Lake Sammamish is a popular urban getaway, featuring beaches and hiking trails in the heart of the eastern suburbs.

The beaches look large enough to handle large crowds of sun-worshippers, but on the blustery spring day I visited, the only beachgoers were geese.

I found a hiking trail out to the end of Issaquah Creek and found a few intrepid dog-walkers; otherwise, the park was very quiet.

Here is the view from the point at the end of the trail, looking across the lake and then back to the swimming beach:

I then followed the trail back inland for a bit. Aside from a bit of traffic noise, one could imagine being in a much more rural environment and not in the heart of the city.

For more information:

• State Parks web site