Explore the best rated trails in West Lake Stevens, WA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Pigeon Creek Trail and Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail. With more than 57 trails covering 4400 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 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...
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 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 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...
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...
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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...
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 Port Townsend waterfront marks the eastern endpoint of the Olympic Discovery Trail, which will one day stretch 126 miles from Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean. This section of trail is named in...
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...
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...
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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...
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 paved Preston-Snoqualmie Trail meanders through the lushly wooded Snoqualmie Valley, connecting the communities of Preston and Snoqualmie which lie east of Seattle. The main trail leaves the...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
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...
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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...
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 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...
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 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...
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 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 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 paved Preston-Snoqualmie Trail meanders through the lushly wooded Snoqualmie Valley, connecting the communities of Preston and Snoqualmie which lie east of Seattle. The main trail leaves the...
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,...
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 Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, formerly known as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail, is one of the longest rail-trail conversions in the United States. The trail passes through remote and...
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...
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...
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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....
The Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Trail is open to hikers and horseback riders. The trail can be difficult to navigate in places, since other trails link with it (some unmaintained). There are a few...
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 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 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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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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...
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,...
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...
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...
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 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 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 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 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...
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...
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...
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 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 Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, formerly known as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail, is one of the longest rail-trail conversions in the United States. The trail passes through remote and...
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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...
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...
I was turning 44 years old and decided to ride the west section of the Palouse to Cascade trail for some needed alone time. Left Redmond at about 8am and made it to North Bend at about 9:45, where I swapped out my road tires for some slightly wider road tires (32c). A road bike with gravel tires is fine for most of this ride.
Began slogging up the railroad grade. Saw lots of rock climbers, picnickers, and a few cyclists. Weather was warm and it was beautiful. Take a lot of water and snacks, because there is no where to refresh unless you bring a filter.
My legs were getting pretty cooked by the time I made it to the tunnel. I was expecting the temp to drop, but did not realize my legs would instantly cramp from the cold! That was a little weird, being a mile into a dank, dark tunnel with legs spazzing into knots.
Made it out, and drug myself another two miles up to the summit for lunch. Calories please!
Continued on to Easton, then Roslyn, then up to the little town of Ronald to meet my family at an Airbnb.
Total miles: 97.5
Totally calories: 5780!
Rode the John Wayne trail from Beverly to east of Smyrna April 25, 2019 about 15.5 miles. Trail is in good condition. The ride was a tad over 5 hours. Started about noon and reached our destination a little after 5 PM. Saw two rattlesnakes and heard several others. One place sounded like it could have been a den of them. The horses shied and side stepped a bit but no rodeo. Lots of water birds. And we saw asparagus growing along the tracks in several places. Plan to continue on east as the weather permits.
Love that I could run 8 miles on this trail just by going out and back to either end. Great trees and plant life in the middle of some busy streets. Paved with hills throughout.
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.
I loved my hike, spent 3 weeks going from Seattle to Ellensburg.
My daughter and I walked our dog about half of this trail, from S. 200th St. parking lot (only about 10 parking spots). On a sunny winter Saturday, it was not at all crowded, only saw about a dozen other friendly people. No litter or sketchy people. It is directly under the SeaTac flight path, so you'll never forget you aren't deep in the woods, but a beautiful wooded paved easy walk. We'll enjoy this walk again.
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.
This is a beautiful trail. I had a free afternoon on a business trip to Seattle. Terrible traffic to get out of Seattle, but worth it to add this trail to my list. I wish I’d had more time. Had to cut my mileage short because I kept stopping for photos.
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.
I returned last night from my two-day bike packing trip over the John Wayne Pioneer Trail (The part we rode is also known as Iron Horse State Park) in Washington State. Our ride went from North Bend at the Cedar Falls Trailhead to the Thorp Trailhead. We stopped at Lake Easton State Park to camp. My 31 year old son rode with me and my wife dropped us off at the first trailhead and picked us up at our final trailhead. She also served as support, meeting us at the campground when our first day was done.
First day was a 40 mile ride approx. My GPS app did not function properly either day because of the four tunnels we passed through. The second day, after we cleared the tunnel MapMyRide told me I had just gone 1650 miles per hour!
The first 22 miles of the ride was a constant but not terrible climb. We stopped to walk a few times because my son, who is an experienced and well conditioned hiker, but not a cyclist, just got wore out from the constant uphill. I think I could have made the climb if I had been with a rider who could also make it and who would have encouraged me to keep on. I am certain I would not have made it without walking if I had been alone.
Once clearing the tunnel at the summit we camp quickly to Hyak rest stop. This is the only place on the trail where there is fresh water. non potable water is available almost constantly along the trail if you have a water filter with you. Upgraded pit toilets are situated frequently along the trail.
The trail between Hyak (the summit) and Lake Easton State Park feels mostly flat but was challenging - especially for my son) after making the climb. We arrived at Lake Easton State park 8 hrs and 30 minutes after beginning our day. The signs on the trail for the State park will lead you four miles off the trail onto the opposite end of the park from Bicycle camping sites (I think there are only two designated for bicycle camping) but it is mostly downhill. Sort of nice after the long day. The bicycle camping sites are not on the lake. We wished they had been. I chose to stay at Lake Easton State Park because I have experience camping at state parks. There are, however, back country camping sites all along the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. Almost every site has a pit toilet and non potable water in the form of a pond or stream nearby. My wife met us at the park with ice cold drinks and lots of water. We determined that we would have her return the next morning at carry our camping gear with her. It would have been a good idea to have had her deliver them to us at the campsite. That way we would not have had to pack them up the mountain! On the other hand, we would not have had them had we chosen to stay in one of the back country sites. At the very least she could have given them to us at Hyak and saved us packing them during the steps part of the trip. Live and learn.
Tent camping is hard on this old body. It was so hot I could not sleep well and began having leg cramps. I had to get up at 1:30 AM and do about an hour of stretching to get them to settle down!
Second day we rode out of the State Park, at 7:30 AM, to the small town of Easton, just one mile from the bicycle camping area. We got a coffee at the Hitching Post - a small convenience store, service station, restaurant, motel. The trail runs alongside Easton and we were on our way. Thirteen miles to Cle Elum, it was hot. My wife met us there and refilled our water. Just eighteen miles left to Thorp.
The ride from Cle Elum to Thorp is beautiful as it follows along the Yakima River. We watched a guided fly fishing group float alongside us from a few moments. It was cooler than I expected and with many more trees than I imagined.
Thorp TrailHead was a bit confusing to find for my wife tp pick us up. But it is only a mile or so from the Fruit stand/Antique Store at the Thorp exit.
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