TRAILBEAR AT THE NORTH END: Burke-Gilman Trail facilities survey


Mid July find the TrailBear surveying the upper Burke-Gilman Trail (BGT). This is one of Seattle’s more popular trails, but you would not know it from the TrailLink page. The page has four pictures and reviews from seven years back. Worse, the TL map is missing a number of facilities.

Step One is always the on-line search. TB checked out the maps from the various sources. They do not agree. It ends here. It ends there. It runs here, but it also runs there. Which trail goes where?

He looked at the TrailLink map. The BGT appears to be upslope of the BGT along the river. Huh? He parked at the Sammamish River Park and started riding. Soon he determined that Google Earth has mislabeled the Sammanish River Trail at this point the Burke Gilman Trail – at least according to the signs the trail manager has placed.

The trail along the river in Bothell is the Sammamish River Trail. It crosses the river on a wooden bridge at 47.752296° x -122.209970°, climbs uphill and T-bones into the Burke-Gilman as it crosses the Sammamish River on a handsome trestle bridge further downstream. Beyond that junction the trail is signed “Burke Gilman Trail.”

Turn left at the trail junction, cross the trestle bridge and see where this trail goes. It goes to a sudden end where it turns into sidewalk at the …


NORTH TRAIL END, GE: N47.75660 W122.20525

There is a sign noting the end of the trail and the blacktop turns to concrete. It would appear that the BG right of way is now East Riverside Drive. Not much action here. No trailhead, no parking lot, no facilities. Take a photo or two and head back down the trail to a rather attractive trailhead by the bridge called …


BLYTH PARK, GE: N47.75082 W122.20839

This park offers parking, restrooms with a bike rack, water fountain, picnic shelter and more. The end of the Tolt Pipeline Trail (for mountain bikers) is here. You can use the park to stage for the BGT, but most folks are down on the river in the Sammamish River Park (parking only) or the Bothell Landing Park (water, restrooms, parking, old school house, etc.). They ride that little bit of the Sammamish River Trail up to the BGT and onward. If you want a quiet and attractive trailhead, here it is.

We are going to rewind and go back up the river to Sammamish River Park and do the ride the way most folks do it. Back to …


SAMMAMISH RIVER PARK, GE: N47.75834 W122.20392

Not much here aside from a large gravel parking lot and an info kiosk. If you head upstream there is an exercise circuit along the trail. You want to hang a left and head downstream. There are better facilities at the …


BOTHELL LANDING PARK, GE: N47.75811 W122.20845

In a mere tenth of a mile you come to a charming arched wooden bridge over the sluggish Sammamish. It leads to Bothell Landing Park and much better facilities than at Sammamish River Park. There is water, flushies, parking, tables, a historical museum, the original school house with big bronze bell and more. Not a bad choice for a trailhead. Back over the bridge and ride on to the …


JUNCTION OF THE BGT AND SAMMAMISH RIVER TRAILS, GE: N47.75036 W122.21083

Take a right and head for the 96th Ave. underpass. It dumps you out at golf course parking lot. Now the trail runs alongside Bothell Way for roughly 2.5 miles to …


LOG BOOM PARK, GE: N47.75771 W122.26345

The Log Boom Park in Kenmore is an attractive lakeside and trailside park. TrailBear remembers Back When there were actual log booms here. It was a booming ground then. Logs were made up into rafts and towed down lake to the mill. Now it’s a park. Lot of bikies stopping in or staging from here.

The park offers restrooms, water, parking, a history walk, tot lot a fishing pier and a nice rest area with tables down by the water. The ladies loo is unusual: There is an interesting wall of ceramic art outside it. The mens’ loo got left out.

As a trailhead, the park may be too popular – at least in summer. TB found the parking lot almost full on a July Friday afternoon. The sun was out. Probably more room if it’s raining. If you are coming on a sunny summer day, come early.

One nice feature, never before seen on other trails in five western states: They have a Rest Room thataway sign up on the trail. Nice idea. While the ride along Bothell Way was mostly open, you now have some shade ahead. Your destination is the …


FISH FOUNTAIN WAYSIDE, GE: N47.75333 W122.27652

Half the fun of trail survey is finding new things around the next bend. Here is one now. Where the trail crosses Ballinger Way at Bothell Way (across from the mall) there is a shaded wayside with tables, benches, a brook and a fish fountain. Yes, it’s a stock fountain, but there is a large concrete fish draped across the upright, watching you drink. Check it out in the photo section. It’s whimsical public art.

Across the street from the fish fountain is a mall that would make a nice commercial trailhead: Lake Forest Park Towne Centre. The spelling shows that “it got class”. (TB likes “Ritz Pointe” – a flossy development in Monarch Beach. The name says it all. It got class, too.)

Now the trail stays mostly in shade, always welcome on a hot July day. It runs under the bluff and has views of the backs of the homes that have the lakefront view. There is an occasional rare spot where you can see more than a peek-a-boo view of the lake until you reach …


MATTHEWS BEACH PARK, GE: N47.69611 W122.27412

Its 5.5 miles from Log Boom to the beach. The exit is well signed. Get off the trail at the handy Rest Rooms thataway sign, turn right and head up that knoll. This puts you at the very top of the picnic area with a selection of tables, benches with views of the lake and a good view of the tot lot below. The facilities are below, but you can stay far above the madding crowd, if desired.

If the TrailBear thought Log Boom was crowded, he should have waited until Matthews Beach. Zoo! It has a larger parking lot and it was full, full, full. TB had to circle, along with the others, waiting for a spot to open.

It has a swimming beach and was full of kids and families trying to lose that NorthWet fish belly white color and replace it with something pink or red. It has restrooms with showers (changing room for kiddies), water, a beach, picnic area and crowds and urchins underfoot. However, the BGT is just up the road, crossing Sand Pt Way on a small bridge (first one since the Sammamish River).

If you are going on ahead, the next stop is the former Sand Pt. Naval Air Station, then the descent to the University of Washington. The BGT is following the original shoreline of Lake Washington before they built the locks and lowered the lake.

Those playing fields and parking lots and such to the north of Husky Stadium are the remains of the former Montlake Dump. TrailBear remembers them well: Full of seagulls dining. They filled in a marsh, which today would have you hung in the public square.

< http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Bay_Natural_Area>

From there the trail goes to Gas Works Park, then to the gap at Salmon Bay. It starts again at the Locks and heads to the trail end at Shilshole Marina.


Ride on!

TrailBear
Heading back for his dinner.

"I'm 47-years-old fitness/training roller skater. I did this trail for 3 hrs 10 min. I will not find anything to even compare to this trail with respect to scenery any time soon.

The Sammamish River portion has a grainy asphalt surface, so softer wheels could make it easier to handle. My 80mm 78A did a very good job for me, although I doubt I can use them again.

Seattle drivers were very nice as well as numerous bikers on the trail."

"This trail is wide, smooth, scenic and highly varied in sights. In some ways, we found it more fun than the nearby San Juan Islands (although they provide an entirely different--read that ""roller-coaster"") ride. The entire northwest near Seattle and the Vancouver, B.C. areas provide many good biking trails and spectacularl sightseeing. "