Explore the best rated trails in Federal Way, WA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Pigeon Creek Trail and Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop. With more than 62 trails covering 4457 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The highly urban Seattle Waterfront Pathway is a continuation of the Elliot Bay Trail and carries on south from Broad Street south to South Royal Brougham Way. The trail parallels Alaskan Way along...
Snoqualimie's half-mile, paved trail runs parallel to railroad tracks and SR 202 through downtown. The scenic trail provides a nice break for a short walk or ride. The city's trail also meets...
The scenic Soundview Trail runs along and through the Chambers Bay public golf course—site of the U.S. Open in 2015—within Pierce County's Chambers Creek Regional Park. The 2-mile trail links at both...
The Soos Creek Trail travels through heavily wooded forest on a north-south route spanning the eastern edge of the Seattle suburb of Kent. Following the path of its namesake creek, the trail begins...
True to its name, the Cross Kirkland Corridor traverses the city for nearly six miles, connecting eight neighborhoods, four major business districts, more than a dozen parks, and several public...
The Sammamish River Trail rolls along smoothly through a wide, scenic greenway that's home to riverside parks and farms, as well as a growing wine industry. The trail is the center link of the Seattle...
The Des Moines Creek Trail offers a nice connection between the south side of Seattle and the waterfront community of Des Moines on Puget Sound. The paved trail begins just south of the Seattle-Tacoma...
The Meadowbrook Trail is one of many trails within the Meadowbrook Farm Preserve. The Farm, a park on what oral tradition holds as the birthplace of the Snoqualmie Tribe extends between the cities of...
The Grandview Trail runs in a straight line for more than a mile on the eastern edge of Pierce County's Chambers Creek Regional Park. The trail appropriately never strays too far from Grandview...
When complete, the Sound to Olympics Trail will extend across Kitsap County to link two Washington State regional trail systems: the Mountains to Sound Greenway to the Olypmic Discovery...
The West Campus Trail provides access from the BPA Trail to Federal Way's West Campus medical centers. The short trail also offers the many surrounding neighborhoods a safe off-street connection to...
Suburban sprawl gives way to deep forest and rural farm lots as this rail-trail follows an uphill grade from Issaquah to the outskirts of Preston. The Issaquah–Preston Trail is among a group of trails...
The Interurban Trail (South) connects several towns south of Seattle along the historic route of the Puget Sound Electric Railway. The trolley ran between Tacoma and Seattle from 1902 to 1928, falling...
The delightful Ruston Way Path sits in the Old Town neighborhood of northern Tacoma. Its linear, flat and paved nature make it a cinch for all travelers and it offers lovely views of Commencement Bay,...
Meandering down a Bonneville Power Administration overhead electric utility corridor, the BPA Trail serves as a connector between Celebration Park and the downtown areas of Federal Way with its...
The North Creek Trail links the cities of Bothell, Mill Creek and Everett, as well as the communities in between. The trail also provides access to the Sammamish River Trail, which connects to the...
This paved trail sits on the north side of Snoqualmie Parkway, beginning at Railroad Avenue/ SR 202 and continuing for over three miles a dead-end at 96th Street. The trail travels through the scenic...
The Pigeon Creek Trail runs along an operating port terminal and users of the trail are are protected from the secured industrial terminal by a fence, which runs along side the trail. You will...
Elliott Bay offers trail users the opportunity to enjoy art, history, and a wide variety of outdoor activities in a beautiful waterfront setting. Myrtle Edwards Park is adjacent to the Olympic...
The Ebey Waterfront Trail offers visitors a front seat to both nature and history. Beginning at Ebey Waterfront Park, the wide, blacktop trail stretches nearly two miles along Ebey Slough before...
Snoqualimie's half-mile, paved trail runs parallel to railroad tracks and SR 202 through downtown. The scenic trail provides a nice break for a short walk or ride. The city's trail also meets...
Elliott Bay offers trail users the opportunity to enjoy art, history, and a wide variety of outdoor activities in a beautiful waterfront setting. Myrtle Edwards Park is adjacent to the Olympic...
The Scott Pierson Trail runs parallel to State Route 16 for most of its journey from 25th Street in Tacoma to 24th Street on the southern edge of Gig Harbor. The 5-mile trail is a safe and convenient...
Spanning nearly 19 miles between Seattle and Bothell, the Burke-Gilman Trail is as much a thoroughfare for commuting to work and the University of Washington as it is a staple for social recreation...
The Interurban Trail (South) connects several towns south of Seattle along the historic route of the Puget Sound Electric Railway. The trolley ran between Tacoma and Seattle from 1902 to 1928, falling...
The Soos Creek Trail travels through heavily wooded forest on a north-south route spanning the eastern edge of the Seattle suburb of Kent. Following the path of its namesake creek, the trail begins...
The Rainier Trail brings trail users from the 11-mile East Lake Sammamish Trail south through downtown Issaquah. The paved trail provides access to a number of recreational, cultural and civic...
The Coal Creek Trail offers trail users a wealth of coal history, fitness, and nature in a forested fish and wildlife habitat, with interpretive signs that highlight the relics to be found along the...
This paved trail sits on the north side of Snoqualmie Parkway, beginning at Railroad Avenue/ SR 202 and continuing for over three miles a dead-end at 96th Street. The trail travels through the scenic...
The West Campus Trail provides access from the BPA Trail to Federal Way's West Campus medical centers. The short trail also offers the many surrounding neighborhoods a safe off-street connection to...
Scenic and interesting are uncommon terms used to describe a trail alongside a busy freeway, but the I-90 Trail in Washington is different. The trail begins in the west in Seattle and runs for 10...
The Alki Trail rides along the northern and eastern shore of West Seattle along Alki Avenue. Largely riding on a widened sidewalk, separated from traffic by a parking lane and curb, traffic on the...
Located in the Cascade foothills near the town of Gold Bar, the Wallace Falls Railway Trail (Railroad Grade) climbs 2.5 miles to meet a separate, 1.5-mile riverside ascent to Wallace Falls. The...
The Meadowbrook Trail is one of many trails within the Meadowbrook Farm Preserve. The Farm, a park on what oral tradition holds as the birthplace of the Snoqualmie Tribe extends between the cities of...
The Grandview Trail runs in a straight line for more than a mile on the eastern edge of Pierce County's Chambers Creek Regional Park. The trail appropriately never strays too far from Grandview...
The Thea Foss Waterway Esplanade begins at Thea's Park along Tacoma's eastern waterfront. The park offers access to the water for fishing, swimming, boating, and wildlife viewing (harbor seals and sea...
The Cedar River Trail follows the old Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad corridor on a straight, flat shot out of the sprawling Seattle metro area and into the rural...
Renton's Springbrook Trail is a good spot for a relaxed walk surrounded by nature in the heart of an urban district. The trail exists in two segments: the north segment begins in Black River Riparian...
The Sammamish River Trail rolls along smoothly through a wide, scenic greenway that's home to riverside parks and farms, as well as a growing wine industry. The trail is the center link of the Seattle...
The Chief Sealth Trail runs northsouth along Seattle's southeast side between S. Ferdinand Street at Beacon Avenue S. and S. Gazelle Street at 51st Avenue S. The paved trail provides access to...
Meandering down a Bonneville Power Administration overhead electric utility corridor, the BPA Trail serves as a connector between Celebration Park and the downtown areas of Federal Way with its...
The Des Moines Creek Trail offers a nice connection between the south side of Seattle and the waterfront community of Des Moines on Puget Sound. The paved trail begins just south of the Seattle-Tacoma...
Spanning nearly 19 miles between Seattle and Bothell, the Burke-Gilman Trail is as much a thoroughfare for commuting to work and the University of Washington as it is a staple for social recreation...
The Puyallup Riverwalk Trail traces the tree-lined shoreline in northern Puyallup, a few miles southeast of Tacoma. The paved pathway consists of two completed segments with about a mile of...
Suburban sprawl gives way to deep forest and rural farm lots as this rail-trail follows an uphill grade from Issaquah to the outskirts of Preston. The Issaquah–Preston Trail is among a group of trails...
The delightful Ruston Way Path sits in the Old Town neighborhood of northern Tacoma. Its linear, flat and paved nature make it a cinch for all travelers and it offers lovely views of Commencement Bay,...
The Tolt Pipeline Trail serves as a major connection between Duvall, Washington, and the Sammamish River in Bothell. The trail follows a water pipeline right-of-way and is not recommended for all...
The Pigeon Creek Trail runs along an operating port terminal and users of the trail are are protected from the secured industrial terminal by a fence, which runs along side the trail. You will...
The Thea Foss Waterway Esplanade begins at Thea's Park along Tacoma's eastern waterfront. The park offers access to the water for fishing, swimming, boating, and wildlife viewing (harbor seals and sea...
The 14-mile Yelm-Tenino Trail travels through the rural towns of Yelm, Rainier, and Tenino on a paved route through agricultural areas, forests, and wetlands. Commuters can access Olympia, Lacey, and...
The West Campus Trail provides access from the BPA Trail to Federal Way's West Campus medical centers. The short trail also offers the many surrounding neighborhoods a safe off-street connection to...
The Meadowbrook Trail is one of many trails within the Meadowbrook Farm Preserve. The Farm, a park on what oral tradition holds as the birthplace of the Snoqualmie Tribe extends between the cities of...
A shared use path runs along the Beacon Avenue in the Beacon Hills neighborhood of southeast Seattle. The path sits in the street's wide median and intersects with the Chief Sealth Trail around Dawson...
The Cedar River Trail follows the old Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad corridor on a straight, flat shot out of the sprawling Seattle metro area and into the rural...
The Ebey Waterfront Trail offers visitors a front seat to both nature and history. Beginning at Ebey Waterfront Park, the wide, blacktop trail stretches nearly two miles along Ebey Slough before...
Sumner Link Trail provides an important connection between the Interurban Trail and the Puyallup Riverwalk Trail. Along the way, the trail follows the White River, offering views of the water,...
In the heart of Redmond, the Bear Creek Trail provides an important connection between two rail-trails. On its eastern end it connects to the Sammamish River Trail and, on its western side to the...
The Interurban Trail (South) connects several towns south of Seattle along the historic route of the Puget Sound Electric Railway. The trolley ran between Tacoma and Seattle from 1902 to 1928, falling...
The Rainier Trail brings trail users from the 11-mile East Lake Sammamish Trail south through downtown Issaquah. The paved trail provides access to a number of recreational, cultural and civic...
The Chehalis Western Trail follows the route of a Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. railroad by the same name that carried millions of logs out of Washington forests to the coast for shipment from the 1920s to...
You can't walk the maple road part of the trail, you will be too close to traffic on the bridge. You should only go on a bike for this part.
Rode the trail last weekend. There are a few spots that it is pretty rough so watch for bumps. Got hissed at by a wild goose towards Tenino. She got us on the way back too!
This is a very nice trail. Be aware of a few things: Steel connector plates at fairly regular intervals make a jarring bump. On very nice days, the trail can be crowded and you have to keep speed down. The trail is loud, right next to traffic lanes with a “Jersey barrier” separating bikes from cars. Strong cross winds can make this trip unpleasant during bad weather. And although the bridge seems very flat from a car, there are actually modest climbs at each end. The trail connects nicely to the Lake Washington trail, but the Montlake Bridge crossing to UW and the Burke-Gilman trail is tight. The connection toward Lake Union is difficult to locate and can be unusable.
This is a wonderful trail. The southern end is a little vague for access. Around Totem Lake, the trail is under construction (2020-2022 or ?) and a bypass is necessary. The northern end of the trail also does not connect well into other trails, ending a couple of miles from the Sammamish River Trail, but the busy & fast NE 124th connects the two with a good bike lane.
The Burke-Gilman Trail is excellent and was important in creating the concept of Rails to Trails. The trail is all good but could be better in spots. The trail is missing a section between Ballard and the UW. Don’t expect to find a parking space in Ballard. Between UW and Bothell, the trail is very good except that in many places the bumps (from roots) and cracks in the pavement are excessive. In Bothell, the Burke-Gilman transitions directly into the Sammamish River Trail, which goes to Woodinville and Redmond. One of the most convenient parking areas for the Burke-Gilman Trail is actually the Wilmot Gateway Park on the Sammamish River Trail. One wish (besides fixing bumps) is that there was a convenient place to charge ebikes on the trail.
I rode the entire trail, up and back. The surface of the trail is nearly all in excellent shape. The grades are mild and none are very long. The street crossings in Snohomish are mostly very easy. Further up, in Arlington, the street crossings are not quite as safe. The trail has plenty of places to stop and restrooms at key locations. The trail passes through some very pretty forest and farm country. There are markets and coffee shops in two or three places. There are several excellent places for a lunch stop. I spotted eagles twice. To avoid the traffic on the Snohomish end, consider parking at Machias Road access (Three Lakes exit from Highway 2). Going up and back from Machias or Pilchuck parking areas gives approximately 50 miles up and back instead of 61.
Clean trails lots of bikes very beautiful set out in the country we started in South Prairie everyone was very friendly!
I have enjoyed walking this trail in Gig Harbor . Got out of the habit of walking it during the peak of the pandemic. Have returned to the trail to get in shape for another long trek, Lisbon to Santiago and beyond. I am also rehabbing my most recent knee replacement. Today I was able to make a 3+ mile round trip walk from the Burnham Drive parking, near home depot. The lot is tight for my big vehicle and there is evidence of a broken window glass in the lot so, caution. Most dogs are on leash but their owners leave their dropping behind in poop bags. This year I noted markers for rescue vehicle to be able to more clearly identify where you are should the need arris.
Nice trail with tons of shade. I only saw 4 people on the trail the day I walked it.
We rode our bikes the entire 21 miles from Olympia to the end of the trail where it intersects another trail that takes you to the town of Rainier (2miles further). Round trip was around 42 miles. Very scenic with multiple lakes along the way. We stopped for coffee at the 5 mile mark near Kohl’s / Target. This is your last chance for some food or drink until you get to Rainier. Definitely recommend!
Rode north to south, returned via Interurban trail. Fair amount of construction (trail and riverbank) with number of detours. Trail goes via light industrial and commercial zones first, farther south it is nicer, away from major roads, goes by residential zones. Good trail, but somewhat boring so there are better choices if you are after views and nature.
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