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The Cross Kirkland Corridor is the bustling centerpiece of a former railbed that once carried freight and passengers through towns now in the eastern suburbs of Seattle. Just 5.8 miles long, the level, crushed-limestone trail links destinations in the lakeside city of Kirkland while connecting to other trails heading east and south for regionwide commuting or recreation. It’s a segment of the Leafline Trail Network, which will eventually connect 900 trail miles in the central Puget Sound region.
About the Route
Starting from the southern end, the nearby South Kirkland Park and Ride offers parking as well as service from bike rack–equipped buses. A 0.1-mile climb up 108th Ave. NE takes trail users to the Cross Kirkland Corridor on the left. Trail users will be treated to close-by glimpses of Lake Washington (the ancestral home of several Coast Salish tribes), the Seattle skyline, and the Olympic Mountains far to the west, especially in the wintertime when the leaves have fallen.
In 1.6 miles, the trail passes Terrace Park, which is accessible down a stairway to the left. Trail users will probably notice that many neighborhoods connect to the trail. Homes and businesses are largely hidden by wildflowers, trees, and bushes; much of the vegetation is native and maintained by volunteers.
Feriton Spur Park emerges in 0.2 miles and continues alongside a paved section of trail for nearly 0.5 miles through the Google campus. The park features basketball and pickleball courts, a sandy volleyball court, a zip line, a year-round garden, and a taproom and ice-cream parlor housed in a refurbished caboose. At the far end are an amphitheater, restrooms, and a drinking fountain.
About 0.4 miles past the park, a short section of rails and a vintage semaphore (signaling apparatus) mark the Kirkland Rotary’s pavilion at the site of the former depot, which provided regular passenger service until 1922. This is also the location where, in 1942, Japanese Americans were ordered to gather for relocation by train to internment camps during World War II.
In a mile, the trail meets the sculpture of a frog clamoring over the fence. A trail on the left uses a stairway to climb a hill to Crestwood Park, which has restrooms and a drinking fountain.
About 0.7 miles past the “frog crossing,” the trail passes warehouses and businesses at the south end of the Totem Lake commercial area. Finding a way through here was difficult until the 2023 completion of the elevated Totem Lake pedestrian bridge that spans two major roads. The trail passes a lake and marsh that are home to birds and beavers and then ends in 0.3 miles at Slater Avenue.
From Slater Avenue, the former BNSF railbed heads east as Eastrail for another 3 miles to Woodinville, or 4.4 miles southeast as the Redmond Central Connector. From the Cross Kirkland Corridor’s southern endpoint, Eastrail heads south 2.3 miles, passing the Bellevue light-rail station and ending at Northeast Fourth Street.
Trail History
The rail corridor started out as the Lake Washington Belt Line in the 1890s, hauling lumber and shingles. The line was acquired by the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1901 and completed operations as BNSF Railway in 2009 when the 42-mile line was sold.
Kirkland snatched up its share of the corridor, removed the rails, and spread a crushed-limestone surface. Most of the trail opened in 2015, although the final gap in a dense commercial district wasn’t finished until 2023. Other sections of the BNSF Railway corridor to the north and south, known as Eastrail, are in various stages of completion.
The Cross Kirkland Corridor runs between 108th Ave. NE (Kirkland), where parking is available, and 132nd Ave. NE (Bellevue).
Parking is also available at:
Please see TrailLink Map for all parking options and detailed directions.
I loved this ride. The trail was the best gravel trail I have ever been on. It’s worth checking out.
This is a wonderful trail. The southern end is a little vague for access. Around Totem Lake, the trail is under construction (2020-2022 or ?) and a bypass is necessary. The northern end of the trail also does not connect well into other trails, ending a couple of miles from the Sammamish River Trail, but the busy & fast NE 124th connects the two with a good bike lane.
The path surface is packed and hard . My friend finished this trail on a trek FX 2015 bike with no issues
Easy bike trail - the part between google building and Bellevue has beautiful views
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!
This trail is gravel, so only slower or family biking is better. Many streets to cross, some very busy, some with Z design making tandem crossing tricky. Construction detour areas are not well marked. Walkers don't always pick up after their dogs so watch out. Also, some areas are Environmentally Sensitive, but beautiful, whereas others are the backs of factories & warehouses. On the plus side, it's so new that it is still in very good condition, smooth and relatively clean.
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