State Park Centennial 2013 Cross State Trail Plan
Extending the John Wayne Pioneer Trail
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission currently manages 113 miles of trail from North Bend to Vantage, known as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. The trail provides long-distance trail recreation for hikers, cyclists and equestrians in the warm-weather months and for winter recreation such as cross-country skiing in the winter.
Partners have included the John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders Association and other supporters of the trail, who have worked with the Legislature over the years to make the trail a reality. Their efforts recently resulted in the transfer of an additional 102 miles of the former railroad corridor from Lind to Tekoa, from the Department of Natural Resources to State Parks (designated Iron Horse State Park – Palouse Section). This includes a 3+ mile trail segment in Spokane County along Pine Creek near the community of North Pine.
The transfer moves the Commission closer to its Centennial 2013 Plan goal of adding trail miles and taking the lead in developing a cross-state recreation trail extending it to the Idaho border. State Parks works with dozens of public and private partners to obtain, develop and manage trails, including the Spokane Centennial Trail, John Wayne Pioneer Trail, Columbia Plateau Trail, Willapa Hills Trail, Klickitat Trail and two long-distance water trails – Cascadia Marine Trail in Puget Sound and two Columbia River water trails.
The John Wayne Pioneer Wagons and Riders Association has a map of the trail as the original RR route: Click here.
WASHINGTON STATE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION Commission Meeting – June 22, 2006
Agenda Item:
Item E-2: Cross State Trail—Lind to Tekoa—Requested Action EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This item asks the Commission to approve acquisition of 102 miles of former railroad property as an expansion of the Iron Horse State Park—John Wayne Pioneer Trail between Lind and the Idaho border. This complies with our Centennial 2013 Plan element, “Our Commitment-Stewardship.”
SIGNIFICANT BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad constructed the western section of its rail line between 1908 and 1912, and operated it until 1980 when the railroad declared bankruptcy. In 1981-1982, the state acquired by a quitclaim deed for 213 miles of the Milwaukee Road railroad and assigned administration responsibilities to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This represented most but not all of the Milwaukee Road ownership – a portion of the rail line remains in operation between Royal City and Othello.
Currently DNR owns the balance of the former railroad corridor east of the Columbia River and the bridge over the Columbia River at Beverly, totaling approximately 116 miles. Appendix 1 depicts ownership of the corridor. Approximately 29 miles east of Lind, the corridor crosses the Columbia Plateau Trail State Park, a 130 mile long rail-trail connecting Pasco and Cheney.
In a series of transactions beginning in 1984, State Parks acquired the entire railroad corridor between North Bend and the Columbia River. Known as Iron Horse State Park, it contains 110 miles of railroad corridor and 2,600 acres of land. In 1985, the Commission named the resulting rail trail and any future additions to it the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. Non-motorized recreational users, including hikers, skiers, bicyclists, and horseback riders use the John Wayne Pioneer Trail.
A very short stretch of the trail near Easton is used by snowmobilers because of connectivity issues with nearby snowmobiling facilities. Attendance records show over 100,000 users per year. With help from the Legislature in 1996, and several state and federal grants, the Commission continues to invest to make the trail continuous and safe. A partnership with the Cascade Railroad Foundation has resulted in significant improvements to property and buildings at the South Cle Elum depot. The current trail contains more than thirty substantial trestles, seven tunnels (one of which is 2.3 miles long), an historic snow shed, seven developed trailheads located at Rattlesnake Lake, Hyak, Easton, South Cle Elum, Thorp, Ellensburg, and Wanapum as well as overnight camping along the trail.
During the 2006 session of the Legislature, a proposal to allow commercial rail use again on portions of the former railroad line was heard. The bill (SB 6527) passed, giving the Department of Transportation until 2009 to find and enter into a franchise agreement with a firm to develop and operate what would be a reactivated railroad corridor between Ellensburg and Lind. Based on public testimony during the legislative session, the Legislature amended the original bill to include transfer to State Parks of the eastern 102 miles of the former railroad corridor currently managed by the DNR. This segment stretches from Lind to the Idaho border near Tekoa.
The DNR currently allows public access to the corridor by prior reservation only. In general, trail condition west of the Columbia River is much better than trail condition east of the river. A number of breaks in the trail exist where the railroad removed bridges prior to transfer; at other locations land slides require re-routing visitors off the corridor right-of-way onto public roads. A 2005 Parks sponsored engineering evaluation of the trail condition noted a cost of multiple millions dollars to fully restore infrastructure such as bridges, trestles, and culverts, and bring the corridor to a completed recreational rail trail.
SB 6527 set the date for DNR to transfer administration of the corridor to State Parks for June 9, 2006. DNR has agreed to pay for weed control in 2006. Actual deed transfer and transfer of easements and other encumbrances will occur after both agencies have completed due diligence associated with a land transaction. Until State Parks receives an increase in its operating budget to manage the trail to the same standard as other rail trails, Parks staff will continue the DNR management approach of having the trail open to visitors on a reservation-only basis. Other next steps include consultation with adjacent property owners, an inventory of current condition, and development of plans and costs for future development and operation consistent with the priorities set in the Centennial 2013 Plan.
Update: October 2008
There is another 15 miles of developed trail open for public use on the south end of the Columbia Plateau Trail. The new area is between Ice Harbor Dam and Snake River Jct. with trail heads at each locations. The trail is a crushed rock surface suitable for bike riding, hiking and equestrian use. This is another beautiful section of trail and follows the Snake river with breathtaking views around every corner. This portion of trail also passes along 2 habitat management units, a bird watching paradise.
 
See also
Iron Horse State Park
Wilderness Trip - John Wayne Trail
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