CTS Yellow #4: Full Lake Loop

Alert:  There is no water at the start, please fill your bottles prior to arriving.  Restrooms are limited, there are two portable restrooms in a parking lot behind the start line building.  Please allow extra time if needed.  Our first official rest stop will be Seward Park at mile 7.0.

Our fourth ride takes us all the way around Lake Washington in clockwise direction.  This route is fondly called 'the full lake loop' and is roughly 50 miles with several good climbs in it.  We start from the south end of the lake at old Renton City Hall. We ride through Renton out to the Airport Perimeter Road and Rainier Ave with our first climb going up Seward Park the opposite direction we did it on ride #2.  We have our first stop at Seward Park, then we head north on Lake Washington Blvd over to the University Bridge.  From there we ride through UW and behind the Husky stadium.  Watch the water as you ride behind the Stadium as the turtles are often sunning themselves on the logs.  After the Stadium we jump on the Burke Gillman Trail for a short section before we hop off and tackle a long steady climb up Sand Point Way. We drop down into the north end of the lake on Lake City Way/Bothell Way and make our second stop at Log Boom Park. We sidle back on the Burke Gillman Trail for another short stint, detour through the Wayne Public Golf Course gravel parking lot and start our second steady climb up Waynita way. We ride up and over Market Street, along the Kirkland waterfront and then climb up 112th to the third rest stop at the Hidden Valley Boys and Girls Club. The last stretch of our ride takes us through Bellevue and along the southeast side of the lake on the new Eastrail and Lake Washington Blvd back into Renton.

This is a challenging ride that will bring you a great sense of accomplishment, take note of how you feel at the end.  We repeat this route as our last ride of the series and you will be amazed at how much easier it will be the second time around!