Explore the best rated trails in Port Townsend, WA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Pigeon Creek Trail and Larrabee Trail. With more than 44 trails covering 362 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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Though relatively short at 3.3 miles, the Tommy Thompson Trail stands tall in the ferry port of Anacortes for its notable 2,000-foot-long paved trestle spanning picturesque Fidalgo Bay. Enjoyed...
Guemes Channel Trail will link downtown Anacortes, the Tommy Thompson Trail, and the San Juan Ferry. Both trails offer shoreline routes along old rail corridors. The Guemes Channel Trail is...
Jane Hague Way, which opened in 2018, was named for a former King County councilwoman. It's part of the larger Eastside Rail Corridor, a rail-trail project spearheaded by King County and the cities of...
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...
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 section of the Olympic Discovery Trail sandwiched between Sequim Bay and the Elwha River is considered the trail system's crown jewel. Bounded by a sparkling tidal estuary in the east and a...
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...
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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...
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The Railroad Trail through east Bellingham runs for more than 3 miles between the city's Bloedel Donovan Park and Memorial Park, providing an off-road alternative to the cross-town route of Alabama...
The Eastside Rail Corridor Trail, built on a former BNSF freight railroad, will one day traverse 42 miles through King County, connecting Renton, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and Woodinville. In 2018,...
The State Route 20 Arboreta Trail—also known as the Highway 20 Trail—was developed in the 1970s after a donation of the right-of-way to the City of Burlington by a private citizen. The trail, which is...
The Kulshan Creek Trail links Mount Vernon's downtown area with commercial and residential areas. Use the trail to access schools, parks, natural areas and community gardens. The Kulshan Trail runs...
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...
This section of the Olympic Discovery Trail offers scenic views of Olympic National Park, which was established in 1938 by President Franklin Roosevelt. The park offers 922,650 acres of rain forest,...
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Spectacular views across Bellingham Bay to the San Juan Islands and beyond reward visitors of this Interurban Trail. All they have to do is find a clearing along the wooded path that runs a fairly...
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The Bellingham segment of the Bay to Baker Trail runs for 1.4 miles along an abandoned railroad right-of-way between Little Squalicum Park on Bellingham Bay and Northwest Avenue. The trail is sand and...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
The South Bay Trail is a tourist's dream and a sweet summer spot for locals. The small city of Bellingham, 20 miles from the Canadian border, lies between 10,781-foot Mount Baker and Bellingham Bay...
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 Eastside Rail Corridor Trail, built on a former BNSF freight railroad, will one day traverse 42 miles through King County, connecting Renton, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and Woodinville. In 2018,...
Spectacular views across Bellingham Bay to the San Juan Islands and beyond reward visitors of this Interurban Trail. All they have to do is find a clearing along the wooded path that runs a fairly...
The highly anticipated SR 520 trail is finally open, and commuters of all stripes have been quick to make use of it if the trail counts are anything to go by. The trail was constructed as part of the...
The 22.5-mile Cascade Trail—boasting 12 benches, 23 trestles, and two bridges made from repurposed railcars—-follows the Skagit River as it parallels State Route 20 into the Cascade foothills of...
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...
Guemes Channel Trail will link downtown Anacortes, the Tommy Thompson Trail, and the San Juan Ferry. Both trails offer shoreline routes along old rail corridors. The Guemes Channel Trail is...
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 Squires Lake Trail offers a short, but scenic, route along a former railroad grade about 13 miles south of Bellingham, the largest city in Whatcom County. The surface is dirt and gravel, but the...
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 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 Snoqualmie Valley Trail rolls from verdant dairy land in the north to a clear blue mountain lake in the south. Along the way, travelers are treated to numerous trestle crossings, historic towns,...
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 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 Redmond Central Connector will one day stretch 4 miles along a former rail line, the Redmond Spur of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. It's also part of the Eastside Rail Corridor Trail...
Jane Hague Way, which opened in 2018, was named for a former King County councilwoman. It's part of the larger Eastside Rail Corridor, a rail-trail project spearheaded by King County and the cities of...
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...
Though relatively short at 3.3 miles, the Tommy Thompson Trail stands tall in the ferry port of Anacortes for its notable 2,000-foot-long paved trestle spanning picturesque Fidalgo Bay. Enjoyed...
The Kulshan Creek Trail links Mount Vernon's downtown area with commercial and residential areas. Use the trail to access schools, parks, natural areas and community gardens. The Kulshan Trail runs...
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 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,...
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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....
This section of the Olympic Discovery Trail offers scenic views of Olympic National Park, which was established in 1938 by President Franklin Roosevelt. The park offers 922,650 acres of rain forest,...
Although short, the Marymoor Connector Trail provides an important link between the Sammamish River Trail (an 11-mile route that heads north to Bothell and the Burke-Gilman Trail) and the East Lake...
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 Bellingham segment of the Bay to Baker Trail runs for 1.4 miles along an abandoned railroad right-of-way between Little Squalicum Park on Bellingham Bay and Northwest Avenue. The trail is sand and...
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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 State Route 20 Arboreta Trail—also known as the Highway 20 Trail—was developed in the 1970s after a donation of the right-of-way to the City of Burlington by a private citizen. The trail, which is...
The Squires Lake Trail offers a short, but scenic, route along a former railroad grade about 13 miles south of Bellingham, the largest city in Whatcom County. The surface is dirt and gravel, but the...
The highly anticipated SR 520 trail is finally open, and commuters of all stripes have been quick to make use of it if the trail counts are anything to go by. The trail was constructed as part of the...
The section of the Olympic Discovery Trail sandwiched between Sequim Bay and the Elwha River is considered the trail system's crown jewel. Bounded by a sparkling tidal estuary in the east and a...
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...
Jane Hague Way, which opened in 2018, was named for a former King County councilwoman. It's part of the larger Eastside Rail Corridor, a rail-trail project spearheaded by King County and the cities of...
The Padilla Bay Shore Trail offers a paved route of just over 2 miles atop a dike along the Padilla Bay in Northwest Washington. Adventurers will enjoy the scenic natural setting only about 70 miles...
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...
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...
Late Summer 2018
TrailBear was not exactly “silent, upon a peak in Darien” when he parked at the twin bridges site (Rt. 530 & RR bridges) on the Whitehorse Trail (48°15'58.29"N x 122° 0'44.53"W).
“OMG, blacktop!” A few yards over, the trail surface was gleaming blacktop. Blacktop! Bear loves blacktop on his trails. Smooth riding. No ruts. Yes! We can do this! The trike came out and TB went spinning over the bridge and down the newly surfaced trail bed.
Smooth, fresh blacktop and dried leaves crunching under the tires. Looking closer, he wondered if he was one of the first riders on this stretch. There were only three tire tracks behind him. All evenly spaced. Might be him.
Was there some association with the construction crew he passed a few miles east where the trail crosses Rt 530 again… They were laying down more blacktop, heading east towards Darrington. Got a ways to go. Encourage them. They expected to be done with the trail project back in 2016. Perhaps 2020 might be the year. A bear can dream.
Regardless, the twin bridges is a lovely spot on the trail. You have a nice railroad bridge, a river with a long view, a beach for the kids and views. Locals are found recreating themselves here all summer.
Go west down the blacktop a bit and there is the Rt. 530 trail crossing – under construction. Wonder how they will do this. The Snohomish Centennial has a ped-controlled stop light at one crossing. This crossing is on a curve to make it sporting.
He managed to pedal across – but he waited and waited for a lull. Those fully loaded logging trucks doing 60 mph suggested caution. No sign of paving continuing west towards Trafton Trailhead. Back in 2016 when he checked out the Trafton Trailhead, he noticed they had laid a serious compacted gravel base heading east from Trafton, so there might be hope that was going to be a blacktop base.
@@@ MAP CHECK … The Whitehorse Trail project map – check it out
Here is the county project map. Currently, it is the best that you can easily put your hands on.
https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/3693/Whitehorse-Regional-Trail
TB really hopes that the map note with a date of 2106 was a typo. You can see that they are doing this and that here and there. They have Phases. Must be a challenge to find all the funding for all the projects that add up to a completed trail.
The finished trail, combined with the excellent Snohomish Centennial Trail that runs from the Snohomish River north through Arlington to the Skagit County border will make this an even more attractive destination for riders.
The old right of way extends north along Rt. 9 in Skagit County and south into King County where it is the Burke-Gilman Trail. There are said to be plans to join the Snohomish to the B-G. Come that day, you can start at the Golden Gardens on Puget Sound and ride up to the Skagit line or cut over to Darrington.
@@@ FORTSON MILL TRAILHEAD … Welcome Wagon not in evidence (48°16'25.43"N 121°43'53.57"W)
TrailBear had such high hopes that morning. He would park at the Fortson Mill Trailhead and take a round trip east to Darrington and back. After all, the official map said this was the only open portion.
His hopes faded when he drove in … to the gate, hefty and well-locked. An official and rather annoyed sign proclaimed that “This Gate is Locked due to illegal dumping.” (Guys, if you are going to do caps, do caps for every word. More stylish.) Among the prohibited items were Alcoholic Beverages and Motor Vehicles. Not the place to party on a Friday night. At least the county hopes so. The gate says so.
Reading that ‘Foot traffic is allowed into the park” he hoofed it down the road to find a vast, empty parking lot in the woods. Great place to dump that old washer or have a kegger on Friday night. No signage.
More wandering about turned up the Fortson mill – now concrete walls with artistic graffiti, a dam and empty log pond and not much more. The trail is due north about 93 yards from the non-parking lot, over the slope and down.
@@@ DARRINGTON TRAIL HEAD … End of the trail (48°15'32.10"N 121°36'16.33"W)
Well, try the official open portion from the other end. Off to Darrington and the trail end on Railroad Ave. Pedal off down the trail and past the Three Rivers Mill. The trail here is gravel, and TrailBear was soon bored. Scrubby, cut over woods, no views, bumping over roots. Boring!
Stop, about face, pedal back. The reality is that from Fortson to Darrington, the Whitehorse is a woods ride. No bridges, no river, no views. TB has ridden the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes and other scenic trails, so he is spoiled rotten and feels Entitled.
He wants scenic trails with endless unfolding vistas – an endless Instagram Heaven – not a bunch of scrubby woods. (And, while you’re at it – a rest room every five miles.)
He loaded up and headed back west to his happy discovery of real, fresh blacktop, a bridge and vistas at the twin bridges: “OMG, blacktop!” One happy TrailBear.
FYI if you start at the Gene Coulon park on the south end, the trail starts OUTSIDE the park where the train tracks are. Follow the tracks north and it turns into the trail. Also, dogs are not allowed in the park and the fines are pretty stiff.
I'm leaving two stars because of the huge challenge it was to get from Everett to Seattle today, I like challenges but you may not and after attempting this trail you may even leave zero stars. You CAN NOT do the ride with out a map on your phone first off. Little to no signs leave you guessing and searching. The biggest thing today is the street closure around the Alderwood Mall area in Lynwood. If you're determined like I was today to get to Seattle, plan on taking 164th to 36th to 184th. Maple Rd and even Ash Rd underpass are closed - Till November. WTF. Interurban trail is years away from being user friendly.
Previously rode this trail to Marymore Park, but decided to make my ride longer and head to Lake Sammamish State Park. Overall, a nice trail for a cyclist. Wide enough to pass people without infringing upon the other side. My only two cons to this are the section of gravel (not ideal for a road bike) and the confusion in getting on the trail near the state park. I added 3 miles to my ride by meandering around the Pickering Trail area looking for the Sammamish Trail entrance.
This is a lovely paved trail that hugs the shoreline along Guemes Channel where large ferries regularly ply the waters between Anacortes and the San Juan Islands. The views are outstanding and the trail is accessible year round. Make a right turn off Highway 20 directly through the San Juan Passage housing development downhill to reach trailhead parking area along the water. The trail goes east about 1.2 miles toward the city of Anacortes with plans for eventual completion all the way to city center. This same parking area also serves the Ship Harbor Trail which runs westward toward the WA State ferry terminal. If you get the yen to go to Guemes Island there is a small Skagit County ferry that makes regular 5-minute crossings from downtown Anacortes.
Great trail, however do due tree roots there are some rough sections
This four-mile urban trail winds along the crest of Beacon Hill to the New Holly neighborhood. It takes in schools and small businesses and a variety of homes and is populated by friendly people who always greet me with a smile. Previous reviewers had criticized confusing intersections, I would characterize them as awkward or inconvenient as the trail is never out of sight—I was never unclear on where and how to proceed. I have walked this trail in the spring and fall and there has been beautiful flora, but I gotta admit, it’s just as dismal as the rest of the city in the winter. This is a wonderful neighborhood gem in tne south end.
I am happy that this trail exists, but it is hard to get in a rhythm riding it, as every mile or so the trail crosses a busy street, many with no lighted crossing. It is also highly urban, and much of the old right-of-way is gone, requiring the trail to take constant diversions. As noted in another comment, there are some "interesting" people on the trail as well from time to time. It's worth riding once or twice, but I much prefer more intact, scenic and safer trails like the Centennial.
Since I spent a lot of time yesterday in trying to figure out a way in to the trail and wasn't keen on doing the whole 11 miles of it, I parked in Sixty Acres park Gate C and on the extreme left of the parking lot, there's a path to join the trail. I went left from there and walked for 40 or so minutes before turning back. So if you just want a short walk of an hour or so, parking at Sixty Acres park might work for you.
Beautiful, easy bike ride across Lake Washington. A couple of small hills at either end to get to bridge deck but what goes up must come down. Many points to pull off and rest along bridge.
We access from eastside from several points: Evergreen Point Park and Ride. South Kirkland Park and Ride. Hidden Valley. Etc. And like to connect to Burke Gilman on Seattle side.
Have been doing since the kids were 11, however, if you have little ones, or they are still learning, there are alot of speedy bikes on weekend and during commutes so avoid those times.
This trail is super convenient. It’s gravel, but pretty compact, so even with a road bike you should be fine. Just make sure to give yourself an extra few yards of stopping distance. It has a lot of road crossings, but each one has a button that immediately flashes a bunch of annoying yellow lights at the crossing traffic, which is legally required to stop immediately, so no more waiting for long periods of time at stop lights. The greatest part about it is that it used to be a train track, so the entire trail is super level. No matter which way you go, it almost always feels as if you’re riding downhill. Overall I think this trail is great for committing, and fun for leisurely Sunday cruises. Give it a try!
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