31 mile gravel RR grade. From http://www.klickitat-trail.org: Located in southern Washington State, in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge, the Klickitat Trail follows the first 31 miles of an
31 mile gravel RR grade. From http://www.klickitat-trail.org:
Located in southern Washington State, in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge, the Klickitat Trail follows the first 31 miles of an old railroad corridor linking the towns of Lyle and Goldendale. It is unique among rail trails. Nowhere else is there a rail trail that starts in a remote, beautiful tributary canyon, winds along a nationally designated Wild & Scenic River, and finishes in one of the nation’s only National Scenic Areas.
How to Find It
There are multiple trail heads, see the web site for driving directions and map. Trails are right on the trailheads, no problem finding them.
A one way trip from Harms Road trailhead (mile 28.5) to Lyle takes about 4-6 hours depending on pace and stops. You can also make a loop trip by biking up the paved Centerville Hwy from Lyle to Harms Road trailhead but this would make for a long day. Harms Road is 1000' higher than Lyle.
Typical Conditions
Best months to go through Swale Canyon are April, May and October. Swale Canyon is closed summer months due to fire danger. In April/May, flowers are out and colors are spectacular. The lower portion along the Klickitat River can be done year round.
Trail surface ranges from crushed gravel to course rock, it's an abandoned railbed and not much improvement has been done outside of the portions near Lyle and Klickitat. Most of the trail is bumpy and full suspension bikes work best. Starting at the upper end, the Swale Canyon portion (10 miles) is hard and bumpy with a couple minor landslides and technical spots to cross. There are also a few spots of course shale where you'll need good speed to make it through. For the most part, in the canyon you can maintain a good speed and pace and just enjoy the scenery, which is the best on the trail. There are several gates to cross along the way, but it's a public trail so none of them are locked; just go through them and close them behind you.
A few miles before the Wahkiacus Trailhead the trail becomes a hard packed driveway and the speed picks up noticeably. From Wahkiacus to the town of Klickitat you should follow Hwy 142 because a bridge is out along the trail where it crosses the Klickitat River. From Klickitat to Pitt Trailhead I recommend you stay on the highway because the trail in this section is (a) hard to follow, (b) narrow in spots requiring you to walk, (c) a bog in spots forcing you to choose between walking through ankle deep mud or biking through it and coating you and your bike in mud, and (d) right next to the highway so the views are the same.
The last 10 miles from Pitt Trailhead to Lyle follow the Klickitat River on the opposite shore from the highway. The trail here is hard and bumpy in spots, hard pack dirt in spots, light gravel in spots. Speeds are good but there are some gates to pass through.
Local Points of Interest
Klickitat is an ideal lunch stop with multiple food options. In Lyle, Full Throttle espresso stand has great milkshakes to end the day.
