{"id":5437,"date":"2013-10-30T12:52:52","date_gmt":"2013-10-30T19:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wabikes.org\/?p=5437"},"modified":"2013-10-31T17:00:33","modified_gmt":"2013-11-01T00:00:33","slug":"rails-and-trails-make-for-great-riding-train-spotting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wabikes.org\/index.php\/2013\/10\/30\/rails-and-trails-make-for-great-riding-train-spotting\/","title":{"rendered":"Rails AND Trails Make for Great Riding, Train-Spotting"},"content":{"rendered":"

You’re probably fairly familiar with the term “rails to trails”–after all, there’s an entire organization, the Rails to Trails Conservancy<\/a>, working to create a nationwide network of trails converted from former rail lines and connecting key corridors.<\/p>\n

Perhaps less familiar is the labels “rails and<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

\"Railyards<\/a>

Railyards on the Elliott Bay Trail. Photo courtesy of “Toolbear” on TrailLink.org.<\/p><\/div>\n

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<\/a>).<\/p>\n

If you want to get out and ride a trail somewhere in Washington<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

If you have pictures or video of you and friends riding any of these, let us know<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

Southwest Washington<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thurston County,\u00a0Chehalis Western Trail<\/a>: 20.5 miles<\/p>\n

Cowlitz County, Cowlitz River Trail<\/a>, 2.5 miles<\/p>\n

Central Puget Sound<\/strong><\/p>\n

King County, Burke-Gilman Trail<\/a>: 17 miles<\/p>\n

King County, Duwamish Bikeway<\/a>: 2.95 miles<\/p>\n

King County, Elliott Bay Trail<\/a>: 3.35 miles<\/p>\n

King County, Interurban Trail (South)<\/a>: 18 miles<\/p>\n

Northwest Washington<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whatcom County, South Bay Trail<\/a>: 4 miles<\/p>\n

Central Washington<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yakima County, Lower Yakima Valley Pathway<\/a>: 14 miles<\/p>\n

Eastern Washington<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spokane County, Fish Lake Trail<\/a>: 10 miles<\/p>\n

Southeast Washington<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whitman County, Pullman Riverwalk<\/a>: .42 miles<\/p>\n

Whitman County, Grand Avenue Greenway<\/a>: 1.7 miles<\/p>\n

\"Grand<\/a>

Grand Avenue Greenway, part of the Pullman Loop Trail. Photo courtesy of “Trailbear” on TrailLink.org.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You’re probably fairly familiar with the term “rails to trails”–after all, there’s an entire organization, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[40,66,13,82,29,67,23,14,97,35,55,58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bike-adventure","category-cowlitz-county","category-bike-infrastructure-wa","category-king-county-wa","category-wa-bikes-news","category-olympia-wa","category-spokane-county-wa","category-trails","category-trains","category-travel","category-whatcom-county","category-yakima-county"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRails AND Trails Make for Great Riding, Train-Spotting - 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