Welcome to the "NEW" Pine Lake Park

This week my curiosity overcame me and I had to go out and see what was going on in Pine Lake Park. The park is located on the Sammamish Plateau on the East side of the lake on the intersection of 228th Ave. SE and SE 24th Street. The park is one of Sammamish’s most prized possessions. People have been coming here for more than 90 years to relax and take in the pristine nature. As the name suggests, the lake is surrounded by beautiful tall pines. There used to be a resort in the early decades of the 20th century. This resort operated well into the mid 1960. In 1969 it was totally demolished and removed. For some time there were 2 buildings, which were used as kitchens.

Over time the city put in a parking lot, a baseball field, a basket ball field, a climbing structure for smaller kids and several playgrounds. The park is heavily used by Sammamish residents in summer and on sunny days. It is a great spot for fishing as well. On the dock you could find many people fishing for trouts, that are being stocked by Fish and Wildlife. It is not uncommon to catch trouts up to 30 inches in length.

View from pier to the beach area

In 2003 the city decided to improve Pine Lake Park to preserve its pristine beauty. And what a great job they did. The entire shoreline has been landscaped and beautified with a pebble beach and tree logs and new plants. There is a new boat launch area for non motorized boats only. You can drive with your car right to the lake and launch your canoe or kayak right there.

Another great addition to the park are several new picnic shelters that can be reserved through the park and recreation department. these structures are also brand new and seem to have been built for eternity. There are a few smaller ones and one large one for big groups of people. Stationary charcoal grilles are available and hot coal disposables are right next to them.

Grill shelter at Pine Lake

The other great and big improvement is the brand new pier. It seems to be twice the size of the old pier. It encircles a larger swim area as well, where there are no boats allowed within 100 ft of the pier. That makes swimming safe for the kids. During summer this pier is a popular hangout for the teens of Sammamish. The pier forks out to the West also, which means you get a lot of space for the sun worshiping crowd and the people who like to fish.

The great pier

A new concession stand and bathroom facilities can be found at the lake shore. All walkways have been improved and large granite rock steps lead down to the beach and pier. Benches have been placed strategically as well. No more stumbling over exposed roots here.

The park is used during summer for community events like Summer Nights at the Park, music concerts, plays and outdoor movies.

Photographers also like to come here to take pictures of  bald eagles frequently diving into the lake for trout, or just catching a nice sunset, or the reflections of the shoreline in the calm waters. Another common sight are the “floating docks”. Property owners with a dock have converted part of it to float. Equipped with a small electric motor, these 8×8 floating docks are an oasis for the owners. They have been seen to BBQ and have a relaxing glass of wine while watching the kayakers go by.

The lake is surrounded by about 140 properties, all of which have lake access. The homes rarely change hands and when they do, they sell for about 1 million$ and up. Currently (04/16/09) only one property is offered for sale for 599,000$. That is for the lot only, there is no structure on the land. In the last 12 month only 3 properties changed hands.

Sunset at Pine Lake

Parks and Recreation

Lake Sammamish and Issaquah’s Lake Sammamish State Park offer water recreation. Sammamish is a very green city, with views of the woods virtually everywhere. There are many hiking trails and scenic woods to enjoy around the housing developments. There are four major city parks: Beaver Lake Park, Pine Lake Park, NE Sammamish Park, and East Sammamish Park. Parks being planned in the recently-incorporated city include Soaring Eagle Park, the Sammamish Commons, and Ebright Creek Park. The East Lake Sammamish Trail, opened in April 2006, connects to a regional trail system. A skatepark is located across from Skyline High School.

Schools

The city is part of two school districts: Lake Washington School District (LWSD for short) serves northern Sammamish and Issaquah School District (ISD for short) serves southern Sammamish. There are two high schools, Eastlake High School of the LWSD and Skyline High School of ISD exist within the city limits, as well as three middle/junior high schools, and nearly a dozen elementary schools.