
Lake to Sound Trail
Latest News
- December 2021: Lake to Sound C, SeaTac advertised for bid. 1.8-miles of paved Regional Trail in SeaTac.
- February, 2022: The project construction contract has been awarded to Active Construction, Inc. for $6.8M. Construction is anticipated to begin in April.
Trail Description
The Lake to Sound Trail, once complete, will be a 16-mile non-motorized, multi-use recreational trail spanning from the south end of Lake Washington in Renton, all the way to the shoreline of Puget Sound in Des Moines.
One of the first trails to make connections between our larger network of Regional Trails System, the Lake to Sound Trail will connect five cities in south King County, as well as four other major regional trails.
Designed and constructed in segments, as funding allows, the construction includes a 12-foot-wide asphalt trail with two-foot soft surface shoulders and one-foot clear zones on each side of the trail, as well as other elements like retaining walls, improved intersections/traffic controls, improved drainage systems, culverts, bollards, native landscaping, fencing, art, and other trail amenities.
Visit the Project Information by Segment section to view the latest in design, outreach, technical reports and more. We'll keep all our Lake to Sound neighbors and stakeholders up to date as construction progresses.
New to the trail?
Visit the Trail History section to learn more about the trail's history, resources about the project history, or watch a video describing the projects scope and timeline.
Did you know our trails often host events?
See the What's Happening on the Trail section to know about events happening on the trail or in the area. Our trails are used by commuters and recreational users alike. They are also often the site for cycling races, informational walks, fun runs, 5ks, and more!
Be a part of the trails community!
The Lake to Sound Trail, much like all of our Regional Trails System trails, is a work in progress requiring constant management and upkeep. We always welcome constructive suggestion about trail maintenance, or safety from our users. Be sure to let us know if you see something on the trail that you think we can improve.
What's Happening on the Trail?
WSDOT installs more trip counters along the LTS Trail - Along with six existing trip counters, WSDOT and King County are partnering to install an additional 3 counters on the King County Regional Trails System to gather new data about trail use. The LTS trail is one of three new trails to be fitted with trip counters in 2016. As these counters continue to gather data, we hope to gain new insight into the ways people walk, bike, and enjoy our regional trails.
Trail History
A trail from Lake Washington to the Puget Sound – The Lake to Sound trail stems from a partnership between King County and five cities: Renton, Tukwila, Burien and Des Moines that goes back to 2008. Late that year and in early 2009, representatives from each city, the county, Cascade Bicycle Club, WSDOT, and the Port of Seattle gathered to review and approve the alignment for this 16-mile trail. Since then, King County, along with its partner cities, has been working to plan, design, and construct this visionary trail, one segment at a time. Funding for the preliminary design of the entire corridor and construction of the North Segment was proposed as part of the 2014-2019 King County Parks, Trails, and Open Space Replacement Levy.
Why is King County developing the Lake to Sound Trail?
The Lake to Sound Trail is part of a larger vision of mobility and access to all residents of King County. Not only does our Regional Trails System provide a connection between locations, it also connects people to healthy living, recreational opportunities, mental health, stress reduction and much, much more.
South King County is an area that is historically under served. In line with the King County Strategic Plan, trails in south King County are being prioritized to give those neighbors more access to recreational opportunities.
A trail for the community – At the end of the design, planning, outreach, and environmental multi-use process, King County will began finalizing the plans on the type of use, location, alignment, and width of the trail that best fits into the trail location within each segment.
Design and construction of each portion will continue to adhere to the agreements made during the early planning phase to provide a safe, multi-use regional trail for bicyclists, pedestrians, joggers, skaters, strollers, wheelchairs, and users of all ages and abilities.
Read this Lake to Sound General Project Description for more information.
Project Information by Segment:
1.2 miles (Naches Ave. in Renton across the Black River Forest to Ft. Dent in Tukwila) of trail was opened to the public on 2/26/2020.
1.5 miles along Des Moines Memorial Drive from S. 156th St to S. Normandy Rd. Construction was completed on this segment in 2018. The trail is now open for use.
Location: 2.2 miles connecting the south terminus of Segment B to the Des Moines Creek Trail at S. 200th St., roughly following the SR509 extension alignment. This project is funded by $11M WSDOT, $600K RCO Grant, and $2.2M Levy. When completed it will continue extending an important regional trail link. View segment map
This project was broken into phases by Cities. Phase 1 is in SeaTac and Phase 2 is in Burien. The contract for the 1.8-mile SeaTac segment has been awarded to Active Construction, Inc. Construction is anticipated to begin in April 2022.
Construction update: Ground was broken on Segment C in April 2022. As of November 2022 construction on Phase 1 in SeaTac is approaching the 50% milestone. The southern half of the trail, between 200th and 192nd along Des Moines Memorial Drive, has been paved. Work is currently focused north of 192nd on construction of elevated boardwalks that will carry users through wetlands and sensitive areas on property owned by WSDOT. The trail will remain closed to public use until it is fully complete. Phase 2 in Burien is scheduled to be bid for construction in early 2023 and completed by that winter.
Recent Activity:
- 1,700 square feet of retaining wall
- 2,354 square feet of soldier pile wall
- More than 2,300 linear feet of steel piles for the boardwalk
- 1,900 tons of asphalt
- More than 600 linear feet of storm pipe
Design:
- 100% Design Plans (Oct 2021)
- 90% Design Plans (July 2019)
- 60% Overview Map (August 2018)
- 60% Design Plans (July 2018)
- Alternatives Analysis (March 2017)
- Jurisdictional Ditch Memo (Jan 2017)
- Wetland Discipline Report (Jan 2017)
- Stormwater Technical Memo (Dec 2016)
- Draft Geotechnical report (Nov 2016)
- Traffic Analysis (May 2017)
Technical Reports:
- Lake to Sound Trail Segment C - SEPA DNS
- Lake to Sound Trail Segment C - SEPA Checklist
- Lake to Sound Trail Segment C - Vicinity Map
Public Outreach:
- April 12, 2017 - Open House
Project Manager: David Shaw