AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
2025-03-25, Park at Bothell Landing (Bothell, Washington), 073530.jpg
Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sammamish River Park

Burke-Gilman Trail & Tolt Pipeline Trail via Sammamish River Trail

15.9 mi · ▲ 950 ft · 5 hr 46 min

Burke-Gilman Trail & Tolt Pipeline Trail via Sammamish River Trail is a 15.9-mile out-and-back in Sammamish River Park near Cottage Lake, WA. It climbs 950 ft, with sections as steep as 21% grade. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi16 – 541 ft · steepest grade: 21%17.7 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Tolt Pipeline Trail 47.73646, -122.07959
Nearest town Cottage Lake, WA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Burke-Gilman Trail & Tolt Pipeline Trail via Sammamish River Trail

15.9 mi · ▲ 950 ft · 5 hr 46 min

Elevation 17–540 ft

Out & Back · Sammamish River Park

Trailhead: Tolt Pipeline Trail · 47.73646, -122.07959

Weather Aug 4: sunrise 5:50 AM · sunset 8:40 PM

Transit-accessible: Avondale Rd NE & NE 149th St stop 73 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Tolt Pipeline Trail, heading W.
  2. 2.1 miTurn left, heading W.
  3. 0.9 miContinue straight onto Sammamish River Trail, heading W.
  4. 1.5 miTurn left, heading NW.
  5. 1.1 miBear right, heading W.
  6. 0.8 miTurn right, heading NW.
  7. 0.4 miTurn right onto Burke-Gilman Trail, heading SW.
  8. 0.4 miTurn right, heading SW.
  9. 0.8 miReach Tolt Pipeline Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  10. 0.8 miSharp right, heading NW.
  11. 100 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  12. 0.3 miTurn left onto Sammamish River Trail, heading SE.
  13. 0.4 miTurn right, heading SE.
  14. 0.2 miBear left, heading SE.
  15. 0.6 miTurn right, heading NE.
  16. 1.1 miTurn left, heading E.
  17. 0.6 miBear left, heading NE.
  18. 0.9 miContinue straight onto Tolt Pipeline Trail, heading SE.
  19. 0.9 miTurn right, heading S.
  20. 2 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/burke-gilman-trail-tolt-pipeline-trail-out-back-26-km

Trail surface

48% paved40% dirt9% gravel3% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 5:50 AMSunset 8:40 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.2 mi in (~39 min). Leave by 7:41 PM for the 8:40 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:24 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp. Car visible from the viewpoint

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Avondale Rd NE & NE 149th St stop 73 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Tolt Pipeline Trail Trailhead

Hikes near Cottage Lake, Washington