The park-like corridor of the Burke-Gilman Trail is not only used for commuting but also for recreation: cycling, walking, jogging, skating...and geocaching. Although the trail was initially resisted by nearby residents, it is now a vital link connecting many communities and neighborhoods. This well-used public space demonstrates the value of rails-to-trails development in an urban area; in fact, the success of the Burke-Gilman Trail has served as a model for cities nationwide and has been used to promote long-term planning of recreational open spaces.
In 1885, Thomas Burke and Daniel Gilman, along with several other investors, established a Seattle-based railroad to develop the young city as a major transportation hub. Eventually, Burke and Gilman's Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad became a leading regional line serving Puget Sound logging areas. The line was acquired by Northern Pacific in 1913 and continued in fairly heavy use for another fifty years. The Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and Burlington lines merged in 1970 to become Burlington Northern Railroad. In 1971, Burlington Northern applied to abandon this branch line along the western shore of Lake Washington. I can still recall the daily sound of the train whistle while I was a child in Lake Forest Park. We would sometimes run down to the tracks to watch the train pass by, hoping the conductor would sound the train whistle again just for us.
Between 1971 and 1973, the City of Seattle negotiated with Burlington Northern, resulting in the city's acquisition of the right-of-way. The City of Seattle, the University of Washington and King County cooperated in developing the route. The rails and ties were removed between October 1973 and February 1974, and the trail was then opened for limited use during construction. In the same year that the last rail was removed, the city paved the first four-block section of the Burke-Gilman Trail. I remember walking along the tracks to my best friend's house after the line was abandoned, and taking that bumpy ride along that same route before the rails and ties were completely removed. In fact, the first time I cycled between Lake Forest Park and Gas Works Park, there were still several unpaved sections. The ride was a little rough on those gravel portions of the trail with a heavy bike!
The construction of the trail between Seattle's Gas Works Park and Kenmore's Tracy Owen Station (a.k.a. Log Boom Park) was completed in 1978. The original 12.1-mile paved trail, named for the founders of the original rail line, was officially dedicated on August 19, 1978. Since then, short sections have been completed over time, with the resulting Burke-Gilman Trail extending from Golden Gardens Park in Ballard all the way to Kenmore; the trail continues to points beyond Kenmore by means of the Sammamish River Trail.
Burke-Gilman Timeline
What year did Thomas Burke and Daniel Gilman establish the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad line? ABCD
What year did Northern Pacific acquire the line? EFGH
Until what year did Northern Pacific continue fairly heavy use on this line? IJKL (This is not the year the line was abandoned.)
What year did the city pave the first section of trail? MNOP
How long was the original paved section of the trail? QR.S
The cache is located alongside of the Burke-Gilman Trail at N 47° PA.ONL W 122° EK.KHR. Were you paying attention? Find out by checking your answer here.
Thanks for indulging my trip down memory lane on the Burke-Gilman Trail. If you're so inclined, please include your own memories of the trail, or the train line that preceded it, in your log entry.