Chehalis Western Trail

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Chehalis Western Trail - Wikipedia

Coordinates: 46°53′10″N 122°44′40″W / 46.88611°N 122.74444°W

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chehalis Western Trail
Trail marker of the Chehalis Western Trail
Length	22 miles (35 km)
Location	Thurston County, Washington
Trailheads	Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area to Yelm–Rainier–Tenino Trail
Use	Walking, Hiking, Biking
Grade	Flat
Difficulty	Easy to moderate
Sights	Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park
Hazards	Multiple crossings of roadways
Surface	Paved, mostly wheelchair accessible
Maintained by	Thurston 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]

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^[a] 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

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

References

^ "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.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f 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.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hill, Craig (December 9, 2014). "Chehalis Western Trail's Pacific Avenue bridge to be dedicated Saturday". The News Tribune (Tacoma). Retrieved August 31, 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Vinh, Tan (February 26, 2015). "Hike of the Month: Barns, birds along wheelchair-friendly rail trail". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
^ "Chehalis Western Trail, Washington". Walk Ride USA. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
^ Pucci, Carol (August 23, 2018). "A sweet slice of small-town Western Washington in Tenino". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
^ Scruggs, Gregory (November 30, 2023). "Bronka Sundstrom, Holocaust survivor and avid hiker, dies at 98". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
^ Milbao, Martin (September 20, 2022). "Thurston County Officials Consider Developing, Extending Trails". The Chronicle. Retrieved August 31, 2023.

External links

v t e Rail trails in Washington by county
List of rail trails in Washington (state)
King	Burke-Gilman Trail Cedar River Trail Cross Kirkland Corridor East Lake Sammamish Trail Green-to-Cedar Rivers Trail Redmond Central Connector Eastside Rail Corridor Interurban Trail (King County) Issaquah-Preston Trail Preston-Snoqualmie Trail Sammamish River Trail Snoqualmie Valley Regional Trail
Klickitat	Klickitat Trail
Pierce	Foothills Trail
Snohomish	Centennial Trail Interurban Trail (Snohomish County) Whitehorse Trail
Thurston	Chehalis Western Trail Gate to Belmore Trail Karen Fraser Woodland Trail Yelm–Rainier–Tenino Trail
Whatcom	Interurban Trail
Multiple counties	Bill Chipman Palouse Trail (Whitman/Latah, Idaho) Columbia Plateau Trail (Adams/Franklin/Lincoln/Spokane/Whitman) Iron Horse Trail/Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail (King/Kittitas) Olympic Discovery Trail (Clallam/Jefferson) Seattle and North Coast Railroad (Clallam/Jefferson) Willapa Hills Trail (Lewis/Pacific)

46°53′10″N 122°44′40″W / 46.88611°N 122.74444°W / 46.88611; -122.74444

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