Commencement Bay, Natural bay in Tacoma, Washington, United States
Commencement Bay is a saltwater bay in Tacoma, Washington, tucked between Point Defiance to the west and Browns Point to the northeast, at the southern end of Puget Sound. The Puyallup River flows into it from the south, and several smaller creeks also drain into its waters.
The bay got its name in 1841, when naval officer Charles Wilkes chose this spot to start his survey of southern Puget Sound, marking the commencement of that work. Decades later, Tacoma was chosen as the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad partly because of this natural deep-water harbor.
From the shoreline, visitors can watch large cargo ships moving in and out of the Port of Tacoma, one of the largest ports on the West Coast. The working waterfront gives the bay a character that is more industrial than recreational, which makes it feel different from most coastal areas in the region.
Several parks along the shoreline offer public access to the water for walking, fishing, and watching marine wildlife throughout the year. Some sections near the port are not open to the public, so it is worth checking access before heading to a specific spot.
The name Commencement Bay does not refer to a place or a person but to an action: Wilkes named it after the act of beginning his survey there. This makes it one of the few geographic features in the Pacific Northwest named after a moment rather than a person or a physical feature.
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