Explore the best rated trails in Martha Lake, WA, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Great American Rail-Trail and Great American Rail-Trail, West . With more than 80 trails covering 5076 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 storms & floods last fall lifted two creek bridges off their foundations and moved them aside and for most bicycle riders are impassable. The first is about 10 miles from the Fruitland Ave trailhead, just after you go across 100 ft of very nasty large angular rocks (you'll know it when you cross them). The good news is that the detour around them is easy and pleasant.
Just go out onto the nearby road at the first one, access is obvious. This is the Lyman-Hamilton Rd, which has very little traffic on it. Follow that east until it morphs into Maple St. Turn left at the "Bike 10" left arrow sign in "downtown" Hamilton (about 2/3 mile from start of detour), onto Petit St. Go north about 0.2 mile to the "Bike 10" right arrow. Turn right. At that point you are on the old detour that has been there forever. Follow it east about 0.15 mile and look for an unmarked access path on your left, just past the small swamp/lake on each side of the road. This puts you back on the Cascade Trail.
Just after you start this detour the road makes a sharp right bend and crosses the Cascade Trail. You may be tempted to get back on it at that point. If you do, you will encounter the second bridge that was moved off its foundation and probably need to back track to the road anyway.
Given that the detour is so easy and pleasant, don't bother with these bridges. My guess it that it is very unlikely they will be fixed in the forseeable future, especially given that the first one was already partly off its foundation, req'd walking/hefting your bike anyway, and may probably been that way for many years.
Trail is becoming overgrown with blackberries and there still is the one serious washout. No sign of maintenance and even the Oso Memorial needs gardening help. That being said this is a nice ride and the Memorial is worth visiting. Good gravel and partly paved. Visit the general store in Oso which is 101 years old. Coffee, ice cream and nice folks.
This is an update to my review of last year. The ride is still great and the same as I described then except that last fall's washout mentioned by TrailLink is indeed very serious. I checked it out yesterday. I talked to two bikers that lifted their lightweight road bikes over the barrier blocks on the west end of the washout but there was no way I could do that with my heavier 60 lb eBike.
Besides that, and more important, walking your bike along what's left of the trail is very dangerous. It is narrow (1-2 ft) and one slip and you are in the river, fatally for your bike if not you as well. On top of all that I had to fight blackberry brambles all along the washout edge. I only did it because I did not realize that once you start you are commited -- there is no way to abort and turn your bike around.
I strongly recommend NOT starting at Trafton -- unless you detour out to the highway and back (there are 2 roads available to do that). Instead start at Miller Shingle trailhead (35.5 mile round trip to Darrington) or, as I did yesterday, at a small (half dozen vehicle) parking lot at the west end of the Cicero Bridge (40.8 mile round trip), where you can access the trail (the short paved section of it). Alternatively there is some parking along the highway just beyond the east end of the bridge but you have to ride back across the bridge to access the trail.
Discovered this comfortable place with great accommodations for two bike travelers. They offer a pullout sofa if you do not wish to share a bed. Indoor bike storage with a comfy bed and a hot shower! Distillery right next-door and two restaurants to fuel up in the morning to get back on the trail. Close to the panhandle of West Virginia. Their name is Harmony Trail Haven on Airbnb.
The Trailink description is somewhat misleading when discussing the 5 sections. To most people "the trail" is only the Puyallup to Enunclaw stretch, which is a continuous paved trail 22.8 miles long from the Puyallup TH to Vetern's Memorial Park in Enunclaw, after which you are on city streets or county roads to wherever. Add 0.5 mi back to the true start of the trail from the Puyallup TH to Shaw Rd, where it dumps you onto city streets, it is 23.3 miles total, true measured values with calibrated sensor.
The trail is fully open, no closures.
Highly recommend this beautiful and well kept trail. Beautiful to ride along the trees and over the 2 epic ohiopyle bridges.
Drove down from Anacortes to try the trail, but 13004 Meridian St which is designated on the map as a trailhead is an apartment complex and there is no parking available. Tried another location but gave up after we could not find any parking. Very disappointed.
This used to be a nice trail especially the last 5 miles or so between Maple Valley and the end near Landsburg. However, the floods last fall did a serious washout about half way along that stretch. King County officially closed the trail for a stretch centered on that point but judging from a picture on the WTA website about 3 weeks ago and when I did the trail yesterday, the actual trail has gone from about 1/4 totally gone to about 3/4 totally gone now! I and others were still able to walk our bikes (nervously) past it, but the trail is many tens of feet above the river avd the eroded bank is very high and steep and likely to keep eroding. This is a very serious washout and will require serious and expensive engineering to fix, which given the current state of gov't funding is unlikely to happen soon, if ever. You can get past it now but I would not attempt it during or after signifiicant rain. I predict it will become totally impassable this fall, if not sooner.
The County website in fact now indicates the *studies* alone are likely to not be completed for at least a year. Many agencies are involved: the County, the Corps, Fish & Wildlife and the Muckleshoots.
At the other end of the trail, in Renton, be warned. The official end is Cedar River Trail Park near Boeing. Contrary to Trailink and Google Maps bicycles are not allowed on the trails inside the park. You need to use the road. I was assalted yesterday by a vigilante pedestrian, who shoved me, an elderly gentleman of 83, off my bike and broke my mirror in the process.
In addition to all that, the City of Renton is not bike-friendly in general. In addition to the 10 mph limit, mentioned here on TrailLink, the official trail route thru the City is unmarked and very convoluted. You are highly likely to get lost and run into dead ends. I highly recommend starting at Riverview Park or Ron Regis Park instead.
Paved, rather short, but passes thru some niceky preserved wetlands. Bonus: it also goes past Jakob Two Trees, a large troll artwork done by a Danish artist.
My wife and I took this trail heading southbound from Burien. We had a wonderful time winding through Burien and the SeaTac area. Once the trail reaches 200th you start to following the Des Moines Creek and you end up popping out at the parking lot of the Des Moines Marina. I highly recommend you give it a try.
We had the best day on the trail. Nice trail ride for anyone. Recommend getting the shuttle back to Silver Fir for convenience! Made for a great day! Pletny of places to stop and tons to see along the way.
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