The Sammamish River flows through north King County, Washington for about 14mi, draining Lake Sammamish into Lake Washington. Along its course, the Sammamish River flows through Redmond, Woodinville, Bothell, and Kenmore.The river is named after the native people who once lived along its entire length.CourseThe Sammamish River begins as an outlet on the north shore of Lake Sammamish, which in turn is fed by several creeks that make up the headwaters of the Sammamish River basin. The most important of these is Issaquah Creek.The river flows north from the lake through the city of Redmond. The tributary Bear Creek joins the Sammamish from the east, also containing the waters from Evans Creek and Cottage Lake Creek.After passing through Redmond and parts of unincorporated King County, the Sammamish enters Woodinville where it turns northwest and then west. Little Bear Creek joins the Sammamish at this western turning point from the north. The river continues to bend in a generally westward direction, where it is joined from the north by North Creek in Bothell near the University of Washington, and Swamp Creek in Kenmore.
