Location and Address: Ballard to Bothell
Acreage: 88.03
There are so many great segments of this popular biking and walking trail, but one of my favorite parts of the Burke-Gilman Trail is the piece that runs from the University of Washington to Fremont.
It features some nice views of Lake Union and downtown, and it’s always buzzing with activity, since it serves as a main commuting route for students.
Whatever your favorite part of the trail, it’s thanks to some adamant citizens that it exists as public space at all. In the late 1800s the land adjacent to Lake Washington was being eyed (by two guys named Burke and Gilman, in case you were wondering) as a good railroad route. Some feisty Seattleites thought it would be better served as a public right-of-way, and they fought hard to have it preserved.
The original part of the trail was from Gas Works Park in Seattle to Kenmore. Now it starts in Ballard and meets the Sammamish River trail to extend all the way to Redmond.
It’s hard to believe there are locals who have never been on even a small part of this trail, but if you are a newbie to the BGT and want to check it out, here is a great map.
By the way… Friends of Burke-Gilman Trail is advocating to complete one final segment of the trail in Ballard.
#72 (Visited 1/5/10)