Find the top rated trails in Mercer Island, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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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 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...
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 and fitness. Built in the 1970s, the trail was among the...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
History lures visitors to the Snohomish County Centennial Trail. Trail users are reminded of old-time river and railroad settlements in the historically preserved storefronts and homes in Snohomish...
The Foothills Trail is a 30-mile collection of six unconnected segments of the old Burlington Northern Railway that served the farming, coal-mining, and logging economies near the base of Mount...
The Lowell Riverfront Trail is a multi-use trail located within Rotary Park. The paved trail travels from the park entrance to the north end following the Snohomish River. You can encounter numerous...
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 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...
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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 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 Green River Trail currently stretches nearly 20 miles through the industrial heart of the Green River Valley from the southern suburbs of Seattle to Kent, connecting to a number of neighborhoods...
Across the waterway from its big brother (the Burke-Gilman Trail), the Ship Canal Trail runs along the southern edge of the Lake Washington Ship Canal near Seattle Pacific University. The trail links...
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 Redmond Central Connector will one day stretch 4 miles along a former rail line, the Redmond Spur of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. Currently, one mile is complete in downtown...
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The Interurban Trail between Seattle and Everett stitches together a dense residential and commercial patchwork that the original electric railway helped to grow in the early part of the 20th century....
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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...
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 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...
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...
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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...
Note: As of June 29, 2016, the river bank construction about 5 miles south of Duval that interrupted the trail is mostly complete, but use may be interrupted during the 2016 summer as King County...
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...
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...
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 6.5-mile paved Preston-Snoqualmie Trail meanders through Snoqualmie Valley, with a short roadside section and crossing. It crosses a set of unpaved yet accommodating switchbacks that replace a...
The East Lake Sammamish Trail is an important link in the Mountains to Sound Greenway, a 1.5 million–acre landscape stretching from Seattle to Central Washington. Its origins hail from the Seattle,...
Seattle's Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop offers scenic views of Lake Union, as well as access to parks, neighborhoods, and downtown shops and restaurants. A good place to begin your journey is at Lake...
It’s fitting that the 9-mile Iron Goat Trail is centered in the town of “Scenic” as that’s just what you’ll get on this rustic adventure: beautiful views of mountains, waterfalls, wilderness, and...
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,...
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...
Two sections of the Whitehorse Trail, which runs along a former Burlington Northern rail line, are currently open for use. The eastern end of the trail spans nearly 7 miles between Darrington and the...
History lures visitors to the Snohomish County Centennial Trail. Trail users are reminded of old-time river and railroad settlements in the historically preserved storefronts and homes in Snohomish...
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 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 6.5-mile paved Preston-Snoqualmie Trail meanders through Snoqualmie Valley, with a short roadside section and crossing. It crosses a set of unpaved yet accommodating switchbacks that replace a...
Commuters move between the cities of Olympia and Lacey along a former Burlington Northern corridor now known as the Woodland Trail. The Chehalis Western Trail runs north and south from the midpoint of...
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...
Across the waterway from its big brother (the Burke-Gilman Trail), the Ship Canal Trail runs along the southern edge of the Lake Washington Ship Canal near Seattle Pacific University. The trail links...
Spanning just shy of 224 miles, the John Wayne Pioneer Trail is one of the longest rail-trail conversions in the United States. The trail passes through remote and sparsely populated areas of...
Seattle's Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop offers scenic views of Lake Union, as well as access to parks, neighborhoods, and downtown shops and restaurants. A good place to begin your journey is at Lake...
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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 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 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...
It’s fitting that the 9-mile Iron Goat Trail is centered in the town of “Scenic” as that’s just what you’ll get on this rustic adventure: beautiful views of mountains, waterfalls, wilderness, and...
History lures visitors to the Snohomish County Centennial Trail. Trail users are reminded of old-time river and railroad settlements in the historically preserved storefronts and homes in Snohomish...
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 and fitness. Built in the 1970s, the trail was among the...
From Mt. Baker-Snoqualamie National Forest: The first 1.5 miles of the trail follows an old railroad grade, then enters Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Once crossing the river at milepost 5.0, the trail...
The East Lake Sammamish Trail is an important link in the Mountains to Sound Greenway, a 1.5 million–acre landscape stretching from Seattle to Central Washington. Its origins hail from the Seattle,...
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 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 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...
We rode the entire trail out and back starting near the intersection of SR410 off of East Main Street. The trail is paved but many sections are in poor condition. Some of the asphalt has bumps created by tree roots. These sections are marked by yellow paint lines but one has to wonder why the city doesn’t fix the trail. On other sections, overhanging trees and prickly berry bushes encroach on the trail. During our ride, it was obvious that the edges of the trail were recently mowed. However the debris from the trimmings was left on the trail instead of being cleaned up. It was a mess.
The most annoying aspect was the trail is poorly marked in some sections. How hard is it to put a directional sign to let you know which direction to ride? Also, the trail is not contiguous. Once in the town of Sumner, you must cycle for several blocks along a busy truck route before picking up the trail again.
For the most part, the trail primarily goes through industrial areas along with some open fields, woods, and neighborhoods. The trail was OK and an interesting way to see a part of the city you wouldn’t normally see. There were some benches along the trail and one or two bathrooms.
The paved section of the Foothills Trail starts at the Shaw Road Bridge near East Puyallup and ends at South Prairie. We started out at the Shaw Road Bridge and cycled about one mile pass “Bernie’s Place” before turning around. The flat trail meandered at times adjacent to Hwy 162 and at other times out of sight from the road. At Orting, the trail runs adjacent to a number of shopping centers and crosses a couple of streets so you need to watch out for traffic. The City of Orting offers all services – food, water, bike store, rest rooms, etc. We continued a short way along the Carbon River before turning around and heading back home. There are a number of benches along the Carbon River which makes a good place for lunch.
The trail was in excellent condition. There are a couple of restrooms along the route. Overall, a nice ride which I would highly recommend.
Trail and parking areas are clean and well maintained. Its a long trail, with a long gradual elevation changes. The trail goes through the city of Orting which has a charming downtown area.
We started in Cedar Falls and made it to Lake Easton State Park the first day, where we camped. Our bicycles were fully loaded, and by the time we got to the Snoqualmie Tunnel we were very tired of the uphill grind. The grade is never difficult, and you barely notice it, but after 20 miles your body is feeling it. There was a shortish patch between the tunnel and Lake Easton where the gravel was loose, which made the biking a bit difficult, but all in all it was pretty great. It was a 40-mile day, and there were lots of wilderness camping spots along the way. If we had known how long it would take us to do those 40 miles (about 8-9 hours), we might have chosen to camp at one of the wilderness spots.
At Lake Easton, we took one of the hiker-biker sites for $12.00. There are
two: #36 and #37. We were assigned #36, which is quite small. The other site (#37) is roomier.
The next day we biked 15 miles to Cle Elum, where we ended our ride. The first five miles out of the campground at Lake Easton were excruciating. It appeared that new gravel had been dumped on the trail for those five miles, and it was slow going and a bit scary for one of our friends who was clipped in. But once we got past that point, it was back to being a very pleasant ride.
My recommendation: Switch to flat pedals for this ride. You don't need to be clipped in!
. . . be aware that after walking 15 minutes northward, the trail diverts from the river and becomes essentially a sidewalk along Interurban Ave. Then it briefly parallels, and then passes underneath, I-5. Ugh. But it resumes its more peaceful course next to the river just a few minutes' walk farther north.
Look for historical markers along that ugly stretch, too. There are at least two between the walkway and the river, and one mounted on a bridge.
You could start walking from the part of the trail right near I-5, parking in one of the nearby lots, and avoid that ugly part if you wanted to.
First visit in 2010, the 100th anniversary of the disaster. Read the book, White Cascade, for the compelling human stories within the story of the railroad.
I keep going back, even when recovering from chemo, even weeks before heart surgery. I enjoy introducing friends to this beautiful Washington hike and the story. The somber, hush-compelling snowshed sets us up for the overlook. Continue on the overlook at Scenic for a picnic lunch (cleanup your trash!). Return to Wellington and savor the experience. Stop at the Windy Point Interpretive spot (Look for the red Great Northern Caboose.) A good day trip from Seattle if you leave by 8:30 a.m.
A sunny Sunday afternoon can bring traffic jams on the trail, but most of the time I use it during the week when traffic is much lighter. Have found it to be a comfortable ride with many places to stop and enjoy other activities. Would love to see the local street portion improved to make it safer, and enjoy the newest route through the university much more than the old detour. Have ridden well past Matthew's Beach and like that section of the trail the most. It is quieter and not as heavily traveled.
Did the entire trail in both directions plus the extra six miles to match my age of 67. It was a wonderful experience, relatively quiet even when the trail ran adjacent to roads. Loved the scenery, met some very nice people, and the discovery of Nutty's Junk Yard and Grill was worth the 20 mile ride to get there. The deep fried mushrooms and burger did a great job of replacing the calories I burned on the ride. The northbound leg was a bit slower than coming back south so I would recommend starting in Snohomish. Would definitely ride this trail again.
Just long enough of a trail for my 3 year old to bike and me to run alongside. Nice clean beach at the end. There is no trail access at the beginning point, only end point
Convenient multi-purpose trail near Lake Meridian. Trail is maintained well and nice blend of trees and open spaces.
**Feb 2017 the trail is closed at the south section for maintenance This is a beautiful trail that is paved and gravel. The paved section is at the north most end and the gravel is in the south. The north end, the paved section, also has public restrooms and picnic areas under cover. The south does not. It runs along the edge of the lake and is popular with walkers as well as bicyclists.
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