For a hilly, wooded off-road run in Seattle’s eastern suburbs, Saint Edward State Park is a good bet. Located on the grounds of a former seminary, this relatively new park on the Kirkland/Kenmore border is the largest undeveloped piece of land on Lake Washington. There are several miles of trails covering 326 acres, including 3,000 feet of shoreline. Near the main parking area, the are some lovely open lawns and fields. Most of the rest of the terrain is fairly wooded — this is easy-to-moderate trail running. Note that the Beach Trail doesn’t really have water views. Note: Some of the trails are quite narrow.
This park map shows the different trails, with ratings on their difficulty. It’s downhill headed toward the lake. We’ve mapped a route around the outer perimeter. Starting from the parking lot, the route follows the North Trail-Beach Trail-S Ridge-Water Tower-Plateau-Entrance-Juanita-Arrowhead. It’s 5k, with a 500 foot gain!
For a hilly, wooded off-road run in Seattle’s eastern suburbs, Saint Edward State Park is a good bet. Located on the grounds of a former seminary, this relatively new park on the Kirkland/Kenmore border is the largest undeveloped piece of land on Lake Washington. There are several miles of trails covering 326 acres, including 3,000 feet of shoreline. Near the main parking area, the are some lovely open lawns and fields. Most of the rest of the terrain is fairly wooded — this is easy-to-moderate trail running. Note that the Beach Trail doesn’t really have water views. Note: Some of the trails are quite narrow.
This park map shows the different trails, with ratings on their difficulty. It’s downhill headed toward the lake. We’ve mapped a route around the outer perimeter. Starting from the parking lot, the route follows the North Trail-Beach Trail-S Ridge-Water Tower-Plateau-Entrance-Juanita-Arrowhead. It’s 5k, with a 500 foot gain!
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Essentials
Several miles of trails. Perimeter loop is 3.2 miles (5 km)
The main waterfront trail in downtown Seattle runs along Puget Sound from T-Mobile Park in the south to Smith Cove Park in the north. Nicest section is 2 miles from Olympic Sculpture Park to Elliott Bay Park.
One of the most popular destinations for running in the Seattle area. The outer loop is a perfect 5k! Great views of the lake, and on a clear day, Mt. Rainier.
One of the most popular runs in Seattle is the ~10k loop around Lake Union. Great views of the lake, the city skyline, the Olympic Mountains & Mt. Rainer. 2–3 miles from downtown, and close to the Capitol Hill area.
A 230 acre park along Lake Washington in the Madison Park area of Seattle, near the University of Washington. Miles of trails wind through forests of maples, magnolias, oaks, salmonberry, and the famous Azalea Way.
There are pedestrian paths/bike trails alongside both the I-90 and 520 bridges connecting Seattle to its eastern suburbs. Safe and scenic to run, with great views. Good add-ons, especially on the Seattle side.
Good neighborhood for running -- vibrant with fun commercial areas and high-end homes. Also, a good spot to do some hill running! We've listed some of the hip commercial streets, the best residential areas, and the hilliest spots.
The largest urban park in Seattle, Discovery Park’s 530 acres include more than 10 miles of trails, varying from forested singletrack to wooded stairways overlooking the shores of Puget Sound.
Fantastic waterfront running in eastern Seattle, just south of I-90. A 2.4 mile car-free loop around Seward Park, and then a path for 3.4 miles along Lake Washington Blvd., with water views the whole way. Cherry blossoms in Seward Park in season!
Two great running options in West Seattle. A coastal path along Alki Beach is 3.4 miles to JackJack Block Park, with great views of Puget Sound and the city skyline. Lincoln Park has several miles of trails through woods, around fields, and along the coast.
Our running recommendations for Bellevue, home to numerous corporate offices & hotels. Use the 10-mile Lake to Lake Trail, which runs through 9 parks, as a connector. Other options: Medina Loop, Mercer Slough, Willburton Hill Park, Lake Hills Greenbelt, Weowna Park.
Highlights of running in Kirkland are the 5.75 mile Cross-Kirkland Trail; the wooded trails in Bridle Falls State Park; the marina area near downtown; sections of Lake Washington Blvd.; and Juanita Bay Park/Juanita Beach Park.
Our guide to running in Redmond, home to Microsoft and many other employers. Highlights are the Squamish River Trail, Marymoor Park, and the Redmond Watershed.
A selection of some terrific running routes in Tacoma, a city of 200,000 located about 30 miles southwest of Seattle along the Puget Sound. Several waterfront routes and some nice parks. See the overview map for locations.
A worthy running destination, 35 min. via ferry from Seattle. We've researched some of the best running options among the 44 miles of trails, 1600 acres of parkland, and miles of quiet, wooded roads. Parkrun @Fort Ward, Saturdays, 9am.
Several multi-use paths in the Renton area. The Soos Creek Trail runs for 7 miles between Renton and Lake Meridian in Kent, traveling through wetlands and farmland. The Green River Trail follows the Green River for 20 miles from Duwamish to Kent, and has some nice sections.
A good running option in Renton. Rail-Trail runs for 17.4 miles between Renton and Landsburg. Some wooded sections, others more open & park-like, with some nice views of the Cedar River. A gradual uphill headed north to south. Parkrun in Renton
Scenic, gravel multi-use trail that stretches for 212 miles from Cedar Falls, just outside of Seattle’s eastern suburbs, to the Idaho Border. Olallie State Park, mountain passes, farmlands of eastern Washington, and the nation’s longest tunnel open to nonmotorized traffic!
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Essentials
Several miles of trails. Perimeter loop is 3.2 miles (5 km)
This park map shows the different trails, with ratings on their difficulty. It’s downhill headed toward the lake. We’ve mapped a route around the outer perimeter. Starting from the parking lot, the route follows the North Trail-Beach Trail-S Ridge-Water Tower-Plateau-Entrance-Juanita-Arrowhead. It’s 5k, with a 500 foot gain!
Review or Comment on This Route/Share a Photo!
Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!