The John Wayne Trail (also known as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail) has several sections. The section between North Bend, Washington, and Beverly, Washington, is the Iron Horse Trail, managed as Iron Horse State Park; this section is pretty much complete (with one or two short road detours to get around missing or unsafe railroad bridges). Part of this section is also part of the Mountains to Sound Greenway. At Beverly, the trail crosses the Columbia River on an old railroad bridge and runs to Warden, Washington, managed by the Department of Natural Resources; this section has a few detours on roads to get around unfinished sections. From Warden to Tekoa, Washington, the trail is again managed as a state park, and is under construction. Since there is a significant mountain range in the middle of the state, there is some climbing involved, although it is a converted railroad so the grade is not steep. Also note that the trail is at least partly covered in snow in the winter (a section near Snoqualamie Pass is groomed as a cross-country ski trail in the winter).
On the western end, you can connect this trail with the Snoqualamie Valley and Tolt River Trails.
Categories: Gravel &Hilly &Over 50 Miles &Rural &Solitude &Some Road/Street Riding &Under Construction
States: Washington
Last Modified: June 22, 2011
(15 votes, average: 3.93 out of 5)
Loading ...If the map has markers, click them for extra information. You can also double-click anywhere on the map to get driving directions to that point. Note:Trail routes shown are approximate! If you have a GPS trace of this trail, leave a comment below with your email address (which will not be published), and I'll contact you. Thanks!
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.
RSS
Do you have a GPS track for this route? I am planning on doing this route soon and would love to have an actual track to follow.
A group of us have three days to spend on the John Wayne Trail – we are looking for suggestions on the best way to do this and the best place to stay so we can do the the trail.
Any suggestions?
Thanks for your help.
Eric – sorry, I don’t have a GPS track. The western part of the route is pretty easy to follow, however. The eastern part is not all finished yet, and may be harder to follow.
Ron — I don’t have any suggestions for you, as I haven’t done the route as a tour. You might try the State Parks web site (linked in the text of the article) as I think it lists access points and camp sites.
–Jennifer
thank you
I have a couple things to add, as I have been researching this trail for some time. First, there is no good crossing point at the Beverly. The bridge is closed to all use and the Dam up from there is impassable due to some construction issues and 9/11.
Eric. From Rattlesnake Lake to the west side of Elensburg is very well marked with trail heads that are more frequent than in other places. After that and prior to the army west trail head, you are on city and county roads to find the trail head at the fairgrounds. Contact the state parks in Ellensburg to get a map and updated information. There are trail books out there and one was updated in the last year.
Ron. If you start at Rattle snake lake and depending on site seeing, you can make it to Ellensburg in three days. Day one, look at the lodging at the summit. day two, Cle Elum has lodging. Day three, A short ride to ellensburg where you’ll end. It really depends on where you live. Like I said there are books, but some not so accurate, contavt the parks.
Jennifer, feel free to send this to both with my email address, maybe a chance for ride partners.
Brian
Thanks for the update, Brian! I thought the Beverly bridge was open a couple of months ago when I was there, but maybe not. Definitely the dam is closed to all foot and vehicle traffic. I guess the only way to get across would be to go up to I-90 if the bridge at Beverly is closed — I can’t recall if there is a shoulder or sidewalk on the Columbia crossing at Vantage?
–Jennifer
Felix Kasza (who has commented on several other trails) emailed to me recently with these notes:
The Beverly bridge (if you refer to the Milwaukee railroad corridor bridge) is definitely closed. I-90 has a shoulder, and bikes are permitted on the bridge. The detour is only a few miles, and the eastern continuation of the trail is easy to pick up. A shame about the bridge, it is a beautiful one with gorgeous views. A detailed study regarding improvements to the JWT was recently completed (I have the PDF somewhere, hundreds of pages, if you are interested), and this bridge is apparently structurally sound — it mostly needs decking and railings.
He also sent a GPS trace, which I’ll be importing sometime soon.
If you want to get in touch with him, he let me know I can give his email address to site visitors. Leave a comment here with your email address (which will not be shown), and I’ll put you in touch.
–Jennifer
I recently rode the section of trail between Ewan and Malden. Very nice. There is one section a couple of miles long of private property along Rock Lake, but it’s so isolated that it seems like a minor concern, especially since you’re still very obviously on the rail bed the whole way. You’re supposed to get permits to ride this section of the trail (Warden to Idaho border), and the man to talk to is Ranger Mark Truit @ 509 646 9218. He manages Palouse Falls, the Columbia Plateau Trail and this section of the John Wayne.
Happy trails!
Josh
Thorp to South Cle Elum Ride Report:
The Washington St. Parks Dept map of the trail documents this one as 18.5 miles one way. Figured it would make a really nice one day ride up and back. Was mostly right, with some really wrong in there.
Parked at the Thorp Depot trailhead, geared up, and headed up the trail at 9:15 AM. Loose gravel trail surface. Has to get better up the trail, right? Wrong! I haven’t been in this good of shape since 16 years old, but I was having trouble managing 7 mph uphill, which was a barely discernable maybe 3/4% grade on the loose gravel surfaced trail. Positive experience was that I caught a young bobcat crossing the trail. When I said “here kitty, kitty”, it really went nuts and dove into the bushes. Made the 18.5 miles to S Cle Elum in 3 hours once photo stops were included. Scenery is very pretty up through the upper Yakima River Canyon and past the Teanaway river junction.
Caught lunch snack at the Cle Elum Depot, which they have done a really nice restoration job on, and have some great Milwaukee Road memorabilia in. Then to round the ride up to an even 40 miles , rode up towards Easton for a mile and 1/2 to see if the trail got any better (it didn’t).
So headed back down to the car for an additional 20 miles of gravel swishing off of the front tire. Finally got off the saddle at 4:15 PM.
I would rate this one as only a 3.5 because of trail surface conditions.
The ride up from the bottom had the best scenic views (as typically they do). A light is needed in Tunnel 47, that or crash into some significant sluff off of the insides of the tunnel. The next two or three weeks should be super scenic with the leaves turning color, but would recommend it as a one-way only trip.
I took lots of pictures if anyone is interested in seeing them.
Regards
Jeff King
Did another marathon ride on the John Wayne Trail again this last Saturday, 11/3/07, this time between South Cle Elum and Stampede Pass Road and back, for a total of 43 miles. As reported for the last ride between Thorp and South Cle Elum, the roadbed is loose gravel, with quite a bit of 1&1/2″ rock on it, so makes some slow and tiresome riding. Fall colors of the trees were really nice. Cle Elum to Easton is a fairly boring ride, lots of gravel and not much else but some cute yard art in one backyard to look at. From Easton west is another story. The newly built bridges over the upper Yakima river are well done, and the views of the river are gorgeous. The Easton Tunnel # 48 is short enough that a headlight isn’t required. The Whittier Tunnel # 49 is just long enough that a headlight is desirable so that you can see the roadbed through the west end of it. The road bed actually gets a lot better west of Tall Timber Lane which is almost to Easton. This stretch rates a 4.5 just because of the scenery from Lake Easton up to Stampede Pass road.
Happy trails!
Jeff
Did another portion of the JWT again on Friday, 11/16. Not quite a marathon ride, but there is no snow to ski on yet, so figured the mountain bike would do. Rode from Kittitas to Thorp and back for a 27 mile ride. That is a bit short for me, but have come down with a cold and still have a backache from helping sonny move last weekend. This portion of the trail is nearly flat, only a few small rises to get onto overpasses or the trestle crossing the Yakima River, which has a nice concrete deck. Lots of loose and this time wet gravel to ride on and not a lot to look at other than the CWU campus in Ellensburg until you get west of town, and then the one trestle/bridge crossing the Yakima. There are no restrooms at the Kittitas trailhead. All adds up to only a 3.5 rating.
Did another rather awesome ride on the JWT this last Friday, 11/23/07 from Kittitas, through Army West, and up through the Boylston tunnel and back for a total of 22 miles. Got to Kittitas that morning, it was 18 degrees. Headed east on the trail. Fortunately it had been used by some power line crews servicing the high-tension line that parallels it, so had a nearly dry track to run most of the way to West Army. There is a sign at Prater Road that says no access further, detour on the JWT. I ignored because I wanted to ride as much of the original trail as possible. The trestle over I-90 just east of the Windy BPA substation is definitely closed to all traffic. However, I was able to duck under a gate still going east up to some cell towers, then follow the maintenance path under the power lines continuing east towards the substation. Problem was, there is an irrigation ditch preventing easy path forward. Was able to detour NE and find a cattle/game path that forded the dry ditch, and then get onto the east ditch bank road down the the substation, cross under I-90, and then proceed to West Army. From West Army, the trail surface was hard frozen sand with frozen horse hoof prints in it for 5 miles up to the tunnel. Had a tough time holding 4 mph uphill in the 1&1/2″ of snow. The ride through the 2000′ curved tunnel was worth it. Take a good headlight and watch out for the coconut to basketball size rocks sluffing off the sides in the center of the tunnel where it isn’t concrete lined. Got to the other side and saw an additional 12 or so miles of snow, which I judged unpassable on bicycle, so turned around and headed back to Kittitas. Once out of the tunnel cut, was able to cut over to the BPA power line maintenance road which had dry track, ride back to West Army, and then out Boylston Road, to Prater, then to Parke Creek all the way back into Kittitas. At least it warmed up to 24 by the end of the ride. Great late fall ride.
Happy trails to all.
Jeff King
A friend and I have done the complete ride from North Bend to Beverley Bridge area in three different days (North Bend-Easton and back, Easton to Ellensburg and back, Ellensburg to Beverley Bridge then to Vantage. We did this during October and November. Our plan is to do the rest of the John Wayne Trail (Beverley-Tekoa) during Spring break (April 5-12). We plan to take touring equipment on mountain bikes for the trip. I am looking for GPS coordinates for that part of the trail so if anyone knows how we can download the old Milwaukie railroad trail (to Tekoa or Idaho border) coordinates (map) loaded onto GPS unit, please let me know. Also, please contact me if you are interested in joining three of us on that exploratory ride in April. Our website of pictures and GPS coordinates for North Bend-Beverley bridge is on our website.
Sam Hartt
The JWT is my favorite bike ride — my boyfriend and I start from the trailhead at Rattlesnake Lake (exit 32 off 90-E) and climb up 20 miles to the tunnel. We go through that, and then go until the odometers hit 50 and camp in the woods. The next day, straight downhill home, so fun! I hope one day to make it more of a tour than an overnight, but it’s a great escape.
A few of my friends will be running the John Wayne Pioneer Trail from North Bend to Vantage (you read that right). 108 miles on foot. There will be some mountain bikers on the course though, so all the fun won’t be ultrarunner exclusive. :-)
I’m looking at riding from Rattlesnake Lake to the Snoq. Summit in the coming weeks. Any suggestions as to where to stay at the Summit?
o-o>
The summit is fairly built up (ski area). I’m not sure if there is a lodge you can stay in or not. There are a couple of commercial camp grounds around there, about 10 miles east of the summit — or at least, I’ve seen signs for them.
I’m not sure whether the trail is ridable right now, though. There was a lot of snow this winter, and I don’t think they plow the trail. Up until April 1st, I believe they are still grooming about 10 miles around the summit as a cross-country ski trail, which should give you some idea of what you are up against.
Good luck!
Jennifer
I am planning a bike ride from Rattlesnake Lake to Vantage. How is the trail on this entire distance?
Jennifer (and others), thanks for the Iron Horse info! This is the best I’ve found. I’m planning on biking the ‘good bits’ twixt Seattle and the Idaho border w/ a pal in late May, so I’ll be tuning in to check on any updated trail conditions, etc. (And perhaps I can in turn leave some interesting tidbits for others. -)
Well; ski season is essentially over, so time to get back onto the saddle and start riding. Today, 4/12, rode the JWT from Huntzinger Road above Wanapum dam west up to the Boyleston tunnel and back, for a total of 32 miles. Took just a bit over 7 hours because of really bad trail conditions. Lots of loose sand, and lots of really big sharp basalt rocks sluffed off the sides of the cuts through the hills. Going up the 16 miles it was tough to maintain 5 mph when riding, then 2 & 1/2 walking through the rock. Hit the first rock outcropping hard with intent to ride through it, then remembered that I’d forgotten my tire levers and spare tube. Lot of good the tire pump would have been with a cut tire/tube!. This one made the Thorp to S CleElum look like a great ride. Rate it about a 2, but that much only because of the great views of the Columbia early in the trip heading up.
Happy trails in ’08. :))
Jeff
Comment number 7 to this thread stated that you had been given a GPS trace of this trail. Is that accessible anywhere?
Also, in comment 13, Sam Hartt stated he had a GPS log posted on his web site. Website address?
Paul — I will put you in contact with Felix (comment #7) to get his GPS trace.
Regarding comment #13, if you click on Sam’s name at the top of the comment, it is a link to his web site.
Regards,
Jennifer
Since the river can’t be crossed at Beverly, do folks recommend heading north on Wanapum Road to get to the I-90 crossing at Vantage? Or is there a nicer way? It doesn’t look there are too many roads in that area to choose from.
You are definitely correct that there are not many roads in that area! I think Wanapum Road would indeed be your best bet. The only other alternative I can think of would be to ride along more of I-90, which seems like not much fun to me.
–Jennifer
RE: Julie R question # 23.
Yes, you proceed from East Army another 3 miles on the RR bed east to Huntzinger Road. Then that results in about 8 mile of asphalt road north to Vantage, then about 1.5 miles across the I-90 bridge, then about 9 miles south back down Washington SR 243 to between Beverly and Crab Creek where you can pick up the rail road bed again. That is all that there is.
“biker” Jeff
We did a test drive using our slicks on Rattlesnake TH to past Garcia until we hit snow using our slicks on old hybrid “comfort” bikes. Tires were fine. Any idea of how they would be Hyak to ellensburg? We’re wondering if we should bring bigger treadier tires to change to just in case?
oops just realized there are some very detailed reports of trail conditions. But still would love opinions of Hyak to Ellensburg with slicks. (Or maybe I don’t!?!)
East Ellensburg to Columbia River section. I rode this section last Sunday (May 3) and it is one tough bit of trail! For a ways out of Eburg there is evidence of occasional maintenance traffic on the trail which serves to compact and dissipate some of the gravel and leave a somewhat firm, but still slow surface. However, once about 10km out of town the trail has seen nothing heftier than a horse’s hooves (which pock the surface and make for a bumpy ride) and it is very soft, except for later sections where it cuts through lava flows and the trail is covered with fist-sized rocks. I averaged 17.5kph (and I was not taking it easy) for the 57km to the river, 3:15 total. The plan to ride back the same way was abandoned when I realized that it would take at least 5 hours to slog back through the soft surface and its uphill grade with tired legs (and not enough daylight hours). Instead I returned by riding 13km north along the river to Vantage and up the old Vantage Hiway. Even the paved road back to Ellensburg was hard given the steady climb for about 12 miles and ever present headwinds. Nonetheless, the E. Eburg – Columbia River section has some nice views and a series of interesting interpretive signage…just make sure you plan to ride down towards the river. Also, there is potable water at Army West to refill bottles, but no other besides in Ellensburg and in Vantage.
Reply to Julie R. concerning riding hybrid bikes with slicks from Hyak to E-burg. See my earlier reports and # 28 from Stu Smith. Lots of loose gravel to contend with and thats about all. Slicks would be fine but the wider the tire, the more flotation in the gravel. A 1.5 x 26 might dig in a bit much, but a 1.95 or 2.00 or bigger by 26 should be fine. Specialized makes a 1.95 x 26 combo tire that I put on the back of my wife’s bike. She likes it on local gravel road rides.
Jeff
Thanks Jeffry & Stu, what we’ve decided to do is to depart the trail just east of Ellenburg and take the Vantage Hwy to the river.
Re. Post #28, last line. I mixed up my East and West. There is potable water at Army EAST, not West as I wrote. Sorry.
Re. tire sizing, I agree with Jeff that anything much narrower than a 1.95 wide tire would dig in too much (I used 26×1.95). It is a great trail but not quite ideal for cycling due to frequent soft surfaces or too much gravel. Guess one simply must work a bit harder for their fun!
A recon was done last weekend to scout out the trail running from North Bend to Hyak, as part of a self/crew-supported ultra run from North Bend to Vantage, http://www.nb2v.com. It was found that, basically, from the McClellan Butte trail intersection, on the west side, to Hyak, is still under too much snow. The Snoqualmie Tunnel will not open until, at least, the first week of June. There is high avalanche danger for two miles east of Hyak and snow ends about seven miles west of Easton. Just posting in case there were any Memorial Day weekenders thinking about heading out there. We will start our run from Snoqualmie, on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, run to McClellan Butte trailhead, meet our crew, then get driven to Easton, where we will continue on to Vantage. There will also be some cyclists out with us. Be careful if you\’re in the snowy areas.
Tim
Marysville, WA
Plan on riding from Lind, which is east of Othello to Rattlesnake Lake with a 95 lb bike loaded with camping gear. Every year I ride a new part of this trail and plan on riding it thru Idaho and Montana to North Dakota eventually …. and think if it was developed cross-state that would be the coolest ride ever. Has anyone rode from Lind west to Othello to the I-90 Bridge to Army West? it looks like there are still rail road ties on the satellite picture and I am unfamiliar with this Desert part. I have rode this trail from Renton all the way to the Trestle by Vantage.
N
I biked much of the trail from Ellensburg to Rattlesnake Lake on May 28 and 29. There is still snow covering the trail for several miles on either side of the Hyak Tunnel. The ranger at Lake Easton State Park estimated it would be 2-3 weeks until the tunnel was open.
I left the trail before reaching Keechelus Lake, at the intersection with FR 54, and rejoined on the other side of the pass at the Annette Lake trail. I had to push my bike through snow for a while both before leaving and after rejoining the trail.
Also, I saw a large black bear on the trail a few miles down from the intersection with the Annette Lake trail.
Matt – thanks for posting the latest pass conditions. Was FR 54 also snow-covered?
Did you push up the Annette Lake trail? Is the intersection with the Iron Horse sign posted? We’ll be going west to east.
The “Mountains To Sound” relay race is scheduled for June 29. Three of us went to Hyak on May 25 for a practice run of the MTB section (Hyak to Rattlesnake Lake) and aborted due to the snow. Is there a contact for trail (or, at least, trailhead) conditions?
Thanks, in advance, for any help you can provide.
The State Parks department has juristiction over the trail (at least that section), but i don’t know if they have any trail condition information. Nothing on their web site (see link in the main text, top of page)… Maybe someone else has some information, though?
–Jennifer
I haven’t found trail info, but here’s a link for forest roads in the area, sort of updated, and sort of helpful!
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/conditions/road_conditions_report.shtml
Thanks, I’ll check those links. I have bookmarked this page and will post any updates as available.
I went up to Hyak from Seattle yesterday – June 15. The tunnel was open. There was a patch of snow a couple of hundred yards long at the avalanche chute a couple of miles west of the tunnel that I had to slog thru, but other than that there were no snow blockages.
Paul: Thanks for the update!
Took wife and rode a short little side trail from Cle Elum up to Ronald Sunday 6/16 called the Coal Mines trail. This one is the abandoned Burlington Northern roadbed that used to service (as indicated by the name) the various coal mines in that area. Now the local chamber of commerce description of the trail says it’s a “delightful trail” and “there is only one slight grade (very easy) near the beginning in CleElum heading north to Roslyn”. Well OK! Sounds like a great ride for a beginner mountain biker. The trail head is the first CleElum exit eastbound, or the 2nd westbound, to 2nd street and just up the street from the bike shop. What you get is a very nice 1.5 – 2% typical railroad grade all 3.5 miles up to Roslyn. Then a dip through town to the city park, and then another 1.5 miles again uphill to Ronald. Neverless, 53 YO wife was less than impressed, but didn’t mind the ride back down to CleElum for an excellent late lunch at the Sunset Cafe. So much for trail descriptions.
Regards
“Biker” Jeff
Does anyone know where I can get a map of the entire John Wayne Trail? I am having no luck finding one online. Thanks
State Parks has a map that is available in a box at the trailhead at Rattlesnake Lake, but I don’t know where else it is available. This is only the portion in Iron Horse State Park from Rattlesnake Lake to the Columbia of course. I don’t know about the rest of it.
You can find all the trail maps for the Iron Horse at –
http://www.nwsource.com/outdoors/scr/of_search.cfm?ct=34&category=biking
I plan on riding from rattlesnake lake to the summit tomorrow (June 28th) and back down. How is the trail looking?
Well Gary, I suspect that we crossed paths today. Rode my “favorite 34″ ride from Exit 62 Crystal Springs over the summit, then down to Carter Creek and back today. Weather was excellent in the morning, OK in the afternoon. Had to buck a head wind all the way from Hyak back down. Oh well. The snow drift just west of the snow shed is about melted off. A mountain bike with good tires can ride through the muck around it. An avalalance did a pretty good job of destroying the info kiosk that the park department had put up at the east side. Give the sun another few days and snow will be melted off enough to expose the packed gravel trail. Best surprise improvement of the trip was to discover that the 1&1/2″ gravel has been removed from the Hansen Creek trestle and replaced with 5/8-. Now it isn’t perfect, but a really big improvement over the previous surface. I was also surprised at the number of road bikes with ~35mm tires on the trail. Something I wouldn’t do with mine, but a number of folks felt fine with.
Happy trails!
Jeff
We’re planning to attempt North Bend to the Columbia. First timers to the trail. Any advice on how many days to plan for?
Thanks!
Jeremy: Best advice is to quit at Ellensburg and wait for cooler weather to ride over the Boyleston’s to East Army and the Columbia. Lots of soft sand trail from West Army east that you will make only about 5 mph on. See my # 12 and 20 trail reports.
Jeff
I have ridden many segments of the trail. Just rode Rattlesnake to the tunnel on 29ers last weekend. The interpretive sign at the snow shed that explains avalanches got wiped out by….an avalanche.
We did Army West to East to scout it out (for the full ride to the Columbia) last spring. It is lousy. We did it on fat tire 29ers and it sucked. 5 mph with just camelbaks and day ride gear. I’d hate to do it with a full camping load. It is loose sand chewed up for almost the entire length by equestrian traffic. It needs a rebuild.
Those that I have talked to that have bike camped the trip have bailed off the trail at Kittitas or E-burg and taken the Vantage Highway the rest of the way to the Wanapum State Park. We rode that segment this spring to check it out and it’s nice (for pavement) and the traffic is very light (we were on it on a Friday). We will bail at Kittitas and take to the pavement (unfortunately).
We have also ridden from Eston to the tunnel and from just above Easton down towards E-burg and back. All those segments seem pretty good. Done many of these in 80s-90s temps and are doable if you have LOTS of water.
Carter Creek is a lovely backcountry campsite. We rode From North Bend up to it last year to test our gear (new trailer) and it was sweet. Hang your food as there’s lot of mice. There are dedicated bike/hike sites at Lake Easton SP (two) that are non reservable so the car campers can’t get to them.
Remember good lighting for the tunnel.
Anyone start from the city? Or do you get a ride out to Rattlesnake Lake? The best I can figure is that you have to ride on I-90 a little past E Issaquah to North Bend.
For those who take their tent, where do you stay, anywhere?
Thanks,
Steve
Check the links above to connecting trails, which might help in getting there… I personally wouldn’t want to ride much on I-90 if I didn’t have to!
–Jennifer
A friend and I are planning to the entire trip from North Bend to Ellensburg in 2 days…carrying our camping gear in backpacks. We’ll be starting next Monday. So my question is…are we crazy or is this actually doable? Also if this section is too long where would be a good stop/start points for overnighters. By the way we’re in good shape but have never been on the trail or done overnighters before. Thanks for your comments.
Chris
Chris,
You should have no problem getting there in 2 days. It is possible to do it in a day but I don’t think that would give much room for flats or other problems, checking out the scenery and taking pictures, eating, etc. I am guessing from N. Bend to Ellensburg is around 80 miles or so, figuring Ellensburg to Seattle by car is 96.
The only question is, where to camp? I imagine some parts of the trail are not near flat areas.
Steve
Just road the Ollalie/Twin Falls to Easton section in 2 days. You can camp at Lake Easton or Roaring creek along Lake Keecheles. Easy grade for a moderate shape half-century old diehard on a 20 year old mountain bike with 1.25″ slicks and well aged panniers/gear. The big gravel is a bit tricky if you drop speed, especially east of Keecheles. Otherwise, the grade is very easy at about 2%.
You can ride the I90 trail east out of Seattle or catch one of the abundant Sound transit busses to Issaquah. You can even transfer to a small bus to North Bend but you’ll need to take I-90 from exit 34 to exit 38 which wasn’t too bad for 20 minutes outbound and less than 10 minutes returning downhill.
At Exit 38 head under the freeway and take the first left on a gravel road, then take the first (slight) left to intersect with the trail in a few hundred yards. I walked this sxn since it is steep and loose gravel.
Great ride for those of us who have given up the “cage”.
Rode from Rattlesnake lake up to Carter Creek and back Saturday, 7/12. Nice ride! There is a warning posted at the Carter Creek campsite that reads “Bear seen frequenting area” for those that might be thinking about camping out there.
Regards and happy trails.
Jeff
I finally road the Iron Horse at least what is passable from N Bend to Ellensburg. I am putting together a web site that will hopefully help others who want more info.
http://bike.smxus.com/ironhorse.asp
It is a blast!
Steve
Why was my post deleted?
It wasn’t deleted. All comments on this web site wait for me to approve them, and I was busy this morning so it just hadn’t yet been approved. Just be a little patient….
–Jennifer
Sorry, it was there then it disappeared. I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t something offensive with my link or something.
Thanks,
Steve
I have been riding Seattle to Eastern Washington each summer for over 25 years. The Iron Horse trail is much more comfortable than riding I-90. The only other safe passages through the cascades are highway 20 and highway 14 through the Columbia gorge.
I suggest you pack light with only rear panniers so that your front wheel is more mobile and can float over rocks/gravel/etc. Fully packed, with all tools necessary to completely strip/repair my bike, my gear weighs about 25 to 40 pounds including food. This is for a 10 to 21 day loop around Washington state. If your gear weighs over 50 pounds, you are taking much more than you need. A GPS is not required – I use a state topo atlas with only the pages necessary for the trip. You only need food for a couple of days at a time. If you are covering at least 40 miles a day, you will find places to re-stock. I prefer not to carry a stove in the summer due to fire hazards and little desire for \”hot\” food given the hot weather. You can always get a cup of hot coffee or tea at a gas station. An ultralight 1-2 person tent or bivvie will also save a lot of weight.
I carry a handful of extra spokes and plenty of tire patches as well as a spare tire and tube. Broken spokes happen each trip. Be sure you have tools to remove your cassette and knowledge of how to replace a spoke.
I have never had a problem using 2 large size water bottles. If only traveling the Iron Horse to Ellensburg, I only carry one bottle and small hand pump filter since there are plenty of streams crossing the trail. I-90 at Vantage is not as bad as many posts indicate. Use a rear view mirror and keep your speed up and you will be across in a few minutes. You have just as much right to cross the Columbia as motorized traffic. It also helps to plan the crossing during non peak traffic times. The old Vantage to Ellensburg highway is beautiful but definitely a very dry climb. Water-up before you do it, since there are few water sources along this section.
Happy trails,
R.
I’m thinking of a two-day ride from Seattle to Ellensberg with my 11-year-old son next month. My wife would meet us at a campsite on the way for the overnight, and other kids might ride on the second day.
My son is looking forward to it a lot, while I’m looking at it with somewhat more trepidation; how difficult is the big gravel east of Easton? Can we really do a 125-130 mile ride in just two days? We’re both in pretty good shape, so that shouldn’t be much of a problem, but it’s a big trip, and I want it to be fun for him, as well as for any others who come along.
Hi John,
Both sides have difficulties. The west side is entirely up hill. Although a max of something like 5% grade there is no coasting, or that moment of ease and relaxing. There are areas where there is no railing or protection from a fall, like 30 feet or more. Although the gravel is smaller and compact on the west side there are places that it is loose and come up unexpectedly. I took my kids up when they were about that age but I was nervous.
Don’t forget a light for the tunnel – a good light.
On the east side it will be hot and lots of loose gravel and the gravel is more like rock in places. It can get old and frustrating bouncing and sliding around.
You will need lots of water. I drank about a gallon each day and still ran out 5 miles from Ellensburg.
I ride 3 times a week, 40 to 80 miles a ride so I consider myself in good shape. Yet I was feeling it. The bouncing and vibration jolt the body. Depending on how well your bike fits you, you could feel it in your butt, wrists, back, shoulders. It’s a lot of time sitting in one position.
If you start from Seattle you will have at least 30 or 40 miles before you start the trail. From there it is about 100 miles to Ellensburg. Campsite at Lake Easton is about halfway once you are on the trail. It sounds like your first trip. I would have my wife drop me off at N. Bend or Rattlesnake park and avoid the roads and traffic. I think you will enjoy the scenery in the mountain more.
And don’t forget tools and flat repair kits.
Not trying to discourage you, I just know how excited kids can be (and adults) until hours later it is not as fun. It is a great ride but long and bumpy.
Steve
My son and I did the trip, though we scaled it back a little from the original plan: we took a series of buses from Seattle to Duvall to begin, then biked the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, making long stops in Carnation, at Snoqualmie Falls, and at Rattlesnake Lake. Then we rode the Iron Horse Trail to Cle Elum, with an overnight at Tinkham Campground near Snoqualmie Pass.
The trail was in excellent condition, with only one short trestle that had no railing (compared to many other long trestles with generous railings). A short section of the trail near Easton was not of the original rail bed and was a little bumpy, but the only significant trail closure was at Snoqualmie Falls beginning just before the tunnel under Tokul Road, which we bypassed by riding down that road for lunch at the Falls, then taking Railroad Avenue to Main Street in North Bend where we turned left for two blocks to rejoin the trail. Parts of Railroad Avenue were too close to traffic for comfort, but nearly a mile was on the bike/ped path past the Snoqualmie Depot:
http://www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/roads/bike/maps/10.pdf
There was really only one stretch of the trail that had looser gravel, I think in the vicinity of Lake Easton, and I don’t believe it was more than 1/4 mile long. A few other stretches of the eastside trail were shared with a gravel road, but we didn’t see any other vehicles on these stretches.
On our first day from Duvall to Hyak, a Friday, my son counted seven equestrians, about a dozen pedestrians, and 20-30 bicyclists. I think the equestrians appreciated that we slowed to walking speed as we approached, spoke gently to the horses, and made sure that what we were doing was OK. We didn’t dig it so much when one of the dogs accompanying them made a snarling rush at my son, but it was bluffing and backed away when I interposed myself and its owner called it off. We dismounted entirely for the last lone equestrian, a girl not much older than my son. Saturday morning when we got started from Hyak again, there were about 50 bicyclists at the Sno-Park lot, most of them part of a Cub Scout troop that was starting their ride through the Snoqualmie Tunnel. I think they must have bused up:
http://www.busup90.com/
There was also at least one Iditarod dog team that was training; the dogs pulled bicycles or an ATV. I counted 30-40 cars in the lot, a huge change from the night before when my son and I were the only people there. My wife and two sons followed the Cub Scouts through the tunnel and then came back after spending only a few minutes at its West portal, then I switched with my wife and rode with my two sons to Lake Easton. We dropped off my younger son, then my older son and I continued to Cle Elum. I think we saw about two dozen bicyclists on our second day’s ride.
This was an incredible ride for both my son and me, a great bonding experience and a great way to give him confidence and life experiences to build upon as he approaches his teens. And the trail was in such great condition the whole way, with such wonderful (unused!) facilities, and which went right past several places we’d driven to in the past like Remlinger Farms, Camp Don Bosco, and the beautiful Cedar River Watershed Education Center. It’s hard to imagine that we saw so few other people on the trail, given that the weather was so spectacular (it wasn’t hot on the East side of the Pass at all, which I was thankful for) and the scenery so blissful.
We left a small donation at the Hyak Sno-Park lot on our way back to Seattle last night — it’s difficult to believe that such a fantastic resource as Iron Horse State Park is within such easy reach of so many people, gets as much maintenance as it obviously does, and is free to use for all. I imagine the state runs quite a shortfall in maintaining this park, and I would encourage everyone else to give it a try. I will probably do a similar trip with my second son in two more years, amending it slightly to compensate for the lack of shared car/bike access to campgrounds near Snoqualmie Pass (my wife met us with the rest of the kids at Hyak and drove us back to Tinkham Campground), but until then I will have many fine memories of this past weekend’s trip to sustain me.
Just completed leading a 5-day ride from Rattlesnake Lake to the Columbia on the IHT, with 8 Boy Scouts ranging in age from 12-17. Campsites were Tinkhan USFS, Lake Easton SP, S. Cle Elum city park, and Kittitas Co. fairgrounds camping area in Ellensburg.
By far the most challenging section was the last 20 miles from Army West to Army East. The first 4.5 miles from Army West to the tunnel took us 1.5 hours as a group, due to the uphil and soft trail surface. From the tunnel on down the ride was challenging but much faster. Total time for this stretch was about 3.5 hours, with only minor mechanical issues to deal with. We started our ride from Ellensburg at 0615 to beat the worst of the heat.
Well Tom, from a former Scoutmaster to another, job well done. Hope those boys develop a life long love of Rail Trail mountain biking. Check out the other reports on this site for Trail of the Hiawatha and others. Today, Saturday 8/15, was a great day to ride the Snoqualimie summit. Put in at Crystal Springs Exit 62 this AM and headed west. Tunnel was super nice at about 55 degrees with the usual rain fall from the ceiling. Turned around at Carter Creek and headed back. Greetings to the friends from Monroe met on the east side at the water fall break! Not too many bike rides with a built in shower to cool off in. Then did the 8 mile ride around Lake Easton before heading home. Overall, a great day of Rail Trail riding.
Best to all.
“Biker” Jeff
Sept 6-8, 2008 I took 3 sections of the trail on my 3-wheeled mobility scooter (with foam filled no-flat tires): Hyak to the avalance area and back; Lake Easton east to Cabin Creek Bridge and back; and South Cle Elum west to the second Yakima River Bridge. I loved all three trips, but my favorite was the section west of Cle Elum. I took it early morning and saw lots of wildlife including what looked like a bobcat and several groups of deer. The late-summer wild flowers and berry-producing shrubs were outstanding in this section. I especially enjoyed the marshes and views along the Yakima River. I’m completing a write-up with photo on my Website at http://accessibletrails.com/SoCentral_Wa/kittitas.htm
The larger rocks gave me a little trouble, but in the end, they were just noisy as they hit my side anti-tip wheels. My larger 4-wheel mobility scooter would have been fine, but does not have flat-free tires. A regular wheelchair user would not do well on this gravel! Too bad it is not paved like the awesome Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail on Oregon’s side of the Columbia Gorge. It would open this great trail to more users, including those with disabilities.
Is it possible to ride from Cle Elum to Ellensburg and back in one day? We are 50+ and have experienced being in better shape before. Looking at doing this before end of September.
Dan
Dan: Check my posts #s 9, 10, & 11, plus others comments. Lots of loose gravel east of CleElum. That Thorp to South CleElum and back section was a really long ride.
“biker” Jeff
Where are tent camping facilities available in the North Bend area. Our group plans a 3 day trip in May or June 2009. Thank you.
Gary
Is there a route around the tunnel before it opens? I want to go up to Hyak from North Bend and then meet up with a few people for a trip back down.
Is there a safe area to drop a car in that area other than going up to the summit?
There was still snow on the trail past Mine Creek, but might melt soon if tomorrow is as warm and sunny as today.
On May 24 2009 I rode 19 miles, South Cle Elum to Thorp. I knew that there were tunnels on the West side of the mountains that were closed, but had not done the homework that there were also (at least) two tunnells on the East side John Wayne Trail portion, and didn’t see the signage at the S. Cle Elum trailhead in my happiness to get on the trail. More on that later.
The trail is fairly soft sand/gravel for the first 2 miles east of Cle Elum, at least for my medium tired road/trail mountain bike, but easily doable. Lots of horse hooves keep it ground up; I saw maybe 10 groups of horses on the 10 miles east of Cle Elum. (Note: I learned to ask the riders which side they wanted me to pass on; one young horse startled and jumped sideways when I passed but thankfully not towards me! Don’t sneak up on these big animals, make sure they see you coming !!) After a couple of miles the trail got firmer. At appx the point the trail crossed under I-90, there was allegedly another sign that spoke of the tunnell closings and announced a detour, but I didn’t see it due to a quick detour on the adjacent blacktop road to get around several groups of horses. As I later found out, this is about the point where bike traffic takes a detour permanently off the trail till almost to Thorp. But I continued on, unknowingly ! Traffic on the trail dropped off, I had the trail to myself. A gorgeous day, a beautiful trail as it winds along the south bank of the Yakima river, all by itself with no access roads for at least 10 miles, not parallell roads, nothing but you and Mother Nature. This is the prettiest drive in the state.
I got to the Long, curving tunnell (maybe 1/5 mile long?) and no surprise, it had a sign that said, closed, no tresspessing. Thats when I realized that there were tunnels on the East side of the mountains. However, there was no chain or gate,and my ride was waiting in Thorp, and it looked to be dry and in good condition, and…..so I went thru it. With no flashlight, I just walked the bike thru incase of any rockfalls, but it was just smooth gravel the whole way. Very dark due to the curve in it. About 1/4 mile down the trail from there, I came across a Wash State Parks Pickup truck where the state park person was very officially annoyed with the huge “Risk” I had taken in transitting the crumbling tunnell and amazed that I was so clueless to have missed the almost nonexistant signage at the trailhead, and the almost nonexistant information on the Wash State Parks Website. Part of me wanted to say that I paid his salary and that they needed to do a better job on the information, now, move out of my way! ,but the other part of me said “Oh I’m sorry, how could I have been so stupid sir!” and he let me continue eastbound thru the next, (very short) tunnell, also in good condition. He drove westbound then, thru the long, dangerous tunnell, so I guess it wasn’t too dangerous.
Then the hills/bluffs along the trail flatten out and you pass thru green fields, and next to an aqueduct/flume type water channel, and then you get to Thorp.
I can’t say enough good things about this trail. We need to ensure enough $ is in the 2010 budget to get these tunnells fixed (as required) or at least have the good tunnells kept open, understanding that some of them are in better condition then others. This was a stunning stretch to ride.
if, like me, you happen to not see any signage at the trailheads, you will find the 2 tunnels betw S. Cle Elum and Thorp wide open, in good condition, and no chain or barrier at their entrances. Be aware that you may get a stern talking-to by a state person if you are busted, but believe me, its worth this ride. I bet if you ride early morning or evening you’ll be all alone (I was busted about 11am on a Sunday.)
Whitecub: See my post # 9 above. Assume you are saying Tunnel # 47 is now “offically closed”? It wasn’t in that a great shape in 2007. Think they would just shovel the 2 years worth of rock fall out of there and monitor it. Thought that’s why we wore helmets though those tunnels.
“biker” jeff :>
Found the following on the Wa State Parks page:
OLYMPIA – Jan. 30, 2009 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission today announced the closure of tunnels 46 through 50 on the Iron Horse State Park – John Wayne Pioneer Trail.
Washington State Parks hired the engineering firm, Kleinfelder, Inc., to conduct a safety review of falling debris hazards in the tunnels. The firm determined that tunnels 46 through 50 all contain segments that have moderate, high or very high hazard ratings. For the safety of recreational users, the Commission has decided to close these tunnels until further notice. There is no estimated reopening date, although the agency is exploring options for repair. The closed tunnels run from Snoqualmie Pass to Kittitas.
Looks like all of the tunnels on the JWT are closed, including the summit. Going to be a lot of trips to Idaho this summer to compensate.
“biker” Jeff :(((
Trail update as of July 4: Needed a break from the heat advisory last weekend just like a whole bunch of other folks. I can recommend the following ride(s) that somewhat compensate for the tunnel closures. Ride #1: Downtown CleElum up the Coal Mines Trail to Ronald and back. Ride a few side streets in Roslyn and you get 10 miles in. The up to Easton, unload at the Easton JWT trail head. There is no mention of tunnel closure at the trail head, probably because the Parks Department figures if you are there it’s because you are headed back down to CleElum. Ride west through downtown Easton, to Lake Easton St. Park, follow the signs to the Iron Horse JWT. Nice ride up through the woods, make a right at the JWT and up to Cabin Creek or so for a turn around point. Tunnel 49 is also closed, so you can’t ride up to the Stampeed Pass road. Not much scenery past Cabin Creek anyway. Then back towards Lake Easton, stay to the righ and ride over the Yakima River Bridges until you find a locked gate at the east end right before Tunnel #48. Back to Easton for another 10 or so miles of a ride. Then up to Crystal Springs exit # 62. Park where you can, the USFS campground where I normally park in the day use area is also closed. Ride ~ 1 mile up the Stampede Pass road to the JWT, then go west. Is about 8 miles up to Hyak from there along the south side of Lake Keechlus. The whole ride, which included a double loop around Lake Easton to discover the closed tunnel and locked gate, wound up being just a bit over 41 miles. Worst part of the day Saturday is that the Easton Saloon ran out of draft beer and we had to drink Schmidts from a can instead for the after ride break. Life is tough isn’t it?
Next ride over will probably start a Garcia, up to Carter Creek, then down to Rattle Snake Lake and back up.
Happy trails, the Hiawatha in Idaho is there if you still need your “rail-trail-tunnel” fix.
“biker” Jeff
Not a lot of chatter on this web page now that most folks have figured out that the JWT/IHStPk tunnels are closed. As indicated in last post, did ride from Rattlesnake Lake up today, and even rode all the way up to the tunnel to check things out. There is a huge washout in what was that depression area about 1/4 mile west of the summit tunnel. It can be skirted around if you are careful. There is water run-off damage on the north side of the tunnel west end, as well as evidence that water was running out of the tunnel itself before dropping down the northwest side towards the Snoqualmie river. So OK, have to give the Parks Dept. the benefit of the doubt on the summit tunnel closure.
Did a repeat of the post # 75 ride again today. WA St. Parks department has posted updated maps at the trailhead kiosks providing directions to detours around tunnels eastbound from the summit. Nice cool temperature day of riding, was a welcome break from the ~100 degree days here in E Washington of the last few weeks.
Happy trails :)
“biker” Jeff
My wife and I plan to bike the JWT on the east side taking day trips up to 20 miles. Any suggestions on sections to do around Othello to Cle Elum ? Looking for scenic , not along the highway.
thankyou,
John
John: Without knowing your definition of “scenic”, best bet is to ride down from Cle Elum to the closed tunnel and back. See post #9 above, the upper part before the tunnels is the best. Not a lot of scenery east of that unless U like farm land, then sand, sagebrush, and basalt towards Othello. Better ride east of Cascades is the Columbia Plateau Trail from Fish Lake (near Cheney) to Amber Lake and back. Check out that bike ride on this website.
Regards
“biker” Jeff
Has anybody out there ridden between West Army and East Army this year? Is the Boylston tunnel still open?
Thanks
“biker” Jeff
Hello, all;
Finished riding the JWT from Kittitas to the East Portal of Tunnel 50 (Snoqualmie Pass tunnel) last week, completing a a three year project, done a few days at a time. My wife and I are in our 60s and find the riding fairly easy and fun. We ride each trail segment both ways, and eventually plan to ride the Snoqualmie-Rattlesnake Lake section, too.
We found that the Whittier tunnel (#49, west of Easton several miles) had a closed sign and no gate, and since it’s very short, we rode through on our roundtrip ride from Easton to Snoqualmie and back. We rode around #48 at Lake Easton on an easy detour.
Last year, we rode the two Thorp-area tunnels (46 & 47; pre-closure) although saying we rode the longer tunnel isn’t really correct, since we pushed our bikes through the longer tunnel while touching the tunnel wall.
Does anyone know the status of the Boylston tunnel (#45)? Is it physically gated, or just signed as closed? I walked to Army West off Boylston Road last week, and the surface looked ridable.
I’m hoping to get the last eastside piece of the JWT ridden this year, with my wife in the support role, since she’s not very interested in riding from Kittitas east.
Or, as an alternative, make up a party with other one-way riders and leave a car on the west bank of the Columbia near the Beverly bridge, drive back to Kittitas, park there, and ride to the river, then return.
The JWT is a great recreational and historic resource, and should be made accessible ASAP. People we talked with in Cle Elum who have biking and JWT trail connections say usage is way down.
Good trail biking to all.
–Joe F
Well Joe: I made a good try at riding up from Army East (Huntzinger Road actually, the vehicle gate to gravel road up to AE is locked)to the Boyleston tunnel, which is a 17 mile one way ride in soft sand broken by basalt fall in the hill cuts. Got up to the mile 12 restroom and it started to rain. Another 10 miles in the rain wasn’t interesting, so turned around and headed back down. That said, I did not see any notices about the the tunnel being closed.
“biker” Jeff
My Friends and I are looking at doing the trail from Rattlesnake lake to easton lake. I would like some information on where the campsites are or if you can just pull over and set camp?
also how many places are there to access the trail on that part? It really looks like a great ride…..where can we get detailed maps of that route?
Well if you help with anything thaks.
As of May 15, 2010 I cannot recommend the Johnson Creek section of the JWT (from Bolyston to the Columbia) for bicycling. The “trail” has been graded so power line maintenance vehicles can use it. This grading has left the trail with such a soft surface that it is no fun anymore riding on it. It will be perfect for horses, though.
May 15, 2010. The Bolyston tunnel is open and will remain open because our state park trail is now used as a power line maintenance road. Did we have a say in that decision? I don’t know why OUR State Park won’t finance keeping all the other JWT tunnels open but the Bolyston Tunnel is kept open. Oh wait, I know, money!
I can understand why ridership is down when the trail surface is so soft you almost have to push your bike. The trail is so soft that I can’t imagine a wagon train using the Johnson Creek section at all. What a waste.
And another thing – how long will it be until the Snoqualmie Pass Tunnel is open and the huge landslide a couple miles west of the pass is repaired? Don’t hold your breath.
It has been a long wet spring hasn’t it? But today was just gorgeous on the JWT! Drove over to the west side, parked at Garcia Road, rode up to the (still closed) summit tunnel, then down to Cedar Falls and back up to the car. With exception of about a 1/4 mile section at the very end of Cedar Falls, trail repairs have been completed, including the washout 1/2 mile west of the tunnel entrance. Trail surface is in excellent condition.
Happy Trails
Jeff
Does anyone have insight into an alternate route around the Snoqualmie tunnel at the summit?
I saw a few orange “bikes must exit” signs off of I-90. So I assume they expect one to ride the interstate from Tinkham Road up to the Summit exit. Not for this old guy. Put it in the car and ferry over.
“biker” Jeff
For those that are really missing their rail-trail tunnel ride, the Trail of the Hiawatha is about the only alternate. http://www.skilookout.com/hiawatha/
Rode it from the bottom, over the top and down to Saltese MT and back down this last Saturday, 7/10 for a total of just over 45 miles. Is a super nice ride. $9.00 trail pass required for the west bound side, and for an additional $9.00, the less experienced and catch a shuttle bus ride back up to the summit tunnel.
Hi – I crossed the trestle at Beverly twice in 1999 during a walk across the entire country. It is an awesome structure…the wind in the center is pretty strong.
Ed
Do you know if there is a record time for cycling this trail, start to finish?
It appears that the Snoqualmie Tunnel will be opening on July 5, 2011:
http://mtsgreenway.org/our-work/communities/20th-anniversary-trek/20th-anniversary-trek-community-events/grand-re-opening-of-snoqualmie-pass-tunnel
Great news!
Much to my suprise, it actually opened today and I did not have my headlight set with me. Rode from Cedar Falls up to the tunnel today. The trail is in great shape for the most part. Net 5/8- gravel has been put down and compacted from Garcia Road up to Humpback Creek. The trail just above the snowshed has been freshly graded, probably in preparation of new gravel their also. Lots of tire puncture stuff like wire and pieces of RR iron mixed in, so be careful until they get it top covered. However, to my disappointment, the Lake Easton tunnel was not open. Looks like the east side tunnels might have to wait until next year. They will probably start at eastbound from the summit given those are short and aren’t in that bad of shape. Link to WA Parks Dept news below.
http://www.parks.wa.gov/newsreleases/
Enjoy – I sure did today. “biker” Jeff
As Biker Jeff mentions above, here’s the article in the Times:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015518769_snoqualmietunnel06m.html
Did the Crystal Springs Exit 62 ride up to and through the tunnel and down to Carter Creek and back ride with niece Janelle Saturday 7/23. Kudos to the St Parks Dept and the repairs to the summit tunnel! Lots of shotcrete where the rock was crumbling, pressure treated wood over the drainage scuppers on either side of the rail bed, and some really nice compacted 5/8 minus gravel through the tunnel. East side has its rough spots, but is still a really great ride.
Best to Ya!
“biker” Jeff
Did another JWT/IHSP ride over the summit this last Sunday, 8/14. This time took wife Becky. We rode through the tunnel and down to Cedar Falls. Took about 2 & 1/4 hours at an easy pace. Rode all the way west through the Cedar Falls water shed, caught the water drums show at the interpetive center, then the 1PM Bus-Up shuttle back to Hyak http://www.busup90.com/
Was a great ride back up where we rode up to the tunnel entrance to say good bye to the west-siders riding back down, then headed to Cle-Elum for an early dinner.
Happy Trails!
“biker” Jeff
I’ll be riding the length of this trail on a solo tour from Walla Walla to Seattle in about a week and a half. Thanks, everyone, for all the helpful information that’s been posted here, and if you’ve ridden the trail anywhere between Ellensburg and North Bend recently, I’d love to hear more about the its condition!
Thanks!
-Ben H.
Jennifer,
I’d appreciate Felix’s contact info. I have an interest in the trail data from a horse rider’s perspective.
I have all available trail data (gpx) for the National Forests in the state as well as other.
Feel free to browse the maps at capitolriders.org/maps.htm
Chris Enrico
Capitol Riders Chapter BCHW
capitolriders.org
Hi Chris,
I’m sorry — Felix last commented here back in 2007, and I don’t seem to have his contact information any more.
–Jennifer
hey. i’m an avid rider and planning a ride from missoula to seattle to see family in august ’12. i will be meeting a couple riding partners to pedal back with in sept and want to ride the jwpt all the way thru. anyone out there interested in joining the ride? also any info on section closures or other trail information would be cool.
hello Joe! was just checking out the tjwt tonight at work… And saw your name! Great minds think alike. Ed and J talked and both are interested in doing the whole trail. We need to start getting ready!
haha! what are the chances kel? i talked to j also. doing a little research but i’m ready and looking forward to this.
I tried riding from the west May 5. I wanted to ski Alpental its’ closing weekend. Snow starting about Carter Creek, & more solid towards the tunnel, which was locked. The website I looked at said it should open “on or about” May 1st. If there is a parks website with a definitive yea\nay on the tunnel opening, I clearly missed it.
Short write up on my trip & pictures here:
http://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=83044
Just converted Washington State rail GIS data to GPX with KMZ/KML in between. Have abandoned, active and rail banked data. If interested go to http://www.capitolriders.org (horse site) and send a message to the web master (me). What got me going on this was the Willapa Hills trail.
I toured Washington from East to West on the John Wayne Pioneer Trail in June of this year. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. The trail is a magnificent resource and I feel that we are so privileged to have it as part of the public domain here in Washington. Yes, much of it is rough and remote, but I guess that’s part of the appeal for me. It takes you through desolate and historical areas that you would not otherwise have the chance to experience. I did a lot of planning and I will say that selection of the proper equipment and a realistic set of expectations is key to enjoying the trail. From Ellensburg west, the trail is managed as the Iron Horse State Park and has been significantly improved. But from Ellensburg east, it is quite wild. I’ve written a lot about my experience on the trail . . . more than will be of interest to most. But I found it challenging to find information for certain parts of the trail during my trip planning and so I wanted to provide the following link to others who might be interested in planning a similar trip. Scroll down to the end of the post for an index of entries by trail section, along with instructions on how to obtain a gpx track of the route:
http://26inchslicks.blogspot.com/2012/06/crossing-washington-state-on-john-wayne.html
During my planning, Jennifer’s List was one of the sites I came to for valuable information and I want to take this opportunity to say thanks and give some props to this great resource.
Happy trails to all. Pat