Two Trails, Two Lakes and a Lot of Fun

September 6, 2025—I awoke at 2:30 a.m. to the sound of thunder and flashes of lightning. The weather conditions were a little disconcerting since I was supposed to be driving up to Seattle, Washington, at seven in the morning to ride the Burke-Gilman and Sammamish River Trails.

I’ve been wanting to ride the Burke-Gilman Trail since learning about it two years ago. On my way back from Vancouver, B.C. two years ago, I had hoped to stop in northern Seattle and ride the Burke-Gilman Trail. However, rain falling that day in Seattle squelched any plans to ride the trail. I thought about riding it in the summer of 2024, but that trip was put on hold in favor of riding the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes and the Route of the Hiawatha. I had only recently learned of the Sammamish River Trail and decided to combine both.

I swore that I’d ride the trails this summer, but now a thunderstorm and heavy rain threatened the trip once again. Fortunately, a break in the weather allowed me to load my bike into the bed of my pickup truck where it would be out of the elements. Weather showed improving conditions in Seattle later in the morning, so I kept my fingers crossed as I headed north. I ran into rain between Chehalis and Tacoma, Washington, but Seattle was cloudy but dry.

I arrived at Gas Works Park on the north side of Lake Union a little after 10 a.m. Gas Works Park is a great place to start a ride. You’re treated to nice views of the iconic Seattle skyline. There is plenty of parking available, and there are restrooms. The Burke-Gilman Trail is just across the street from the parking lot.

After taking a few photos of the Seattle skyline, I set off on my 50-mile ride along the Burke-Gilman Trail. I anticipated that the ride would take approximately five hours, factoring in stops to take pictures and have lunch in Redmond.

As I started my ride, a few sprinkles started to fall, but they were short-lived. The first major sight on the trail was the University of Washington. The trail goes right through the campus and passes near Husky Stadium.

Early in my ride, I kept hearing a whooshing sound, which was odd since I had my bike in the shop yesterday to make sure my derailleurs were properly adjusted. I had to stop several times to try and locate where the sound was coming from. At first it sounded like it was coming from my front brake, but spinning the front wheel didn’t produce the sound. I turned the bike over and spun both wheels to see if one of the brake rotors had gotten bent in my truck’s bed, but I wasn’t sure how that would have happened, and both rotors looked fine with no warpage. The sound eventually stopped but started back up a few minutes later. I was concerned whatever it was might cut my ride short. The constant stopping to try and resolve the issue was slowing my ride. Four stops later, I was able to identify where the sound was coming from. The shifting cable to the front derailleur was rubbing against the rear tire. I bent it out of the way and continued on my way.

I was treated to views of Lake Union, Lake Washington, and beautiful homes lining the lakes. I passed Matthews Beach and Warren G. Magnuson Park, both located on Lake Washington. The trail is mostly flat, and I was able to ride at 15 mph, sometimes faster—the ride through the University of Washington campus was slower due to the number of people using the Burke-Gilman Trail in that location and several road crossings.

I was surprised at how fast time passed from Gas Works Park to Kenmore. One hour and twenty minutes into my ride, I arrived at Log Boom Park. The park is at the northern end of Lake Washington and provides an excellent view of Mercer Island where many hi-tech executives live, including Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft. You can also watch seaplanes taking off and landing since Kenmore Air is right next to the park. After a brief stopped that included snapping a few pictures, I set off for Bothell.

Most of the ride from Kenmore to Bothell follows Bothell Way, so there was traffic noise and mainly industrial buildings. Kenmore and Bothell are neighboring cities, so it wasn’t long before I reached Blyth Park in Bothell. I had ridden 15 miles.

The Burke-Gilman Trail connects with the Sammamish River Trail and travels 10 miles along the Sammamish River, passing Woodinville on the way to Redmond. The trail, popular with families, inline skaters, joggers, and other cyclists, is flat, relatively straight, and surrounded by homes, community parks, and farmland. Early into my ride on the trail, Interstate 405 passed overhead. The Sammamish River is a narrow river. I spotted a couple of kayakers using the river.

An hour later I arrived in Redmond. I left the trail and rode down Leary Way to Palmers East for lunch. The weather by the time I reached Redmond had cleared and warmed, so I was able to eat outside—great, since I didn’t need to lock my bike and leave it unattended. The Rueben was tasty but the fries were wimpy and a little greasy. Service was good and the price of the food was reasonable given today’s prices.

After lunch, I rode a block to the Trek store in Redmond. I wanted to let my meal settle a little before getting on my bike and riding back to Gas Works Park. The Trek store was smaller than I imagined.

Before heading back, I rode the Sammamish River Trail to Marymoor Park, a huge park

with several athletic fields and a velodrome that is open to cyclists of all types. Passing over a pedestrian bridge, I spotted a windmill located within Marymoor Park that was similar to what you would see in the Netherlands.

After a few minutes checking out Marymoor Park, it was time to head back to Seattle. The ride back was more tiring and slower. My butt began to hurt and at one point I pulled a groin muscle. I had to stop and rest my legs and drink some PowerAde. I should have been drinking more PowerAde to replenish my electrolytes.

Once my muscle had stopped cramping, which happened rather quickly, I continued on my way. I took a detour to check out a street that Seattle named after me, Radford Lane. I never found the street because I got turned around. I had to ride down a hill to get to where I thought Radford Lane was located, which meant that I had to ride up the hill to get back to the Burke-Gilman Trail.

I did fine getting back up the hill with no issues from my leg muscles. It was as though I had gotten my second wind because the rest of the ride went smoothly and quickly. My butt was still killing me. Perhaps it’s time for some new padded cycling shorts. I reached Husky Stadium just in time to witness the Husky marching band welcoming the Husky football team. This was their home opener, and I ran into fans the rest of the way back to Gas Works Park.

Four hours and 53 miles later, I arrived back at my truck, tired, relieved, and satisfied with my ride. It was a fun ride that I would do again.

One thing I noticed is the lack of homeless camps. I never spotted a single homeless camp. That’s surprising when you consider I rode through several large cities, which got me thinking why it is that the Springwater Corridor Trail through Portland has such a homeless problem. I guess Seattle, Kenmore, Bothell, Woodinville, and Redmond just value their trails more than Portland and put more emphasis in keeping them clean and safe.