Chehalis Western Trail

Last updated
Chehalis Western Trail
Chehalis Western Trail south of Olympia (6111056617).jpg
Trail marker of the Chehalis Western Trail
Length22 miles (35 km)
LocationThurston County, Washington
Trailheads Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area to Yelm-Rainier-Tenino Trail
UseWalking, Hiking, Biking
Grade Flat
DifficultyEasy to moderate
Sights Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park
Hazards Multiple crossings of roadways
Surface Paved, mostly wheelchair accessible
Maintained byThurston County Public Works
Website Thurston County Trails

The Chehalis Western Trail is a rail trail in Thurston County, Washington and is the longest shared-use path in the region. It occupies an abandoned railroad corridor that was once used by the historic Weyerhaeuser-owned Chehalis Western Railroad. The rail line was converted to a bicycle and walking trail and intersects with the 14.5-mile (23.3 km) Yelm-Rainier-Tenino Trail and the 4.7-mile (7.6 km) Karen Fraser Woodland Trail. [1]

Contents

History

The rail line was used by the Weyerhaeuser company for approximately 60 years to haul timber logs into the Puget Sound region. [2] In order for the trail to be fully rideable, three bridge crossings in the Olympia and Lacey area were completed between 2007 and 2014. [3]

Route

The trail, also known under the name Woodland Bay Trail, [2] is the longest in the county. It is approximately 22 miles (35 km) in length [lower-alpha 1] and begins at the Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area and runs mostly south to southeast towards its terminus at the intersection of the Yelm-Rainier-Tenino Trail. [3] [4] The course connects via a roundabout to the Karen Fraser Woodland Trail. [2] The trail passes through several cities and communities including, Olympia, South Bay, Lacey, East Olympia, and Skookumchuck. [5]

The trail is flat and is listed as easy to moderate. [2] It is wheelchair accessible for most of its length and there are several dozen trailhead and access points. It is open year-round but the Woodard Bay trailhead is closed in some years to protect nesting herons at the conservation area. [4]

Ecology

The Chehalis Western Trail passes through a variety of landscapes, including prairies, farm and ranch lands, ponds, and dense forests of cedar, fir, and maple. [4] The Woodard Bay conservation area is home to a large heron colony and visitors can spot bald eagles, a diverse array of songbirds, various bat species, and several types of aquatic animals such as otters and seals. [4]

Public art and attractions

Near the intersection with the Yelm-Rainier-Tenino Trail, the Chehalis Western Trail passes through the Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park. [6] Users of the path have access to 170 acres (69 ha) of parks and the trail parallels the Deschutes River, including a 2-mile (3.2 km) stretch that allows direct views and access to the river. [4] [2]

In May 2023, a bench on the trail was dedicated to Bronka Sundstrom (Czyzyk), a survivor of the Holocaust who became the oldest person, at age 77 in 2002, to climb Mt. Rainier. Given the moniker, "The Lady of the Mountain" for her history at Mount Rainier National Park, she was an avid hiker of the Chehalis Western after she had retired to a nearby community. [7]

Future plans

An expansion of the southern terminus of the trail to connect to the community of Vail was proposed in 2022; it would add over 3 miles (4.8 km) to the course. [8]

Notes

  1. ↑ Differing accounts list the length of the trail as 21.5, 22, and 24 miles. [2] [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thurston County, Washington</span> County in Washington, United States

Thurston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 294,793. The county seat and largest city is Olympia, the state capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainier, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Rainier is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. Beginning as a train stop in the 1870s, Rainier was first settled in 1890 and would become known as a logging town. The city was officially incorporated in 1947.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenino, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Tenino is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,870 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yelm, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Yelm is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. Its population was 10,617 at the 2020 census. At the beginning of the 21st century, Yelm was the 10th fastest growing city in the state in regard to population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deschutes River (Washington)</span> River in Washington, United States

The Deschutes River is a 50-mile-long (80 km) river in the U.S. state of Washington. Its headwaters are in the Bald Hills in Lewis County, and it empties into Budd Inlet of Puget Sound at Olympia in Thurston County. It was given its name by French fur traders, who called it Rivière des Chutes, or "River of the Falls", a translation of the First Nations name for the site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail</span>

The Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, formerly known as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail and the Iron Horse Trail, is a rail trail that spans most of the U.S. state of Washington. It follows the former railway roadbed of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad for 300 miles (480 km) across two-thirds of the state, from the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains to the Idaho border.

The Yelm–Rainier–Tenino Trail, formerly the Yelm–Tenino Trail, is a rail trail located in Thurston County, Washington, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington State Route 507</span>

State Route 507 (SR 507) is a Washington state highway in Lewis, Thurston and Pierce counties that extends 43.52 miles (70.04 km) from Interstate 5 (I-5) and U.S. Route 12 (US 12) in Centralia to SR 7 in Spanaway. The highway also intersects SR 510 in Yelm and SR 702 in McKenna. The first appearance of the roadway on a map was in 1916 and since, two highways, Secondary State Highway 5H (SSH 5H) and SSH 1N, were established on the current route of SR 507 in 1937 and 1943. They both became SR 507 during the 1964 highway renumbering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington State Route 510</span> Highway in Washington

State Route 510 (SR 510) is a state highway in Thurston County, Washington. The 13 miles (20.9 km) long highway extends southeast from an interchange with Interstate 5 (I-5) in Lacey to SR 507 in Yelm. SR 510 roughly parallels the Nisqually River, the border between Thurston and Pierce counties, between the Fort Lewis and Nisqually Indian Community area to Yelm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area</span> United States historic place

Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area is a natural reserve in Olympia, Washington protected under the Washington Natural Areas Program. Once an important processing facility for the logging industry, it has been designated as the Weyerhaeuser South Bay Log Dump Rural Historic Landscape. Today the area is a renowned sanctuary for a variety of birds, harbor seals, river otters, bald eagles, and a colony of bats, as well as serving as an important great blue heron rookery. A recent conservation program in the area between the State of Washington and the Nature Conservancy is the first of its kind in the country.

The Chehalis Western Railroad was the name of two different shortline railroads that were owned and operated by Weyerhaeuser in Washington state between 1936 and 1993. The first Chehalis Western, which existed from 1936 until 1975, was a shortline Class III railroad, while the second one, which existed from 1981 until 1993, was a private railroad that operated on a different set of lines that Weyerhaeuser had later acquired.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park</span> Sculpture garden & art gallery in Thurston County, Washington

Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park is an outdoor art gallery located along the Chehalis Western Trail near Tenino, in southern Thurston County, Washington. Opened in 1998 by sculptor Myrna Orsini as "a gift to the community," the 80-acre (32 ha) park features sculpture gardens.

Henderson Inlet is a small, southern inlet of Puget Sound, Washington state, situated between Budd Inlet to the west and Nisqually Reach to the east. It is located in Thurston County, and the nearest city is Olympia, the state capital. Henderson Inlet was named in 1841 by Charles Wilkes, commander of the United States Exploring Expedition, after James Henderson, who served as quartermaster. A variant name is "South Bay".

The Karen Fraser Woodland Trail is a 4.7-mile (7.6 km) paved rail trail in Thurston County, Washington that connects the cities of Olympia and Lacey along the abandoned Burlington Northern corridor. The trail opened in 2007 and connects with the Chehalis Western Trail at the border between the two cities. The Olympia trailhead features a sustainably designed shelter and restroom with a living roof and a rain garden and parts of the trail run alongside Indian Creek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mud Bay Logging Company</span>

Mud Bay Logging Company was a 20th-century logging company based in Olympia, Washington. The company was established in 1899 as Western Washington Logging Company by Mark Draham, who had previously established Mason County Logging Company. The name changed to Mud Bay Logging Company in 1910. The company was disestablished in 1941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest Washington</span> Region in Washington, United States

Southwest Washington is a geographical area of the U.S. state of Washington, encompassing roughly half of Western Washington. It generally includes the Olympia area southwards to the Oregon-Washington state line at Vancouver. Olympia, the state capital, has been a transshipment center for Southwest Washington since its settlement in the mid-19th century.

Skookumchuck is a populated place in Thurston County, Washington. It is located east of Offutt Lake and northwest of Rainier. The Chehalis Western Trail passes through the community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willapa Hills Trail</span>

The Willapa Hills Trail is a 56.0-mile (90.1 km) intercounty rail trail in the U.S. state of Washington that is part of the Willapa Hills State Park. Following an east–west route alongside State Route 6, the tract links Chehalis and South Bend, traveling through or near several small towns and parks along the way. Overseen by the Washington State Park System, local cities and towns often maintain areas of the trail within their jurisdictions. The trail is built upon a decommissioned railroad track.

The Gate to Belmore Trail, also as the Gate–Belmore Trail, is a 12.5 miles (20.1 km) rail trail in Thurston County, Washington connecting the communities of Gate, Littlerock, and Belmore near Black Lake.

References

  1. ↑ "Washington State Tour Planning and Bicycling Maps". Collection of maps and resources. WSDOT. 2006. Archived from the original (Web and PDF) on 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2007-07-03.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Clark, Brian E. (April 10, 2017). "Wild or mild, these bike rides are among the best in the West (and Iowa)". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Hill, Craig (December 9, 2014). "Chehalis Western Trail's Pacific Avenue bridge to be dedicated Saturday". The News Tribune (Tacoma). Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vinh, Tan (February 26, 2015). "Hike of the Month: Barns, birds along wheelchair-friendly rail trail". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Chehalis Western Trail, Washington". Walk Ride USA. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
  6. ↑ Pucci, Carol (August 23, 2018). "A sweet slice of small-town Western Washington in Tenino". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  7. ↑ Scruggs, Gregory (November 30, 2023). "Bronka Sundstrom, Holocaust survivor and avid hiker, dies at 98". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  8. ↑ Milbao, Martin (September 20, 2022). "Thurston County Officials Consider Developing, Extending Trails". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 31, 2023.

46°53′10″N122°44′40″W / 46.88611°N 122.74444°W / 46.88611; -122.74444

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.