On a sparkling sunny fall day, Des Moines officials Oct. 6 celebrated the opening of the final mile of the Des Moines Creek Trail.

The completed paved bicycle and pedestrian trail winds through more than 2 linear miles of heavily forested salmon-bearing habitat from South 200th Street in SeaTac to Des Moines Beach Park. Trail-goers, who end at the park, come upon a half-mile of public beach, tidelands, pier and a marina along an unobstructed waterfront.

Des Moines Parks director Patrice Thorell noted the creek segment is the first part of the planned King County Lake to Sound Trail.

The Des Moines Creek trail will eventually connect with the Westside Trail in SeaTac along Des Moines Memorial Drive, the Green River and Interurban trails in Tukwila and the Two Rivers Trail in Renton. It will end up at Lake Washington in Renton.

Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler said the trail is a "vital connection" that will attract more people to visit Des Moines.

He termed it "an extraordinary collaborative project."

State Sen. Karen Keiser agreed the opening marked "a fantastic day."

Thorell said the vision for the park began in 1989 with an open spaces bond issue passed by voters.
"We are reaping the benefit of actions taken 20 years ago," Thorell declared.

The parks director noted that a 2007 King County parks bond also contributed to funding.
Trail features include a 12-foot paved trail with gravel shoulders, signs, rest areas, benches, picnic tables, trashcans, drinking fountains, bike racks and pedestrian bridge railings.

Parking is available at the park and marina.

Des Moines staffers have noted that completion of the creek trail has taken more than a decade of collaboration between governmental bodies. These include Des Moines and SeaTac, the Port of Seattle, the state Department of Transportation, King County and the Midway Sewer District.

Coordinated projects detained the flow of surface water from Sea-Tac Airport and other areas. Also barriers and fill were removed that blocked creek and trail passage near Beach Park.