I was walking on the East Sammamish Lake Trail recently, on the section north of Inglewood Hill Road. This is one of the prettier sections, being heavily wooded in many spots. It crosses many creeks and it struck me that none of the creeks is marked.

How interesting it would be if the creeks were identified by a sign. This, then, begot additional thoughts that the trail should have historical signs at several locations. For example:

• At the north and south city limits: signage detailing the name “Sammamish”, its roots and how the city came to be named this;
• Signage about the Snoqualmie Indian tribe, which populated this area;
• Signage about the trail itself: the rail line, its purpose and history;
• A sign across from the 7-11, outlining the history of the old Monohan store where the 7-11 is;
• Wildlife signage–eagles, hawks, deer and more;
• At the north end, a sign about the pilings in the lake from the old lumber mill;
• Information about the commercial boats that once plied the lake;
• Information about the Lake and its place in the eco-system.

These would provide interesting attributes on the Trail for an area rich with history, environmental features, wildlife and so on.

This link provides just a small example of information that could be derived for the Lake Trail.

The Sammamish Heritage Society’s web page has more information.