CTS Blue/Green #3: Full Lake Loop

Welcome to the Full Lake Loop Ride! 

Our third ride takes us all the way around Lake Washington in clockwise direction.  This route is fondly called 'the full lake loop' and is nearly 50 miles with several good climbs in it.  We start from the south end of the lake at old Renton City Hall. There are restrooms available at the playfields of Liberty Park behind the building and across the creek.  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 then head north on Lake Washington Blvd to our first rest stop at Madrona Park.  From there we take a scenic ride through the Arboretum 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 Gilman 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 Blyth 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 into Downtown Bellevue.  It is all down hill from there, ... well mostly :-D. The last stretch of our ride takes us through Bellevue and along the southeast side of the lake on the Eastrail and Lake Washington Blvd, with a third stop at Newcastle Beach Park on the way 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!