The Foothills Trail currently runs 15 miles from East Puyallup, Washington, to South Prairie, Washington. Further sections extending to Carbonado and Buckley are under construction, and several other extensions are at the thinking stage.
Categories: 10 to 20 Miles &Flat &Paved &Rural &Solitude &Under Construction
States: Washington
Last Modified: April 29, 2007
(9 votes, average: 4.11 out of 5)
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Elevation profile of route: feet above sea level vs. distance traveled (approximate). Green marker on map above shows which end is designated as start of route.
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This is a new, really nice trail, good for all levels. My wife is new to biking and we like this trail. Little traffic. The section from Orting to South Prairie is especially nice. Take caution as you go through Orting. My experience there is that motorists seem to not respect cyclists all that much. South Prairie has several coffee stands at the end of the trail for refreshments. Trailhead there has restroom facility.
We would give this a 4.5. The first part, going through farms on the way to Orting, along the railroad track, has a gorgeous view of Mt. Rainier right in front of you for several miles. The part along the road into Orting is hot and boring – that’s why it didn’t get a 5 – but once into Orting it turns beautiful, along rivers and streams, through woods to South Prairie. It was a hot day and we stopped along the stream to wade in the water – very refreshing! People were drifting down the stream in rafts.
We stopped in Orting at the Park Bench Cafe for lunch, which was good, home-cooking – there are bike stands and picnic tables outside. We also got a smoothie at the end of the trail in South Prairie, just before the really fun downhill ride (as you can guess from the elevation map). It is never steep, but enough of a hill that you can cruise back.
Just did this ride from orting to south prarie. In fact we are sitting in the south prarie ‘wagon wheel’ lounge right now drinking coronas and waiting for our burgers as I postthis thread from my iPhone…. Shhhh… Anyhoo – my wife is a beginner rider and she liked this trail alot…. Mostly flat and nicely paved… The river was FULL of salmon!! Millions… Never seen so many in my life… Beatiful place highly recommend. Support the local businesses. They appreciate you. Ok – back to the beer … Mmm cold and crisp. Just the way I like it smack dab in the middle of a 15 mile ride.
Happy trails
We loved this bike trail. We started at Meeker Station in Puyallup. The views of mount Rainier and carbon river are just gorgeous.
Has anyone explored the trail past South Prairie to Buckley and Carbonado? What does the elevation map look like for both those?
If you’ve ever been out to South Prairie or Orting for that matter by car, then you already know what kind of views of the Mt. Rainier you’re going to get. But the great thing is not only does the trail give you those same views, it offers a sweet ride along the Carbon River.
The city of Orting did a nice job making the section between the town and South Prairie a park style that offers many nice sitting benches and tables along the river. South Prairie as a destination is limiting as it pretty much limited to a tavern and store. But it does have a nice coffee shop alongside the trail at the end — which in my book makes it good enough. Plus this is a good starting point into Wilkerson and Carbonado and the Lake Mowich national park entrance if you wish to further on the roads.
Overall, this is a very nice trail. It’s wide and fairly flat and I don’t recall any substantial roots hammering your underside. While there is a fair amount of crossroads through the town of Orting, it’s cool enough to make it worth your time.