cross kirkland corridor trail

If you want to have a quiet walk through Kirkland, the newly opened Cross Kirkland Corridor Trail is a treasure. Part of the Rails to Trails model, this used to be a train track and the City of Kirkland has transformed it into a multi-use trail made of hard packed gravel.I'd recommend parking at the South Kirkland Park and Ride and then walking uphill on 108th Ave. When you reach the train tracks in 100 yards or so, turn left and you are the endpoint of the CKC. The trail runs for 5.75 miles north through residential neighborhoods of Kirkland up to the light industrial area of Totem Lake. There are frequent views of the lake as well as the Olympic Mountains toward the south end of the trail. As you move further north it become a more wooded environment.This is a great treasure for the neighborhood and has a similar feel to the Burke-Gilman on the west side of Lake Washington. Be aware:While it is expected there will be a couple restaurants coming to border the trail, there isn't anything yet.Toilet facilities are not available on the trail although it passes through several parks which have bathrooms (porti potties).The gravel is variable thickness, if you are on a skinny tire race bike you need to pay attention. Mountain bikes won't have any problems.Wheelchairs might require some work in the thicker gravel spots or if there is mud.Google is constructing another building and they have detours around the work area. Signage is fine so you won't get lost.It will cross several streets so if you have children, you need to be aware that some of these streets have a lot of traffic. These crossings are paved and marked.There is no lighting so be careful if you ride/walk in the evening and make sure bring a light to see and be seen.Look at the City of Kirkland webpage for the current status.It is a beautiful resource, give it a try!

This is the trail that they made out of the the old dinner train tracks. Kirkland has recently graveled it and added rails and access points all across the city. It is now possible to walk, bike and jog. I hope they continue this and connect the trail to Woodinville wine country!

My 14-year old daughter and I biked the length of the 5.75 mile trail and back. Really enjoyed the trail . . . great views of Lake Washington from a high vantage point, you get to see the scenic backyards of some high end homes, it cuts through the new Kirkland Google campus. There are a few trestles, and a couple of stretches through some somewhat more remote wooded areas.There are many street crossings, but most of them are very lightly-traveled sleepy residential streets, and in any case all street crossings are equipped with button-activated caution lights or signals.The trail is a gem and I hope plans go forth to expand it and connect it to some of the region's other well-known trails; right now, the trail is an "island" with no such connections.There are just a couple of minor downsides: (1) The trail surface is packed gravel; wish there were (or will be) some money available to pave it (2) There are a lot of street crossings, more than seems to be the norm with old rail corridors even in urban areas (though fortunately most are minor) (3) There are a few instances of steep slopes immediately adjacent to the trail and (surprisingly in our modern safety-obsessed era) not protected by guardrails; could be a safety concern for kids just learning to bike, so be careful.