Lake Union Loop

Walk around Lake Union on the Cheshiahud Trail

Hike Length: 6 miles

Elevation Gain: 100 feet

Hike Difficulty: moderate

Map: Seattle street map

Updated 1/9/2018

The 6 mile loop hike around Lake Union is destined to become an urban classic. The City of Seattle has named the route after Cheshiahud, a chief of the Duwamish Tribe who guided settlers to Lake Union in the late 1800's. The lake remains an major aquatic destination today. Boat lovers, your ship has come in with this hike! All kinds of watercraft are to be seen here, from dinghies to large ocean-going ships. Also, you can take a peek at neighborhoods of Seattle's famous houseboats that ride the swells of Lake Union. The route avoids most busy streets using a combination of boardwalks, alleys, driveways, and minor streets. Numerous "street end parks", green spaces built where streets end at the lake shore, provide places to take a break. The vista of downtown Seattle from Gasworks Park is one of the best in the area.

Gasworks Park on Lake Union (photo by Joe Mabel, Wikimedia Commons)

Getting There

From downtown Seattle, you can take the newest form of transportation in the area, the Seattle Streetcar. Get off at the Valley Street stop near the Center for Wooden Boats.

The Hike

A counter-clockwise itinerary is suggested here for no good reason. The Cheshiahud Trail is now well marked with signs that help with navigation on the sometime complicated route of the trail

From the streetcar stop on Valley, head right (east). Take the time to visit the Center for Wooden Boats, a fascinating working museum where the art and craft of wooden boat building and repair is kept alive.

From here, the walking route passes docks where expensive yachts may be purchased. Restaurants line the piers and the landward side. Beyond the restaurant row, you must walk along busy Fairview, but only briefly. A section of floating boardwalk (the Fairview Walkway) takes you near the water for a bit.

After the boardwalk, Fairview turns north and becomes a quiet minor street. You pass a NOAA facility where large ships are docked, then enter a residential area. A flotilla of Seattle's famous, quirky houseboats occupies much of the shore of the lake here.

At Roanoke, the walking route is forced away from the shore by a condo development. The route weaves through various streets and alleys; fortunately signs direct you through this confusing stretch. Soon the waterfront walking resumes on another intact piece of Fairview Avenue.

The looming structure of the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge greets you as you approach the north end of Lake Union. The walking route passes underneath the bridge, then crosses the lake on the University Bridge. At the north end of the bridge, walk down steps to the shoulder of 40th street. Cross the street and walk underneath the University Bridge, where there is an ugly piece of public art called the "Wall of Death" and the paved Burke-Gilman Trail, a popular bike and walking route.

Follow the Burke-Gilman Trail westbound. In about a mile, you arrive at Gasworks Park, the largest park on the loop hike.

Houseboats on Lake Union (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The rusty remains of the old gasworks forms a dramatic centerpiece in the park's great expanse of lawn. Be sure to explore a bit here; the view of downtown Seattle is incredible from the waterfront trail and atop the Kite Hill.

From Gasworks Park, continue hiking the Burke-Gilman Trail to the colorful neighborhood of Fremont, which features many shops and restaurants. The trail eventually reaches the Fremont Bridge, where steel steps allow you to ascend to the bridge deck.

Cross the Fremont Bridge to continue the hike. At the south end of the bridge, descend steps to a waterside driveway next to a row of funky homes. Soon the driveway smoothly transitions to a wide walkway that travels along a continuous strip of waterfront businesses and restaurants. Nearby Westlake Avenue is busy but it is well-separated from your path by parking lots and landscaping.

This well-groomed sidewalk, popular with joggers and walkers, takes you all the way to the south end of Lake Union. At Lake Union Park, you can cross Waterway 3 on a pedestrian bridge. Explore the expanse of Lake Union Park, then continue on to the Center for Wooden Boats, where the loop hike ends.

South Lake Union Trolley (photo from wikimedia commons)

Getting Back

From the Center for Wooden Boats, take the Seattle Streetcar back to downtown Seattle.