With over 300 miles of regional trails in King County (those are the flat, wide, mostly paved trails) there is something for almost everyone. Want to go for a gentle bike ride along a scenic river? Check. A glorious view of Lake Washington with stops for lunch? Check. How about some expansive mountain views with tantalizing riffles to fly fish? We’ve got that too.

Now, King County Parks is working on connecting a few of these amazing trails and creating yet another unique experience for trail visitors. The Lake to Sound Trail will run from the south end of Lake Washington in Renton, through the Black River Riparian Forest, west through Tukwila, Burien, and SeaTac, meeting up with the Des Moines Creek Trail ending at the shoreline of Puget Sound in Des Moines Beach Park.

This trail is one of a kind. It will connect three other regional trails – the Green River Trail, Cedar River Trail, and Eastrail throughout the five cities of Des Moines, SeaTac, Burien, Tukwila, and Renton. Unlike the majority of other regional trails, it’s not a rail-trail – existing in a former rail corridor – but a creative evolution of trail connections and is a testament to the collaboration and hard work of the cities involved.

One of the first trails to provide long-awaited connectivity, once completed this 16-mile multi-use path will provide close access to two light rail stations as well as a connection with the Green River Trail which goes within blocks of a sounder station and Rapid Ride station at the Southcenter Mall.

The next section of the Lake to Sound Trail is Segment C in SeaTac and Burien and is set to break ground late this October with the completion of the entire trail in 2023.