Find Bike Trail
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Find Bike Trail
Night Rider Dan's Home PageHere are some bike trails and bike routes in the Puget Sound area and beyond. (Note: This page contains information that is no longer being updated. Use the Find Bike Trail link instead for up-to-date information.)
A map for the Interurban Trail in Shoreline
Find a Trail
- This is the best place to get updated information
| Trail | Description | Length | Popularity | Area |
| 520 Trail (east) | Paved path that hugs the side of 520 from Leary Way in Redmond to NE 24th St in Bellevue, near the junction of Northup Way. Rather hilly -- the steepest section coming up from Redmond goes from 70 feet to 400 feet elevation in the first 4/10 of a mile. A few road crossings slow your average speed at 148th Ave NE, NE 51st St and NE 40th St. Planned connection to the Sammamish River trail due to be constructed in Summer 2005 -- till then use the sidewalk for 1 block. | 5.5 miles | Less | Redmond/ Bellevue |
| 520 Trail (west) | Combination of paved path and low traffic roads that hugs the side of 520 from Evergreen Point eastward to Lake Washington Boulevard. The westernmost half mile is marked as a "pedestrian path...walk bicycle" on the Bike Bellevue Map. There's a pedestrian/ bike bridge at 80th Ave over highway 520. Near the midpoint of this trail there's a nice little gravel side loop that takes you to the edge of Lake Washington in a small nature park. Connects to the Lake Washington Loop route at Lake St/ Bellevue Way. Connects to 520 trail east via Northup Way and NE 24th St. | ~2.2 miles | Less | Bellevue |
| Alki Trail & West Seattle Bridge | Short trail traces the shoreline of the Alki Peninsula, providing access to beaches, shops, restaurants and nice views of downtown Seattle and Puget Sound. Connects with the West Seattle Bridge and bike routes to downtown Seattle. | ~3 miles | Extremely | West Seattle |
| BPA Trail | Short, hilly trail in Federal Way. Connects to West Campus Trail. | 3.35 miles | Less | South King County |
| Burke-Gilman Trail | Long paved trail that winds from the north
end of Lake Washington to the edge of Ballard.
Construction is extending
this trail all the way to Golden Gardens Park - some new segments near
the Locks recently opened. Some great scenery! For a description of part
of the trail, see this
Seattle Times article. ALERT - The section of trail from Stone Way North to Phinney Avenue North will be closed during construction of the Fremont Bridge approaches, from Aug. 2005 - Feb. 2007. |
17+ miles | Extremely | Seattle to Kenmore |
| Cedar River Trail | Paved trail from Renton to Maple Valley following the Cedar River. (County website is out-of-date -- paving has extended all the way to Maple Valley!) Slight elevation gain from Renton to Maple Valley, but it's so flat it's hard to tell. | 16 miles | Somewhat | Renton to Maple Valley |
| Centennial Trail | Paved trail from Snohomish to Arlington. Great rural scenery! Will be extended to Skagit County in the future. | 25 miles | Somewhat | Snohomish/ Arlington |
| Chehalis Western Trail | Nice paved trail in south Thurston County. Intersects the Yelm-Tenino Trail. | 14.5 miles | ? | Thurston County |
| Chief Sealth Trail | Trail in south Seattle that is now being built! | 3.6 miles | N/A | South Seattle |
| Clear Creek Bike Trail | The 1.4 mile paved section of trail begins at the Silverdale Rotary Gateway Park on Silverdale Way, cuts through open space north of Waaga Way and runs along northbound S.R. 3 to the Trigger Avenue Interchange. This trail connects to the Clear Creek Trail constructed by the Clear Creek Task Force that already offers almost 5 miles of soft-surface trail through the heart of Silverdale. | 6.4 miles | ? | Silverdale |
| Cushman Powerline Trail | This non-motorized public trail runs from 14th Ave NW to the Kimball Drive Park and Ride Lot in Gig Harbor. The trail occupies the land adjacent to or under the Cushman Power line which is generally used by Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) maintenance vehicles. The Trail is a 16 foot wide paved asphalt route exclusively for non-motorized uses. A trailhead with parking for 12 cars is located at 14th Ave NW. | 2.5 miles | ? | Gig Harbor |
| Duwamish Trail & First Avenue South Bridge | Short trail that cuts through an industrial area and parallels the Duwamish River. (The website is wrong -- it is NOT 11 miles long!) Not far from the Alki Trail and the Green River Trail. | ~1.2 miles | Less | South Seattle |
| East Campus Bike Route | Gravel trail and back street combination takes the rider from just north of the Montlake Bridge (entrance on the right) behind Husky Stadium, past the UW Marina and athletic fields, through a natural area to Laurelhurst. | ~4 miles | Somewhat | Seattle |
| East Lake Sammamish Trail | There are 2 segments open so far: From the east side of Marymoor Park south to the border of the city of Sammamish, and another segment from downtown Issaquah north. Currently all sections are rocky gravel, and not suitable for road bikes. In fact they're a little tough on hybrid bike tires. Construction on the connection between the 2 trails is expected in summer 2005 on an interim gravel trail through Sammamish. | 12 miles (when complete) |
Less | East King County |
| Elliott Bay Trail | A waterfront trail with great views of the Sound that provides access to a fishing pier, the Seattle waterfront and Magnolia. The north section of the trail bends around a large imported car area, and there's even a bicycles-only overpass over some railroad tracks. The trail ends near a marina with a small rocky beach. | 1.5 miles | Rather | Downtown Seattle/ Magnolia |
| Foothills Trail | A beautiful paved trail that follows a river from McMillin to South Prairie. Extensions are under construction to the north, and planned to the south. | 10 miles (so far) | Somewhat | Pierce County |
| Fort Steilacoom Trail | A 7-mile natural surface trail and a one-mile loop wind through this park in Lakewood. | 8 miles | ? | Lakewood |
| Galloping Goose Trail | A 60-kilometer, mostly soft surface rail trail that runs from downtown Victoria westward to Sooke and up into the foothills to a small mining town. The road crossings are all well-marked, at least out to Sooke. The trail is mostly flat, though there are a few small hills here and there. Great scenery, and some wildlife viewing opportunities. Links to the Lochside Trail. (See north section of map for details on this connecting trail.) | 42 miles | Popular | Vancouver Island |
| Gate to Belmore Trail | The Gate to Belmore railroad line was acquired in 1996 by Thurston County from Burlington Northern Railroad. This corridor links the urban trail system from Tumwater at Kenneydell County Park with the south county communities of Gate and Rochester. The future 12.5 mile trail (when developed) will offer access to the Black River and runs adjacent to the Black River-Mima Prairie Glacial Heritage Preserve and Black River Natural Area just south of Littlerock. | 12.5 miles (when complete) |
N/A | Thurston County |
| Green Lake Trail | A divided trail heads counterclockwise around Green Lake. Don't expect to go very fast on a bike through here, and be ready for constant encroachment of pedestrians into the "wheels only" lane. | 2.8 miles | Extremely | North Seattle |
| Green River Trail | Hugs the Green River from Kent north to the south side of Seattle. Connects to the Interurban Trail near South Center. | ~25 miles | Popular | Kent/ Seattle |
| I-90 Trail - east end map | This convenient trail takes riders from the edge of Beacon Hill east across Lake Washington to Mercer Island and Bellevue on the edge of a floating bridge. Somewhat hilly, especially on Mercer Island. There is a long bike tunnel decorated with wall paintings going through the Mt. Baker Ridge. The eastern edge snakes through a freeway cloverleaf and deposits the cyclist in Factoria. | 13.5 miles | Somewhat | Seattle to Bellevue |
| I-90 Trail (east) | The trailhead starts a block or so west of 161st Ave just north of I-90, and the paved trail heads downhill for about a mile before it crosses the freeway with a pedestrian bridge to Newport Way. On the north side of I-90 the trail continues downhill and connects with West Lake Sammamish Parkway. The leftmost branch goes through Sunrise Neighborhood Park before hitting the parkway. | ~1.5 miles | Less | Bellevue |
| Interurban Trail (south) | Paved trail from the back of South Center to the south end of King County. Straight as an arrow and flat as a pancake. Connects with the Green River Trail. There are plans to connect with a trail through Edgewood and Milton sometime in the future. | 14 miles | Somewhat | Seattle to Pacific |
| Interurban Trail (Shoreline) - see related Map | Piecemeal trail from 145th St to 205th St. Sections are open, and others are to be constructed in the next few years. Rather flat in all sections except north of 200th. There is a trailhead under construction that says "Shoreline Interurban" at Meridian Ave & 205th St. (Last scouted in mid June, 2005.) Behind this entrance the trail roughly parallels Meridian and goes up a bit of a hill. There are a couple smaller trails that branch off to the left towards some apartments. The trail crosses 200th (turn right here and follow the bike lanes about 3-4 blocks for the next part of the trail going south) and continues on, branching to the right on a narrow paved trail that weaves between tall grass and blackberry vines to come out at 195th St. The main trail continues on, coming out on 1st Ave NE next to the graveyard near 195th St. The trail links to the Interurban Trail in Snohomish County via 76th Ave. | 3 miles (when complete) |
Somewhat | Shoreline |
| Interurban Trail (Snohomish County) | Paved trail/ bike lanes from edge of south Snohomish County all the way to Everett. A few hills but mostly pretty flat. Sometimes it seems not so much a trail but more an exercise in navigation, especially at the south end where trail signs are few and far between. Much of the "trail" is actually on streets, but most do not carry heavy traffic. Has a few tunnels and bridges as well as a few sidewalks, mainly around the Alderwood Mall area. Links to the new Interurban Trail in Shoreline at Meridian Ave & 205th St in King County. | 15.1 miles | Somewhat | Mountlake Terrace to Everett |
| Iron Horse State Park/ John Wayne Pioneer Trail | Go from Rattlesnake Lake all the way to the Columbia River on this gravel trail. Though this trail goes over Snoqualmie Pass (~3000 feet) it has a very gentle grade -- in the 19 miles to the pass you'll go up only 1100 feet. From the 2.1 mile tunnel at the Pass (bring a light, open May 1 - Oct. 31) to Easton it goes down only 400 feet in 14 miles. Connects to the Snoqualmie/North Bend/Cedar Falls Trail in the west, and the eastern end (across the Columbia River) is near the Milwaukee Road Corridor Trail (another 143 miles to the Idaho border)! During winter there is cross country skiing and snowmobiling in the highest elevations of the trail. | 110 miles | Less | East King County to Eastern WA |
| Issaquah trails | Trail map page for the city of Issaquah. Short trails that link to other trails such as the Issaquah to High Point Trail and the East Lake Sammamish Trail. (Individual trails will soon be included in this list.) | Varied | ? | Issaquah |
| Lake Washington Trail | Goes from I-90 trail in Bellevue to Renton, partially on off-road trail and some on streets. Part of the Lake Washington loop. Watch out for rough pavement near the Renton border and lots of "friendly" blackberry bushes reaching for your eyes... | 6.1 miles | Somewhat | Bellevue to Renton |
| Lake Youngs Trail (see related Map) | Unpaved trail, somewhat hilly. Although "Lake" is in the title of this, don't expect to see Lake Youngs. It's part of the Seattle water system and is far enough behind a chainlink fence that you're unlikely to even get a glimpse of it. Near the Soos Creek Trail. | 9 miles | Less | South King County |
| Lochside Trail | Partially soft surface trail that winds its way down the Saanich Peninsula towards Victoria. Nice pastoral scenes, some sharing of the trail in sections with cars or tractors. Connects with the Galloping Goose Trail and the ferries to Anacortes, Vancouver or the Gulf Islands.. | 21 miles | Somewhat | Vancouver Island |
| Montlake Bike Path | A short little connection trail that bypasses the busy Montlake Blvd intersection with 520. Duck your head when you go under the 520 bridge! | ~0.5 miles | Somewhat | Seattle |
| North Creek Trail | Parts of this trail exist, and parts are in the planning stages. Connects to the Sammamish River Trail, and heads up past Cascadia College. Eventually will connect to the Interurban Trail near Everett. | ~10 miles? | ? | Bothell to Everett |
| Olympic Discovery Trail | Half paved, half dirt trail that goes from Port Angeles to Sequim, with a disconnected 4-mile section in Port Townsend. Some up and down elevation and a couple of potential places to get lost. Waterfront scenery in Port Angeles (watch for overamorous raccoons!), and rural/ suburban surroundings near Sequim (try the taco truck at a trail crossing for a quick lunch). A fun and challenging trail, but it's much faster (though less enjoyable) to ride on Highway 101. At places it is a routefinding challenge, so bring a trail map! | 29 miles completed, 150 total planned from Forks to Port Townsend | Popular | Olympic Peninsula |
| Preston-Snoqualmie Trail | Paved trail, mostly flat but a rather big hill when descending/ ascending from Preston/ Fall City Road. There's a nice view of Snoqualmie Falls at the end of the trail, but unfortunately there's not yet a paved connection to the city of Snoqualmie. (One alternative is to try some of the dirt trails on the south side of the trail that connect to the Snoqualmie Ridge housing development. Be nice to the hikers!) | 6 miles | Less | East King County |
| Puyallup River Levee Trail | Undeveloped trail between 11th Street in Tacoma and the western city limits of Puyallup. | 7 miles | ? | Tacoma to Puyallup |
| Sammamish River Trail | Paved trail from Bothell to Redmond following the Sammamish Slough. Great views of Mt. Rainier southbound. Goes near a winery and brewery in Woodinville. Connects with the Burke-Gilman Trail at Blythe Park, the East Lake Sammamish Trail in Marymoor Park, Redmond Town Center trail near the 1-mile mark, the Powerline Trail near the 2-mile mark and several gravel/ dirt trails. Separate trail for horse riders from Redmond to Woodinville. ALERT - Bridge replacement on NE 116th St may cause occasional detours for bike trail traffic. | 10 miles | Very | Northeast King County |
| Seattle Waterfront Trail | Wending its way under the Alaskan Way viaduct, this pedestrian lane is also suitable for bikes but be prepared to stop for walkers and frequent vehicle crossings. Connects to the Elliott Bay Trail in the north, and to bike lanes heading south to the West Seattle Bridge and Alki Trail.. | ~2 miles | Popular | Downtown Seattle |
| Seward Park Trails | 2.4 miles of shoreline paved trail and 3.3 miles of dirt trails wend their way through 300 acres of trees that includes some old growth forest. | 5.7 miles | ? | South Seattle |
| Ship Canal/ Lake Union Trail | South of its big brother (the Burke-Gilman Trail), the Ship Canal Trail runs from the Fremont Bridge west along the canal near Seattle Pacific University, and east/ south beside Lake Union. This trail is a glorified sidewalk for much of its length near the lake. The part near the bridge will be closed for construction till 2008. The missing link connecting this trail to the Ballard Bridge will be constructed soon. (Though trail signage won't tell you this.) | ~1.5 miles | Somewhat | Seattle |
| Snoqualmie Ridge Trails | Dirt hiking trails that provide a connection between the Preston-Snoqualmie Trail and the trail route to Snoqualmie Pass. Mountain bikes are allowed - be nice to the hikers! | Vary | Somewhat | Snoqualmie Ridge |
| Snoqualmie Valley Trail | Gravel/ dirt trail from Duvall to near town of Snoqualmie. Great rural scenery and opportunities to see wildlife (I once saw river otters.) Mostly flat. Part of trail near Fall City was washed out in March 2005 so may be closed. Connects to Snoqualmie/North Bend/Cedar Falls Trail via a mile or so of back roads. | 36 miles | Less | East King County |
| Soos Creek Trail | Nice short paved trail winds through a natural area. Mostly flat though there are a couple of short hills. Near Lake Youngs trail. Quite a few walkers, not so many bikers. | 4 miles | Popular | South King County |
| Tommy Thompson Trail | Paved trail in Anacortes that hugs the water, and provides a nice alternative to riding up Highway 20. | 3.3 miles | Somewhat | Anacortes |
| Unnamed Capitol Hill trail | This short little paved connector links Melrose Ave to Lakeview Ave. | 0.2 miles | Less | Seattle |
| West Campus Trail | Short trail in Federal Way, connects to the BPA Trail | ~1 mile | ? | Federal Way |
|
Willapa Hills Trail (map) |
Winding its way from Chehalis to South Bend, this trail visits some remote wooded and rural scenery and a few small towns. The trail is paved from South Bend to Raymond, and is primitive after that. The surface varies from dirt to rough gravel, and at times is difficult to ride on. Even the so-called "improved" section from Pe Ell to Dryad has moments of rough gravel in the mix. The approximately 10 bridges in the unimproved section are passable though you will have to walk your bike across carefully on many of them, taking care not to fall through the 1-foot gaps between railroad ties. In the improved section the bridges are paved and have railings. The only services from Raymond to the mid-section of the trail are at Pe Ell. Bring plenty of water and food! Highway 6 is usually nearby, though sometimes not easily accessible. [Note: Reviewer rode trail from milepost 53 in Raymond to milepost 20 near Dryad.] | 56 miles | Deserted | Chehalis to South Bend |
| Yelm-Tenino Trail | Nicely flat paved rail-trail in south Thurston County that takes in some rural scenery. Intersects the Chehalis Western Trail. Separate trail for horse riders. Annoying trail gates to navigate at every road or driveway crossing. | 13.5 miles | Somewhat | Thurston County |
King County Trail Survey Results
More trails and more detail soon to come...
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