Coal Creek (Washington)
Coal Creek is a creek in Bellevue, Washington, United States, on Seattle's Eastside. It is named for the coal mining industry prominent in the area in the 19th century. There is a popular trail which parallels the creek, allowing views of defunct coal mining equipment and even some bits of coal sitting on the ground in spots.
The source of Coal Creek is 1,400 feet above sea level on Cougar Mountain. It flows approximately 7 miles to the northwest, emptying into Lake Washington at Newport Shores.
The surveyors Philip H. Lewis and Edwin Richardson first discovered coal along the creek in 1863. This coal was better located for transport to Seattle than the mines further east at Squak Mountain, and in the 1870s the mining of this coal led to the founding of Newcastle, Washington.
