Boulevard to Northwest Point Road on the left. Continue left onto North Pettet Drive, and then pick up the trail again to cross the river on the N. T. J. Meenach Drive Bridge. Equestrians are permitted to use the 10-mile section of trail that runs through Riverside State Park (between Sontag Community Park and the bridge).
The trail wanders through hilly terrain, young ponderosa pines, and the Riverside State Park Equestrian Area. Striking rock formations can be seen at the Bowl and Pitcher overlook. A suspension footbridge crosses the river rapids in the park for a short hike.
Back on the main trail, a basalt ridge rises overhead. Farther on, remnants of a circa 1933 Civilian Conservation Corps station can be seen at Camp Seven Mile. A brief flat section and scenic crossing of Deep Creek Bridge precedes the hills near the turbulent waters below the dam located in the Nine Mile Falls community. The trail ends just ahead at Sontag Community Park. A 1.7-mile trail extension from Sontag Community Park into the Nine Mile Recreation Area is scheduled for completion in 2015.
Riverfront Park to Idaho Border: 22.8 Miles Eastbound
This route leaves Riverfront Park by heading east past the Looff Carrousel. It crosses the Spokane River at the Don Kardong Bridge and passes through the Gonzaga University campus. After crossing East Mission Avenue, the trail follows this serene section of river through the suburbs and into Spokane Valley along East Upriver Drive. There’s a slight uphill grade as you head east along the pine-speckled, arid landscape all the way to Idaho. Parts of the trail are on the road shoulder.
Plenty of recreational activities exist along the river. Just past the Upriver Dam, the trail enters John C. Shields Park, where rock climbers hang out at an outcrop called Minnehaha Rocks. About a mile upriver is Boulder Beach; scuba divers enter the river here to explore submerged rocks.
The Centennial Trail route regains the road at Camp Sekani Park, crosses North Argonne Road, and turns right onto North Farr Road to East Maringo Drive, where the trail resumes (parking and restrooms are located here). The trail crosses the boulder-strewn river on a pedestrian bridge and enters a somewhat remote area to Mirabeau Point Park, where wildlife might be seen in the sparse forest or along the river.
The trail hugs the river as it passes Spokane Valley Mall and remains on the south shore all the way to Gateway Regional Park on the Idaho border. From here, the trail passes underneath I-90 and continues east for another 24 miles as the North Idaho Centennial Trail to Lake Coeur d’Alene.
CONTACT: spokanecentennialtrail.org
DIRECTIONS
For Riverfront Park access from I-90 W, take Exit 281, and follow S. Division St. North for 0.7 mile. Turn left onto W. Spokane Falls Blvd. From I-90 E, take Exit 280, and follow W. Fourth Ave. for 0.8 mile; then turn left onto S. Washington St. and go 0.5 mile. Look for parking in lots on the left between N. Browne and Howard Sts.
For Sontag Community Park access from I-90, take Exit 280 toward S. Walnut St. and head north for 0.5 mile. After Walnut becomes Maple St., continue another 1.4 miles, and turn left onto W. Northwest Blvd. After 0.7 mile, turn right onto N. Cochran St., which becomes N. Driscoll Blvd. At 2.6 miles, continue straight onto W. Nine Mile Road at the intersection of W. Frances Ave. Go 6.1 miles, and turn left at W. Charles St., cross the river, and continue to the park.
To reach Gateway Regional Park at the Idaho border from I-90, take Exit 299 toward the state line, and turn left onto N. Spokane Bridge Road. The park is directly ahead.
Discover Passes are required at Washington State Parks. Equestrians may park at the former stables in Riverside State Park.
6 Chehalis Western Trail
County
Thurston
Endpoints
Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area (Olympia) to WA 507 near the Deschutes River (Rainier)
Mileage
21.2
Roughness Index
1
Surface
Asphalt
The Chehalis Western Trail follows the route of a Weyerhaeuser Timber Co. railroad by the same name that carried millions of logs out of Washington forests to the coast for shipment from the 1920s to 1980s. Today, the 21.2-mile trail is the backbone for trails that link every major town in Thurston County, including the state capital, Olympia.
From the Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area (NRCA) on Puget Sound, the trail passes through forests, farms, and pastures, as well as the suburban community of Lacey, as it heads south into the hills overlooking the scenic Deschutes River valley to its intersection with the Yelm-Tenino Trail.
Users can find trailheads with parking at Woodard Bay, Chambers Lake at 14th Avenue Southeast, 67th Avenue Southeast, and Fir Tree Road between Summerwood and Country Vista Drives Southeast. Parking spaces for two or three cars are located at several other street crossings.
Serving as the backbone for Thurston County’s regional trail network, the Chehalis Western Trail can be its own adventure, or it can be enjoyed in conjunction with other trails.
If you start at the Chehalis Western Trailhead, you’ll be able to hike the Upper Overlook Trail through Woodard Bay NRCA, unless you’re there between April and August when the trail is closed for nesting herons. The path (hiking only) follows a siding of the former main line that crossed Woodard Bay and Weyer Point and ended at Weyerhaeuser’s log dump in Chapman Bay, where logs were floated to mills in Everett. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources replanted the rail right-of-way and removed most of the trestles to restore the natural habitat here.
Heading south, you’ll arrive in Lacey to find pedestrian bridges over Martin Way Southeast, I-5, and Pacific Avenue Southeast. Just south of that third bridge, the trail crosses the Woodland Trail, which serves as a 2.5-mile connection to Olympia.
Trail traffic can get crowded in Lacey, where the old railroad corridor bisects new neighborhoods. South of town, trail users have to negotiate a short stretch of dirt trail and road shoulder to avoid an above-grade railroad crossing. After that, you’ll pass the fast-flowing Deschutes River and an outdoor sculpture park before arriving at the end of the trail. There’s no parking or services here, but a 2-mile ride northeast on the Yelm-Tenino Trail takes you to Rainier, where you’ll find a small grocery, restrooms, and a restaurant.
