A serene hideaway for year round urban escapes – this Eastside trail is a perfect loop for young hikers, stroller walkers and casual hikes. Part of our ongoing series featuring our favorite Eastside parks and trails, read on to find out what you’ll want to know on your wander around Yellow Lake.
About Yellow Lake
Tucked away in Sammamish’s Klahanie neighborhood, right on the border where Issaquah Highlands meets Sammamish, you’ll find the low-traffic 1.25 mile loop trail that circumnavigates Yellow Lake. This mostly flat, gravel and soft dirt loop features a wide multi-use trail, grassy picnic area with playground and exercise equipment, and a small dock for viewing the lake and water fowl that call it home.
Location
About 5-10 minutes from Downtown Issaquah, you’ll find Yellow Lake right near the Klahanie North Pool. There is no formal address listed for the park, so we recommend mapping to the pool, located at 4210 244th Pl SE, Sammamish, WA, 98029, then finding street parking on Klahanie Dr SE. The trail head is located right near the large playground and grassy area visible from the road.
Arriving at Yellow Lake
There is no visible signage for Yellow Lake, and only a small sign indicating where the loop trail actually begins. While there are several entry points on/off the trail, we recommend parking on Klahanie Drive SE, the main road that runs through the center of Klahanie as stated above. In our experience, there is always ample street parking available.
Upon exiting your vehicle you’ll head towards the large playground and grass field, and follow the gravel trail to the small bridge and “Loop Trail” sign. Nearby you’ll see the fine restroom facilities (as pictured below).
Continuing straight across the bridge will start you off on a counterclockwise route of “the loop” that begins with an optional trek down to the dock view point. Alternatively, if you turn left at the Loop Trail sign and head clockwise around the lake, you can end your walk with a snack and seat on the dock.
We like to make our first stop a visit to the dock. The ducks are usually there in masses, and expecting to be fed. Per signage on the dock, it is recommended that if you plan to feed the ducks, some safe items include: oats, peas, or corn. Please be respectful of their health and avoid feeding them things like bread or crackers.
Heading back to the trail, you’ll start off on the gentle, wooded terrain, and find peekaboo views of the lake throughout.
Navigation around the loop is very straight forward, and the couple of places with alternative exit/entry points have signage as pictured below. For the ambitious folks looking to get a total body workout in, several body weight exercise stations provide equipment and info-graphics to guide you in some strength training exercises along the way around the lake. Long-distance runners or hikers might pair their outing with some extra miles on the 30+ miles of groomed/paved trails found throughout Klahanie.
Lastly, you’ll end your walk right back where you started (the beauty of a loop trail!) and that wraps up our tour of Sammamish’s Yellow Lake Trail! Have a park or trail you’d love to see us do a virtual tour of? Visit our contact page and let us know!
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