Explore the best rated trails in Olympia, WA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop and Seattle Waterfront Pathway. With more than 43 trails covering 4069 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.
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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 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...
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...
Closure Notice: A portion of the trail between Adna and Chehalis will be closed starting at the end of April 2021 for approximately one year, due to construction work to install a trail overpass above...
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 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...
Tacoma's Prairie Line Trail follows the former Northern Pacific Railroad that was established here in 1873. Tacoma was the terminus of the rail line that stretched all the way to the Great...
Note: This developing route is not yet fully contiguous – it is just over 50% complete. Please refer to the Trail Map for more information on the existing sections of trail, as well as the online...
Running north to south along the industrial Duwamish Waterway, the 3-mile Duwamish Trail is an important connector in southwest Seattle. Beginning a half mile south of the Alki Trail, the Duwamish...
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 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...
Gig Harbor's Cushman Trail is a paved, non-motorized route for pedestrian and bike use. The trail shares much of its corridor with overhead Tacoma Power electric lines. Along the way, trail users will...
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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...
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...
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 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...
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Closure Notice: Beginning September, 2020, the Interurban Trail will experience intermittent closures between 2020-2022 to make room for Lynwood Light Rail construction project. These closures will...
The Chehalis Riverfront Walkway provides a scenic route from the south side of Aberdeen to the sprawling Bishop Athletic Complex along an abandoned Burlington Northern railroad grade and levee. The...
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 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 East Aberdeen Waterfront Walkway is a 6-foot wide asphalt trail that meanders along the north side of the Chehalis River in Aberdeen. Historically, this land was used for industrial purposes, and...
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...
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 Green-to-Cedar Rivers Trail is an extension of the Cedar River Trail, which heads south from Witte Road where the two trails intersect. The Green-to-Cedar Rivers Trail passes through Lake...
Gig Harbor's Cushman Trail is a paved, non-motorized route for pedestrian and bike use. The trail shares much of its corridor with overhead Tacoma Power electric lines. Along the way, trail users will...
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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...
This short community rail-trail connects the cities of Aberdeen and Cosmopolis through some original wetland areas. The trail also leads directly to the large sports complex at Pioneer Park, while...
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 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 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 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...
Note: This developing route is not yet fully contiguous – it is just over 50% complete. Please refer to the Trail Map for more information on the existing sections of trail, as well as the online...
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...
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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...
Closure Notice: A portion of the trail between Adna and Chehalis will be closed starting at the end of April 2021 for approximately one year, due to construction work to install a trail overpass above...
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...
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 Lake Boren Esplanade is a wide, paved pathway sitting on the west side of Coal Creek Parkway. The esplanade begins at Lake Boren Park and then parallels the road, offering glimpses of the lake...
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 East Aberdeen Waterfront Walkway is a 6-foot wide asphalt trail that meanders along the north side of the Chehalis River in Aberdeen. Historically, this land was used for industrial purposes, 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...
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...
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...
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...
Closure Notice: According to the King County website, starting Sept.1, 2020 a section of trail will close between Newcastle Beach Park and Hazelwood Lane SE. No pedestrian detour is available for this...
Running north to south along the industrial Duwamish Waterway, the 3-mile Duwamish Trail is an important connector in southwest Seattle. Beginning a half mile south of the Alki Trail, the Duwamish...
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 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...
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...
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 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 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 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 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...
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...
Gig Harbor's Cushman Trail is a paved, non-motorized route for pedestrian and bike use. The trail shares much of its corridor with overhead Tacoma Power electric lines. Along the way, trail users will...
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 Lake Boren Esplanade is a wide, paved pathway sitting on the west side of Coal Creek Parkway. The esplanade begins at Lake Boren Park and then parallels the road, offering glimpses of the lake...
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!
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.
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.
There are two active groups working hard on the completion of the Willapa Hills Trail led by the Lewis County Community Trails on the east end and the Pacific County Community Trails on the west. A pedestrian over pass is currently in construction on the Lewis County or east side. On west end, a portion of paved trail was repaired and repaved in the summer of 2021. We also conducted a legislative tour securing the funds to complete the resurfacing and all of the remaining trestles on the WH Trail. Resurfacing from Raymond to Menlo is currently being done. WA State Parks and especially Michael Hankinson, have gone above and beyond to see that this trail will be completed . Shane Chair PCCT
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.
Nice trail. Espresso stand with chairs and cover part Orting. Some oddities - parking in Puyallup says "2 hours limit". There is no way average person would be able to ride the entire thing in 2 hours, considering stops and maybe even lunch. Took me 3 hours Puyallup - Buckley and back with coffee break. There are parking lots in Orting without the sign. Best part is from Orting to Buckley, away from the road, wonderful fall colors, bridges, etc. Puyallup - Orting is flat, but goes along 162 in farming-light industrial zone, so expect some diesel fumes from trucks. From Orting trail climbs at 1% grade, sometimes 2% so you may have to drop 2-3 gears. Back ride is mostly downhill with little effort. Good options for lunch, coffee or even dinner in Puyallup and Orting. Not busy, but it was weekday.
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