As intra-city trails go, the Cross Kirkland Corridor is one of the more interesting routes in the area.
First, the names need to be sorted out. The 42 mile trail planned to connect Renton, Bellevue, Kirkland, Woodinville, Redmond and Snohomish has been dubbed Eastrail, and its former name was Eastside Rail Corridor – and a few signs on the path have the old name. The Eastrail route through Kirkland is 6 miles long and it is called the Cross Kirkland Corridor (CKC).
We started from Crestwoods Park because there is plenty of parking and a seasonal restroom is available. The CKC runs north-south on the east side of the park. We accessed the CKC via a path on the south side of the park. Another advantage of starting here is that a delightful frog sculpture sits on the fence along the CKC at the exit to Crestwoods Park, so it is easy to find the turn off on the way back.
The CKC is a relatively flat rail trail of finely crushed and densely packed gravel. The surface is wide and in good condition. The CKC is suitable for bicycles, strollers and wheel chairs, but the footpath from the park to the CKC is not. Many paths enter and exit the CKC along its route. Some intersecting paths are marked, but many are not.
We headed north. The trail in the vicinity of Crestwoods Park is pleasant with trees on both sides of the path. At the northern end of the CKC, a new trail bridge over NE 124th Street is under construction in July, 2022. The CKC currently ends a few blocks north of NE 124th Street, so we turned around at the construction site. Once the bridge is completed, the trail will be much more pleasant at this congested section of the trail.
Heading south, we went through the newly expanded Feriton Spur Park. The park features a splash area, pickle ball court, community garden and a beer garden in a fenced yard around a caboose. Single occupant restrooms are also available.
Continuing south, expansive views of Lake Washington and the Seattle skyline are seen on the west side of the trail. The CKC officially ends at 108th Avenue NE near the South Kirkland Park and Ride. We continued south into Bellevue. We turned around at the new Light Rail Base. Although light rail trains are not running on the east side, the base was packed with dozens of new commuter rail cars.
The CKC crosses many east-west streets throughout its length. The street crossings typically have yellow warning lights that are activated by a push button. Motorists usually stopped for us to cross the street, but not always. Caution is necessary at frequent street crossings.
For our trip, we covered 13.9 miles round trip on a hot midsummer afternoon. Bring water. The route has some shade, but it is sun exposed much of the way.
The CKC presents an interesting mix of old and new features and it is definitely worth exploring.
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