Lake Sammamish Lake

Lake Sammamish is a freshwater lake in King County, Washington, east of Seattle and bordered by the cities of Redmond, Issaquah and Sammamish. It is an elongated lake used extensively for recreation by the greater Seattle area.

Users frequent the lake for rowing, kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing and shoreline parks; several public boat launches and the state park support day-use recreation. The lake’s configuration and proximity to urban areas make it one of the region’s primary suburban lake destinations.

The lake occupies a glacially influenced basin and has long been used for local recreation; shoreline development increased with suburban growth in the 20th century, accompanied by management of water quality and public parks. It remains an important recreational and ecological feature for King County.

Geographically it lies in western Washington State within east King County, about 20 kilometers east of downtown Seattle, set between suburban communities and low-lying lake shorelands.

• Park access: Lake Sammamish State Park sits on the lake’s western shore and offers boat launches, swimming and picnic facilities.
• Nearby cities: The lake is bordered by the cities of Redmond, Issaquah and the city of Sammamish, making it very accessible from east King County and Seattle suburbs.

Lake Sammamish lies east of central Seattle in King County between the cities of Bellevue and Issaquah. By car from downtown Seattle you can reach the lake via I‑90 east (then local northbound roads) or SR‑520 east to Bellevue and local streets to the lake - the lake is roughly 15-25 km (about a 20-30 minute drive, depending on traffic) from downtown Seattle. Major lakefront roads include East Lake Sammamish Parkway and West Lake Sammamish Parkway; Marymoor Park (at the lake’s northwest end) provides large parking and trail access to the waterfront.

• Approach the lake from Lake Sammamish State Park or the East Lake Sammamish Trail depending on your activity - the state park is the main public beach and boat launch area while the East Lake Sammamish Trail provides continuous, car-free access along much of the east shore.
• Visit on weekday mornings or late afternoons to avoid heavy weekend and holiday traffic from the Seattle/Tacoma area; parking at the state park and trailheads fills quickly on warm weekends.
• Use Marymoor Park and the north-end access points when coming from Redmond - they provide good cycling and picnic options and connect to the wider regional trail network without needing to cross the main lake roads.