Rail-Trails Washington and Oregon. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
descriptions themselves suggest an ideal itinerary for each route, including the best parking areas and access points, where to begin, your direction of travel, and any highlights along the way. The text notes any connecting or neighboring routes, with page numbers for the respective trail descriptions. Following each description are directions to the recommended trailheads.
Each trail description also lists a local website for further information. Be sure to visit these websites in advance for updates and current conditions. TrailLink.com is another great resource for updated content on the trails in this guidebook.
Trail Use
Rail-trails are popular destinations for a range of users, often making them busy places to enjoy the outdoors. Following basic trail etiquette and safety guidelines will make your experience more pleasant.
Keep to the right, except when passing.
Pass on the left, and give a clear audible warning: “Passing on your left.”
Be aware of other trail users, particularly around corners and blind spots, and be especially careful when entering a trail, changing direction, or passing, so that you don’t collide with traffic.
Respect wildlife and public and private property; leave no trace and take out litter.
Control your speed, especially near pedestrians, playgrounds, and heavily congested areas.
Travel single file. Cyclists and pedestrians should ride or walk single file in congested areas or areas with reduced visibility.
Cross carefully at intersections; always look both ways and yield to through traffic. Pedestrians have the right-of-way.
Keep one ear open and volume low on portable listening devices to increase your awareness of your surroundings.
Wear a helmet and other safety gear if you’re cycling or in-line skating.
Consider visibility. Wear reflective clothing, use bicycle lights, or bring flashlights or helmet-mounted lights for tunnel passages or twilight excursions.
Keep moving, and don’t block the trail. When taking a rest, turn off the trail to the right. Groups should avoid congregating on or blocking the trails. If you have an accident on the trail, move to the right as soon as possible.
Bicyclists yield to all other trail users. Pedestrians yield to horses. If in doubt, yield to all other trail users.
Dogs are permitted on most trails, but some trails through parks, wildlife refuges, or other sensitive areas may not allow pets; it’s best to check the trail website before your visit. If pets are permitted, keep your dog on a short leash and under your control at all times. Remove dog waste in a designated trash receptacle.
Teach your children these trail essentials, and be especially diligent to keep them out of faster-moving trail traffic.
Be prepared, especially on long-distance rural trails. Bring water, snacks, maps, a light source, matches, and other equipment you may need. Because some areas may not have good reception for mobile phones, know where you’re going, and tell someone else your plan.
Key to Trail Use
Learn More
While Rail-Trails: Washington and Oregon is a helpful guide to available routes in the region, it wasn’t feasible to list every rail-trail in these two states, and new trails spring up each year. To learn about additional rail-trails in your area or to plan a trip to an area beyond the scope of this book, visit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s trail-finder website, TrailLink.com—a free resource with information on more than 30,000 miles of trails nationwide.
Washington
The Wallace Falls Railway Trail welcomes you to the lush Pacific Northwest.
1 Bill Chipman Palouse Trail
Counties
Latah (ID), Whitman
Endpoints
SE Bishop Blvd. (Pullman, WA) to Farm Road (Moscow, ID)
Mileage
7.1
Roughness Index
1
Surface
Asphalt
The Bill Chipman Palouse Trail stretches 7.1 miles through the rolling wheat fields of the Palouse region, offering a convenient, paved connection between Washington State University and the University of Idaho.
The trail follows a piece of corridor from the former Union Pacific Railroad (constructed by the Columbia & Palouse Railroad in 1885), which transported passengers from Colfax to Moscow. The last passenger train ran in 1957. Now, the wide, mostly flat pathway—a respite from the area’s many hills and valleys—accommodates nonmotorized users of all types, with additional trail connections at either end.
Along the route from Pullman to Moscow, 13 original railroad bridges cross Paradise Creek. Opportunities abound to spot birds and other forms of aquatic wildlife thriving in and near the water. Trail users will also find emergency phones, restrooms accessible for people with disabilities, benches, bike racks, and interpretive signs describing the history, agriculture, and ecology of the region.
Crossing state lines and directly linking two universities, this trail bridges the 7-mile gap between Pullman, Washington, and Moscow, Idaho.
The Bill Chipman Palouse Trail overlaps with the Pullman Loop Trail for approximately 1 mile, starting near the Chipman trailhead at Bishop Boulevard. From here, you’ll cross Paradise Creek to a cirque of benches and an interpretive station at Birdhouse Depot. Magpies are common; the stream also provides a habitat for hawks, falcons, and more than 100 other bird species.
As you travel farther along the gentle uphill grade, you’ll come to the next point of interest, a giant grain elevator. A greenway buffers you from the four-lane highway to Moscow, as do the lovely waysides with interpretive signs and benches along the corridor. Grab some water at Neil Wayside near Pullman. This dry, unsheltered path is often windy heading eastward.
The trail culminates at Farm Road in Moscow. Continue east on the 2-mile Paradise Path through the north and east edges of the University of Idaho campus and up Paradise Creek to the Moscow city limits. Here, you can connect with the paved, 12-mile Latah Trail to Troy, Idaho.
CONTACT: tinyurl.com/billchipman
DIRECTIONS
To get to the west end of the trail from US 195 near Pullman, WA, take