7) The I-90 Trail from Luther Burbank Park to Mercer Slough


Hike Length: 2.5 miles plus roaming within the parks
Elevation Gain: minimal
Hike Difficulty: easy
Map: King County Bicycling Guidemap, Bellevue Park Guide
hike overview map


The I-90 Trail connects two fine parks with exceptionally easy bus access. The trail itself is a paved bicycle expressway, offering little entertainment for the mere pedestrian. However Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island and Mercer Slough Nature Preserve in Bellevue are definitely worth a walker’s time. If you’re energetic, you can walk the 2.5 miles of the I-90 trail that connects the two parks. Otherwise, use the frequent Sound Transit 550 express busses to cover the same distance much more quickly.

Getting there:

From downtown Seattle, catch the ST 550 bus and ride it to Mercer Island Park and Ride [GPS N 47 deg 35 min 18 sec, W 122 deg 13 min 56 sec].

Good bus service is available on weekends.

The Hike:

From the Mercer Island Park and Ride bus stop, walk east a few paces, then turn left (north) onto 81st Ave. SE. Go right (east) onto SE 24th Street, and follow it to the park entrance. Helpful signs direct you to the park.

At 77 acres, Luther Burbank contains a satisfying collection of attractions, including three-quarters of a mile of Lake Washington waterfront, and almost three miles of meandering pathways for walking and bird watching. Views from the paths include Seattle, the Eastside and even the Cascade Mountains.

When finished with your Luther Burbank visit, you have two ways to continue on to Mercer Slough Park: either return to the park and ride and catch the eastbound ST 550 bus to South Bellevue Park and Ride, or walk the I-90 Trail about 2.5 miles.

To do the walk, head for the south end of Luther Burbank park. At the South Parking Lot, leave the park on a short west-trending driveway, then go left on 84th Ave, heading toward a massive concrete wall that hides the freeway. At the base of the wall is the I-90 Trail, where you go left ( east) toward Bellevue. The paved trail, popular with bicyclists, follows the north edge of the freeway. Although landscaped sound walls give a bit of protection from the presence of the freeway, the walking a bit on the dull and noisy side. At a long mile from Luther Burbank Park, the trail crosses the East Channel freeway bridge, with nice views of Lake Washington, passing boats, and expensive waterfront homes. You’ll enjoy this stretch more if you wear earplugs to reduce the overwhelming roar of the freeway traffic.

At the far end of the bridge, the trail leaves the freeway and reaches a relatively peaceful rest stop with an information board containing free bike maps of Bellevue that you can pick up. From here, the trail doubles back westward to cross underneath the freeway bridge. Just beyond the bridge, the trail passes tiny Enatai Beach Park, then resumes heading east, this time on the south side of I-90. This noisy stretch is relatively short, and soon the trail passes underneath a freeway interchange among a gloomy forest of concrete pillars, before reemerging into the light at the SW corner of Mercer Slough Nature Preserve. Stay left (North) at a trail junction, following signs pointing to South Bellevue Park and Ride The trail follows busy Bellevue Way, reaching the park and ride at 2.5 miles from Luther Burbank Park.

The park and ride is a major entry point into large Mercer Slough Nature Park, which encompasses more than 300 acres of wetlands in the heart of Bellevue. This area was once part of Lake Washington, until the lake level was lowered after the creation of the Seattle Ship Canal. The park offers more than five miles of trails that are walkable year-round. Marshes, meadows and forest provide critical habitat for wildlife. It's a bird watcher's paradise, with more than 100 species of birds inhabiting the slough during the year.

At the south end of the South Bellevue park and ride, a major trail (part of the Bellevue Lake-to-Lake trail system) heads into the heart of the park. Much of the trail is built on wood planking to keep you above the muck. In less than a half mile, the trail reaches a bridge spanning Mercer Slough. This is a pretty spot and an ideal turnaround point if you’re tired; otherwise, head on deeper into the park and explore the miles of looping trails.

When finished with Mercer Slough Park, return the way you came to the South Bellevue Park and Ride, where there is a major bus stop, located by the side of Bellevue Way.

Getting Back

From South Bellevue Park and Ride, take ST 550 to go to downtown Seattle. 

Rev 02/17/07