Lake Sammamish Trail

A really long flat walk along the Lake Sammamish Trail

Hike Length: 13 miles

Elevation Gain: 0'

Hike Difficulty: Strenuous

Revised 9/20/2021

The Lake Sammamish trail provides a long level hike along the east shore of Lake Sammamish. The trail has a foot friendly gravel surface, for now (unfortunately, there are plans to pave it) and is located away from roads much of its length. Because of the high mileage, this hike is best for fast walkers or joggers.

Lake Sammamish from Marymoor Park (photo credit: Kayamon @ en.wikipedia)

Getting There & Back

From Seattle, ride Sound Transit 554 to downtown Issaquah at Sunset Way and Rainier Boulevard.

At the end of the hike, Sound Transit 545 can take you from Redmond Library on NE 85th Street back to Seattle.

Use TOTAGO to get round-trip transit directions, plus offline trail maps if you download the app:

East Lake Sammamish Trail on Totago.

The Hike

From the downtown Issaquah bus stop, walk west on Sunset to Front Street, then north on Front to NW Dogwood Street. West west on Dogwood a few paces, then go north on Rainier Boulevard. Follow Rainier to Gilman Boulevard and cross it. There you will ind the start of the Lake Sammamish Trail. The first two miles of the trail are arrow-straight and uninteresting. Once the lake is reached, however, the trail livens up a bit. Here, the trail follows a curvy route squeezed between the backyards of houses, many quite luxurious and large, and private property along the lake shore. Unfortunately, there is no access to the lake itself, but at least you get some occasional vistas out over the water.

Beyond the north end of the lake, follow the new connector trail into Marymoor Park. Cross all the way through the park to the west entrance. Follow the Sammamish River Trail north to NE 85th St, where Sound Transit buses can be picked up next to the King County Redmond Library, which is a nice place to visit while waiting for your bus. Buses to Seattle can also be found at the downtown Redmond Park and Ride.