Lost Valley Trail
Completing our longest cross-island trail route
The Lost Valley Trail was dedicated in October 2026, completing the final link in Bainbridge Island’s longest cross-island trail route and fulfilling a vision that had been in development for more than 30 years. The mile-long trail crossed 40 acres of public open space, connecting the Head of the Bay to Fletcher Bay Road and providing a continuous public route across the island.
The project traced its roots to the 1990s, when local trail advocates proposed a shore-to-shore connection from Winslow to Gazzam Lake Preserve. Key property acquisitions and trail easements secured by the City in 2004 preserved the corridor, and in 2022 the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation partnered with the City and Bainbridge Metro Parks to advance the project, fund construction, and complete the remaining access agreements needed for a formal trail.
The finished trail included 200 feet of boardwalk designed to protect the Cooper Creek watershed while providing year-round access. The boardwalk was constructed during the summer of 2026 by the Park District’s Trails Crew under an agreement with the City, with project funding provided by the Parks & Trails Foundation and additional support from community grants.
The dedication marked the completion of Bainbridge Island’s longest one-way public trail route, linking the Head of the Bay, Gazzam Lake Nature Preserve, and other trail segments into a continuous cross-island network. The project demonstrated decades of collaboration among the City, the Parks & Trails Foundation, the Park District, and community supporters to expand public access to open space and create new opportunities for recreation and connection across the island.
