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The Redmond Central Connector is a traditional, paved suburban rail-to-trail path running south down the Sammamish valley and through the new urban core of Redmond along the historical Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern Railway right of way.
The trail starts on the north end at 124th St., where it connects to the Eastrail and runs south, paralleling Willows Road past agricultural land, then through light industrial buildings sometimes hidden by trees, sometimes not. Gradually swinging further east, the trail crosses the Sammamish Slough and the Sammamish River Trail on the original railroad trestle, offering nice views up and down the valley.
The trail continues along the elevated railroad grade into downtown Redmond, which had been its farming and industrial core but now is populated by large, new apartment buildings. Don't miss several very creative railroad-oriented art installations and very nice public spaces through this urban section. The official Redmond Central Connector parking lot is in this area as well.
Several smaller grassy open park areas dot the route as it skirts the north side of Redmond Town Center until the trail ends running into the Bear Creek Trail just before Highway 520.
For further mileage, there are easy connections on the east end to the Bear Creek trail and East Lake Sammamish Trail with a small detour up and along Redmond Way on the other side of Highway 520. The Sammamish River Trail can be accessed either by stairs or a separate "off-ramp" just east of the Sammamish Slough. Lastly, the north end plugs directly into the large Eastrail system at 124th St.
WTA Pro Tip: For those interested in a beer-oriented "recovery drink", the north end of the trail runs right next to Redmond's de facto brewery district.
Trailhead
