Friday's Did You Know? The Burke-Gilman Trail

The Burke-Gilman Trail is a biking, hiking, skating, walking or skipping path that follows the original route of the Lake Shore & Eastern Railroad. The trail is named after the Railroad founders Judge Thomas Burke and Daniel Gilman. The line went east along Lake Union's north shore and then around Lake Washington.  The history of the trail is the history of the original railroad that created it.  The line was originally intended to cross Snoqualmie Pass. While this goal was never reached, the rail line did quickened the development of King County by carrying much of the Timber and coal used to build it up.  The original "Burke-Gilman trail" (railroad at the time) reached Snoqualmie Falls in 1889, when line was built to connect with the Canadian Pacific Railroad in the town of Sumas.

After the railroad was abandoned in the 60's, the city of Seattle purchased the old line to build our beloved urban trail.