 miles. At the park entrance stop sign, bear right without entering the park. The toll plaza is a block ahead on the right.

Where do I park for the Point Defiance ferry?

WSDOT says the parking next to the terminal, to the left of the building, is managed by Tacoma's park district (Metropolitan Park Services), not WSF. Check the posted signs for rules and any fees. For drop-offs, continue past the tollbooth in the left lane to the Marina parking area.

Is there a height limit at the Point Defiance ferry?

Yes. WSDOT says overhead wires on the approach and at the terminal are only 13 feet 6 inches high, so taller vehicles can't reach the dock. During extreme low tides, vehicles with less than 14 inches of ground clearance may not be allowed to travel to or from Vashon.

Are there restrooms at the Tahlequah ferry terminal?

No. Tahlequah has no waiting room and no restrooms, and no WSF staff are based there. Point Defiance has a waiting room and restrooms, and the boat has restrooms on board.

When is the Point Defiance–Tahlequah ferry busiest?

In WSDOT's fall 2026 chart, weekday commute-hour boats leaving Point Defiance in the early morning, the first sailing after the weekday midday gap, and weekday late-morning and afternoon boats leaving Tahlequah fill most often. Evening sailings in both directions are unlikely to fill.

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Sources

Independent guide, not affiliated with Washington State Ferries or WSDOT. Schedules, fares and rules change by season, so confirm on wsdot.wa.gov before you travel. Last updated November 5, 2026.