Seattle/Redmond is a regular stop during my travel, and fortunately my running buddy Christopher moved there a few years back and has become my running Sherpa guide for Seattle.
I am comfortable running any of these routes alone in daylight, but I would not run any of them alone in the dark. I would only run them early morning or late evening with another runner keeping me company.
Seattle has an amazing trail network and lots of great options in different parts of the city, here is a summary of the trails I explore when in Seattle.
Elliott Bay Trail
Staying in downtown Seattle? Your simplest option is to make your way to the waterfront, turn right and follow the pathway North. You get a nice view of the water for about 4 km (3 miles), although you do have to dodge tourists checking out boat tours and the aquarium for the first km. It can be quite cold in the winter with the wind coming off the water. You can take some nice pictures of the piers to commemorate the run.
- Location: Downtown Seattle on the waterfront
- Type: Out and back
- Hills: None except for running from your hotel down to the waterfront and back.
- Distance: you can go further in either direction, but my favorite stretch is the 4 km from Ivars Clams to Smith Cove
- Terrain: Paved pathway
- Pedestrian/Jogging/Bike traffic: Tourists walking around until you get North of the aquarium, after that mostly joggers and cyclists. There are stretches of the park where they separate the cycling and running paths.
Please note on the map below the markers are km markers NOT mile makers!
Map: 
Green Lake
This is the busiest running loop I have found in Seattle. It’s a wonderful flat loop around a lake, complete with real washrooms. You can jog all the way around the lake and look for ducks or rowers. One drawback to this location, Green Lake is notorious for car break ins. Leave absolutely nothing visible in your car when you go out to run. Put everything out of sight in the trunk. Even a pair of sunglasses or a jacket on the front seat can result in returning to a smashed car window. if you are a triathlete you can also do open swims out here as well. Read more about the park facilities at the City of Seattle Green Lake guide.
- Location: North of downtown near the zoo
- Type: Loop
- Hills: None
- Distance: One loop is about 5 km
- Terrain: Paved and gravel pathway options
- Pedestrian/Jogging/Bike traffic: Lots of joggers and walkers a few cyclists.
Alki
- Location: West Seattle
- Type: Out and back
- Hills: None
- Distance: End to End about 12 km
- Terrain: Paved pathway + one stretch on city streets connecting Alki beach to Lincoln park.
- Pedestrian/Jogging/Bike traffic: If you go on a sunny weekend there will be a LOT of pedestrians, rollerbladers, and cyclists near the beach.
This is probably my favorite running trail because you jog along the water, my favorite stretch is down around Lincoln Park as you run past the beaches and driftwood, though the views of the Seattle Skyline as your round the northern point are a treat as well. If you are looking for a decadent treat, consider stopping at Top Pot donuts at the South end of Alki beach or grab breakfast at Luna Park café right by the West Seattle bridge. The only parking around here is street parking. As a general guideline, the further away from Alki beach you are, the easier it is to find parking.
Please note on the map below the markers are km markers NOT mile makers!
Burke Gilman Trail
I know I have run on various stretches of the Burke Gilman trail, but it’s always been with other runners leading the way. This is the trail that seems to go on forever! It takes you from the Lake Union loop all the way out to the Sammamish trail. The stretch I remember is near the university of Washington, a pleasant shaded stretch. You can find more information on the city site about the Burke Gilman trail
- Location: From Shilshole Bay to Bothell!
- Type: Out and back or connect to the lake union loop
- Hills: I have not done the entire trail so I don’t know
- Distance: End to End about 18 miles
- Terrain: Paved pathway
- Pedestrian/Jogging/Bike traffic: lots of cyclists because this is a popular commuting trail, so if you are jogging with friends stay to one side of the path and be careful when passing
Please note on the map below the markers are km markers NOT mile makers!
Sammamish River Trail
This is another of those incredibly long trails, it goes from Bothell through Woodinville to Redmond. It connects the Burke Gilman trail to Marymoor. The stretches I have run were all flat along the river. Keep your eyes open for herons and ducks along the river and you can get in as much mileage as you need. I have started from Redmond to do an out and back, and I have started from Woodinville to do an out and back. My favorite stretch is to go North on this trail starting at the Commons (145th St). You pass bathrooms and a water fountain about 3 km up the trail which is convenient. You can find out more information on the city site for the Sammamish River Trail.
- Location: Bothell, Woodinville, Redmond
- Type: Out and back
- Hills: None that I have encountered, but I have not done the entire trail
- Distance: as far as you want to go if you connect to the Burke Gilman or Marymoor
- Terrain: Paved pathway
- Pedestrian/Jogging/Bike traffic: You will meet a few cyclists, a few pedestrians and a few joggers, possibly a horse or two on some stretches.
Marymoor park
Marymoor park is a popular park for many activities with a trail running through it. On a clear day you can see Mt Rainier in the distance. Depending when you go you might run past people flying remote control planes. I take personal pleasure crossing a small bridge at the end of the park which has a speed limit of 6 mph. It’s not often I can speed when jogging 😊. If you drive out here for a morning run, the family pancake house makes a good spot for breakfast post run.
The other great thing about Marymoor park is it connects to several other much longer trails so you can easily add mileage as needed. You can connect to the East Lake Sammamish trail or the Sammamish river trail. Find out more about the park at the Marymoor park site. To find out more information about the trail, the city has a site on the Marymoor Connector trail
- Location: Redmond
- Type: Out and back
- Hills: None
- Distance: as far as you want to go if you connect to the East lake Sammamish or Sammamish River Trails
- Terrain: Paved pathway
- Pedestrian/Jogging/Bike traffic: You will meet a few cyclists, a few pedestrians and a few joggers, some of the cyclists are commuters and may be moving fast.
Please note on the map below the markers are km markers NOT mile makers!
520 Trail
The 520 trail is mostly used by commuters, but it does work as a running trail if you are staying near or working at the Microsoft campus in Redmond. It’s a noisy trail because it runs parallel to the 520. If you are running at dusk make sure you are reflective and visible to cyclists who are often going pretty fast! If it’s summer and you are lucky you might be able to take advantage of all the blackberries growing on the side of the path. The trail follows the 520 from just East of the 405 to Redmond. I have only done the 4 km stretch from Microsoft to Redmond which includes a wicked hill! If you need hill training, this will do the trick. There are of course lots of other hills in Seattle you can run, but this one happens to be convenient to wear I usually work and is on a path.
- Location: Redmond
- Type: Out and back
- Hills: hilly with one really solid climb about a mile long
- Distance: About 8 km if you start at one end of Microsoft campus and go to Redmond and back. You can go as far as you want to go if you connect to the Sammamish River Trail
- Terrain: Paved pathway
- Pedestrian/Jogging/Bike traffic: Mostly cyclists commuting to and from work
East Lake Sammamish Trail
If you are near Redmond, and just want a nice trail with views of the water, I recommend the East Lake Sammamish trail. We made the mistake of driving further down and planning to run back and discovered just about every road there does not allow street parking. So if you don’t want to start your run at Marymoor, make sure you check out the map below or visit the city website with more details on the East Lake Sammamish Trail so you know where you can park.
- Location: Redmond
- Type: Out and back
- Hills: Flat
- Distance: About 8 km if you start at one end of Microsoft campus and go to Redmond and back. You can go as far as you want to go if you connect to the Sammamish River Trail
- Terrain: Paved pathway/gravel pathway
- Pedestrian/Jogging/Bike traffic: fairly quiet, the occasional cyclist or jogger
Seattle Green Lake Running Group
I would be remiss if I did not call out this running group. There are more running trails and loops I have never explored. Seattle has a fantastic trail network. If you are new to Seattle, or visiting Seattle and are looking for someone to run with so you can learn some good routes, I have found the Seattle Green Lake Running Group to be very welcoming. Whenever I am in town for a weekend and need a long run, I run with the group. They have a Facebook page, but they use a Meetup to plan the long runs many of which include great photo ops like this one from Kerry Park, famous for it’s views of Seattle.
If you have a specific distance and pace in mind it’s a good idea to post it to the meetup, chances are someone will help you out. They usually run at 7 AM Saturday mornings for the long runs. It’s also quite common for runners with longer distances to do 6 @6 a couple of loops around Green lake before the other runners arrive and then finish your last 6,8,10, 12, 14 miles with the larger group. You can also post to the meetup that you would like to do a 6@6 and are looking for company. There will be distances written in chalk on the parking lot so you can find the other runners doing your distance. You will have to ask around and introduce yourself to find out who else is running around your pace and who knows the route 🙂 Since I am not a local, I rely on someone else to make sure I don’t get lost.
They do other runs as well, track workouts, evening runs, mid-week runs. The only runs I have done with them are the Saturday morning long runs and the Monday track workouts. But they have definitely been a huge help for keeping me on track with my long runs when on the road in Seattle! Whether you want to run 3 miles or 18 miles, whether you are running 10 minute miles or 7 minute miles you will find a kindred spirit.
Thank you SGRLG! You rock!
For more running related blog posts check out my page for runners.
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