You’re probably fairly familiar with the term “rails to trails”–after all, there’s an entire organization, the Rails to Trails Conservancy, working to create a nationwide network of trails converted from former rail lines and connecting key corridors.
Perhaps less familiar is the labels “rails and trails”: Creation of a trail running alongside an active rail line, whether light rail or heavy rail. Yet these types of trails are safe, comfortable, and growing across the country.
RTC has released a report examining these trails and providing guidelines for successful trail design (download the free report on America’s Rails-with-Trails).
If you want to get out and ride a trail somewhere in Washington we have miles and miles of wonderful riding. If you’re also a train buff and want the chance to look at something with a few more wheels than the two on your bike, check out these rails-with-trails. The list is courtesy of TrailLink.org, created and maintained by RTC; each trail description includes mention of nearby trails and some connect to let you keep riding, minus the train companions.
If you have pictures or video of you and friends riding any of these, let us know and we’ll add them to our site so others can see what it’s like to bike these. We welcome guest bloggers who can share your stories about bicycling in Washington.
Southwest Washington
Thurston County, Chehalis Western Trail: 20.5 miles
Cowlitz County, Cowlitz River Trail, 2.5 miles
Central Puget Sound
King County, Burke-Gilman Trail: 17 miles
King County, Duwamish Bikeway: 2.95 miles
King County, Elliott Bay Trail: 3.35 miles
King County, Interurban Trail (South): 18 miles
Northwest Washington
Whatcom County, South Bay Trail: 4 miles
Central Washington
Yakima County, Lower Yakima Valley Pathway: 14 miles
Eastern Washington
Spokane County, Fish Lake Trail: 10 miles
Southeast Washington
Whitman County, Pullman Riverwalk: .42 miles
Whitman County, Grand Avenue Greenway: 1.7 miles
One Comment
There’s been an effort to promote these gray corridors for some time.
Check out http://www.railsWITHtrails.com
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[…] appealing to some, but to someone who’s kind of a big fan of trains, it was thrilling riding on a rail-to-trail next to real live, active train tracks. The trail has several at-grade crossings with active tracks, which can make for a cool scene of a […]