Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail
Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail | |
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Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission | |
Trail map | |
The Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, formerly known as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail and the Iron Horse Trail, is a
The former Milwaukee Road roadbed was acquired by the state of
History
The trail was originally a railroad line which was decommissioned in 1980. Afterwards, establishing a public right-of-way trail on the land was championed by various people and organizations, especially by Chic Hollenbeck, who founded the
In 2002, it was designated a
In 2015, two Washington state representatives from the 9th district attempted to include language in an amendment to the state's 2015 capital budget that would close a 130-mile-long (210 km) section of the trail east of the Columbia River. It was later revealed that a typo, referring to the closed section as "from the Columbia River to the Columbia River", nullified the amendment temporarily.[5][6]
In April 2018, Washington State Parks proposed renaming the trail and Iron Horse State Park to resolve confusion.[7][3] Additionally, the name did not conform to the State Parks naming policies.[3] The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission adopted a new name, the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, in May of that year.[8]
In April 2022, the Beverly Railroad Bridge across the Columbia River reopened to provide access for hikers, cyclists, and horse riders following the trail. The railroad trestle, south of Vantage, was renovated at a cost of $5.5 million by the state government. Other sections of the trail in Eastern Washington remain unfinished or in need of replacement.[1]
Trail features
Iron Horse Park access
Access points to the developed portion of the trail, managed by Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, are at:[9]
- Rattlesnake Lake, Cedar Falls – western terminus and connection to the Snoqualmie Valley Regional Trail
- Twin Falls
- Cascade Mountains. In winter this site provides a public sledding area and ski trails groomed for track and skate style cross country skiing from Hyak eastward. Washington DOT Sno-pass parking is required at this site in winter. Within walking/snowing/skiing distance is a state parks owned lodge.
- Easton – descending the eastern slope of the Cascades
- Cle Elum – provides access to the Upper Yakima River Canyon
- Thorp – near the historic Thorp Mill
- Kittitas, Washington – in the open farm valley of the Yakima River drainage east of Ellensburg, Washington
- Army West – at the western edge of the stretch passing through the shrub-steppe country of the U.S. Army's Yakima Training Center
- Army East – at the eastern edge of the stretch passing through the Yakima Training Center as it reaches the Columbia River
Tunnels
The trail features six tunnels, including the longest trail tunnel in the world, the 11,894-foot (3,625 m) Snoqualmie Tunnel, which was #50 on the railroad's numbering system. The other five tunnels in order are the Boylston (#45), Thorp (#46), Picnic Area (#47), Easton (#48) and Whittier (#49). The Boylston Tunnel was also known as the Johnson Creek tunnel to the railroad and sometimes tunnels #46 and #47 are known as the Thorp Tunnels.
Undeveloped
Access points to the undeveloped portion of the trail, managed by Washington State Department of Natural Resources, have not been formally opened to the public. However, the trail provides access to the unique geological erosion features of the
Iron Horse State Park
Iron Horse State Park, part of the
The park is contiguous with a
At Cedar Falls, the west end of Iron Horse State Park, the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail connects to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail of the King County Regional Trail System.[12] The Snoqualmie Valley Trail is built on a portion of the former Milwaukee Road branch line from Cedar Falls to Everett.
Recreation
Like most
The trail passes through mostly woodland, along lakes and waterfalls, and goes directly through the divide at the old
Iron Horse is popular for its scenery and its history, although it is less well-known than other nearby areas like the Alpine Lakes Wilderness or Snoqualmie Falls.
The park trail continues through the Town of
See also
- List of rail trails
- Northwest Railway Museum
- Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway
- Hyak, Washington
References
- ^ a b Banse, Tom (April 12, 2022). "Riding or hiking across Washington state just got easier with new bridge over Columbia River". KUOW. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
- ^ "About the Palouse to Cascades Trail". John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders Association. n.d. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c Paul, Crystal (April 17, 2018). "Washington may rename the cross-state John Wayne Pioneer Trail; here's why". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ "John Wayne Pioneer Trail". American Trails. February 28, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
- ^ "Typo stalls effort to close part of John Wayne Trail". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Associated Press. September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
- ^ Babcock, John (September 23, 2015). "Wording error keeps John Wayne Trail open". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
- Yakima Herald. Archivedfrom the original on April 2, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- ^ Paul, Crystal (May 17, 2018). "Former John Wayne Pioneer Trail renamed Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ Brochure: 'Your Guide to the John Wayne Pioneer Trail – Iron Horse State Park'; Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission; undated (copy distributed at trailheads in 2008)
- ^ "Trails". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
- ^ "Iron Horse State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
- ^ "Snoqualmie Valley Trail". King County Regional Trail System. Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Parks and Recreation Division. September 19, 2005. Archived from the original on October 1, 2006. Retrieved April 21, 2006.
- ^ "Washington State Tour Planning and Bicycling Maps". Collection of maps and resources. WSDOT. 2006. Archived from the original (Web and PDF) on August 6, 2007. Retrieved July 3, 2007.
Bibliography
- "History of the Greenway Landscape". Mountains to Sound Greenway: About the Greenway. 2006. Retrieved April 21, 2006.
- Prater, Yvonne (1981). Snoqualmie Pass: From Indian Trail to Interstate. Seattle: The Mountaineers. ISBN 0-89886-015-6.
- "Snoqualmie Valley Trail". King County Regional Trail System. Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Parks and Recreation Division. September 19, 2005. Archived from the original on October 19, 2000. Retrieved April 21, 2006.
- Wilma, David (January 22, 2003). "Northern Pacific Railroad establishes Tenino as a rail junction in 1872". HistoryLink.org Essay 5090. Retrieved April 21, 2006.
Wilma referenced Gordon R. Newell, So Fair A Dwelling Place: A History of Olympia and Thurston County, Washington (Olympia: The Olympia News Publishing Co., 1950), p. 27.
External links
- Palouse to Cascades Trail Coalition
- Iron Horse State Park Trail Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
- East Iron Horse State Park Map Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
- West Iron Horse State Park Map Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Media related to John Wayne Pioneer Trail at Wikimedia Commons