Find the top rated trails in Kelso, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The Lacamas Heritage Trail parallels Lacamas Creek and the western shore of Lacamas Lake under a canopy of old growth forest. Along this scenic gravel pathway, trail-goers can catch glimpses of the...
The developing Westside Trail in Portland's western suburbs will be a 25-mile paved, multi-use path between the Willamette River to the north and the Tualatin River to the south. Currently, 8 miles...
The Waterfront Bike Path follows the Willamette River in downtown Portland from the Marquam Bridge north to the Steel Bridge. Although short, the trail offers scenic views of the city skyline and...
_104188_sc.jpg)
Castle Rock's popular Riverfront Trail originates at its main trailhead in Lion's Pride Park, which offers covered picnic areas. Following a dike north along the Cowlitz River from the park, the trail...
An adventure awaits those who tackle all, or part, of the 56-mile-long Willapa Hills Trail in southwestern Washington. The former Northern Pacific Railway line rolls through remote farm and forestland...
Marine Drive Trail follows its namesake roadway along the south shore of the Columbia River. You'll often find you're just feet from the river and can enjoy lovely views of the water, boats and...
_144993_sc.jpg)
The Rock Creek Trail provides an important commuting route and natural escape in one of Oregon's largest cities: Hillsboro, located in the "Silicon Forest," a high-tech corridor on Portland's western...
The Eastbank Esplanade traces Portland's Willamette River from the Steel Bridge on the north end to SE Caruthers Street on the south end. The trail is named for former Portland mayor Vera Katz, who...
The Columbia Slough Trail follows its namesake waterway on the northern end of Portland. Although there are currently gaps in the trail, it will one day follow the entire length of the narrow 19-mile...
The I-84 Bike Path begins at the I-84 intersection with Fairview Parkway and continues west along the interstate for nearly 5 miles. A fence and concrete barrier separate trail-goers from traffic....
The Warrenton Waterfront Trail runs for nearly 5 miles through the small city of Warrenton, located near where the mighty Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean in northwestern Oregon. Portions...
Salmon Creek Greenway Trail offers a scenic natural getaway in northern Vancouver. The paved, tree-lined trail winds along the creek and through wetlands for 3 miles, offering access to Salmon Creek...
The Padden Parkway Trail provides a paved, 5-mile route across northeastern Vancouver, connecting neighborhoods and shopping areas. Trail-goers are separated from the busy four-lane roadway by a wide,...
The Lombard Street Path stretches nearly 2 miles through an industrial area of northern Portland. At the southern end of Kelley Point Park, the path makes two important connections: It meets the...
Terwilliger Trail offers a beautiful, paved route from southern Portland to Lake Oswego in two disconnected segments. Most of the trail corridor runs through Multnomah County; its southern tip lies in...
The I-205 Multi-Use Path spans 18.5 miles through five cities and 15 neighborhoods along Interstate 205 and the TriMet MAX Green Line light rail service. In addition, it joins with the 21.5-mile...
The 14-mile Yelm-Tenino Trail travels through the rural towns of Yelm, Rainier, and Tenino on a paved route through agricultural areas, forests, and wetlands. Commuters can access Olympia, Lacey, and...
The Springwater Corridor comprises the southeast segment of the 40-Mile Loop regional trail system encircling the greater Portland area. The origins of the Loop come from a 1904 proposal by visionary...
Tilikum Crossing, also known as the Bridge of the People, spans 1,720 feet across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. The bridge was designed primarily for the MAX Orange Line light rail, but...
The scenic Burnt Bridge Creek Trail meanders through Vancouver, Washington, along the creek from Stewart Glen on the shores of Vancouver Lake to Meadowbrook Marsh. Along the way, the trail passes...
The Banks-Vernonia State Trail stretches through the hills (east of the Coast Mountains) between its two namesake towns. The former railroad corridor—once part of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle...
The I-84 Bike Path begins at the I-84 intersection with Fairview Parkway and continues west along the interstate for nearly 5 miles. A fence and concrete barrier separate trail-goers from traffic....
The Sylvia Creek Forestry Trail is located in Lake Sylvia State Park north of Montesano on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. The interpretive trail winds through the deep forest and alongside scenic...
As its name implies, the Peninsula Crossing Trail cuts through a peninsula between the Willamette and Columbia Rivers in northern Portland. The tree-lined trail traverses urban neighborhoods and...
The Columbia Slough Trail follows its namesake waterway on the northern end of Portland. Although there are currently gaps in the trail, it will one day follow the entire length of the narrow 19-mile...
The Padden Parkway Trail provides a paved, 5-mile route across northeastern Vancouver, connecting neighborhoods and shopping areas. Trail-goers are separated from the busy four-lane roadway by a wide,...
The I-205 Multi-Use Path spans 18.5 miles through five cities and 15 neighborhoods along Interstate 205 and the TriMet MAX Green Line light rail service. In addition, it joins with the 21.5-mile...
An adventure awaits those who tackle all, or part, of the 56-mile-long Willapa Hills Trail in southwestern Washington. The former Northern Pacific Railway line rolls through remote farm and forestland...
Terwilliger Trail offers a beautiful, paved route from southern Portland to Lake Oswego in two disconnected segments. Most of the trail corridor runs through Multnomah County; its southern tip lies in...
Salmon Creek Greenway Trail offers a scenic natural getaway in northern Vancouver. The paved, tree-lined trail winds along the creek and through wetlands for 3 miles, offering access to Salmon Creek...
Castle Rock's popular Riverfront Trail originates at its main trailhead in Lion's Pride Park, which offers covered picnic areas. Following a dike north along the Cowlitz River from the park, the trail...
Tilikum Crossing, also known as the Bridge of the People, spans 1,720 feet across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. The bridge was designed primarily for the MAX Orange Line light rail, but...
The Columbia River Dike Trail—also known as the Captain William Clark Park Trail and the Cottonwood Beach Trail—follows the Columbia River from Steamboat Landing Park to the border of the Steigerwald...
The Coweeman River Trail follows the dike on the west side of the river for 4 miles, giving access to the riverfront and Tam O'Shanter Park. The setting on the northern section is residential, and the...
The Highway 26 Bike Path is a paved commuter route in west Portland that parallels its namesake roadway (also known as Sunset Highway). A small segment is located in a busy shopping area of the...
The Waterfront Bike Path follows the Willamette River in downtown Portland from the Marquam Bridge north to the Steel Bridge. Although short, the trail offers scenic views of the city skyline and...
The Warrenton Waterfront Trail runs for nearly 5 miles through the small city of Warrenton, located near where the mighty Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean in northwestern Oregon. Portions...
When complete, the Fanno Creek Greenway will be a 15-mile paved network of fully accessible urban trails, linking two counties and five cities: Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Durham, and southwest...
The 14-mile Yelm-Tenino Trail travels through the rural towns of Yelm, Rainier, and Tenino on a paved route through agricultural areas, forests, and wetlands. Commuters can access Olympia, Lacey, and...
As its name implies, the Seaside Promenade is a north-south route along the Pacific Ocean in the Oregon coastal community of Seaside. The Prom, as it's affectionately known, dates back to the 1920s...
The 14-mile Yelm-Tenino Trail travels through the rural towns of Yelm, Rainier, and Tenino on a paved route through agricultural areas, forests, and wetlands. Commuters can access Olympia, Lacey, and...
The I-205 Multi-Use Path spans 18.5 miles through five cities and 15 neighborhoods along Interstate 205 and the TriMet MAX Green Line light rail service. In addition, it joins with the 21.5-mile...
Castle Rock's popular Riverfront Trail originates at its main trailhead in Lion's Pride Park, which offers covered picnic areas. Following a dike north along the Cowlitz River from the park, the trail...
Terwilliger Trail offers a beautiful, paved route from southern Portland to Lake Oswego in two disconnected segments. Most of the trail corridor runs through Multnomah County; its southern tip lies in...
The Cowlitz River Trail follows its namesake river along a dike on the east bank. The trail is asphalt and connects Kelso residents with the riverfront. The trail parallels the active BNSF line that...
As its name implies, the Seaside Promenade is a north-south route along the Pacific Ocean in the Oregon coastal community of Seaside. The Prom, as it's affectionately known, dates back to the 1920s...
When complete, the Fanno Creek Greenway will be a 15-mile paved network of fully accessible urban trails, linking two counties and five cities: Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Durham, and southwest...
The Waterfront Bike Path follows the Willamette River in downtown Portland from the Marquam Bridge north to the Steel Bridge. Although short, the trail offers scenic views of the city skyline and...
As its name implies, the Peninsula Crossing Trail cuts through a peninsula between the Willamette and Columbia Rivers in northern Portland. The tree-lined trail traverses urban neighborhoods and...
The Chelatchie Prairie Railroad Trail—also known as the Chelatchie Prairie Rail-with-Trail—is currently open from Battle Ground Lake State Park to a point nearly 1 mile southwest. The paved trail runs...
The Rock Creek Trail provides an important commuting route and natural escape in one of Oregon's largest cities: Hillsboro, located in the "Silicon Forest," a high-tech corridor on Portland's western...
Marine Drive Trail follows its namesake roadway along the south shore of the Columbia River. You'll often find you're just feet from the river and can enjoy lovely views of the water, boats and...
The Crown Zellerbach Trail, known locally as the CZ Trail, follows a former logging railroad through quiet and picturesque forests in northwest Oregon. Its east end begins at Multnomah Channel and,...
Salmon Creek Greenway Trail offers a scenic natural getaway in northern Vancouver. The paved, tree-lined trail winds along the creek and through wetlands for 3 miles, offering access to Salmon Creek...
The Eastbank Esplanade traces Portland's Willamette River from the Steel Bridge on the north end to SE Caruthers Street on the south end. The trail is named for former Portland mayor Vera Katz, who...
The Lacamas Heritage Trail parallels Lacamas Creek and the western shore of Lacamas Lake under a canopy of old growth forest. Along this scenic gravel pathway, trail-goers can catch glimpses of the...
The Banks-Vernonia State Trail stretches through the hills (east of the Coast Mountains) between its two namesake towns. The former railroad corridor—once part of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle...
The Columbia Slough Trail follows its namesake waterway on the northern end of Portland. Although there are currently gaps in the trail, it will one day follow the entire length of the narrow 19-mile...
The Gresham Fairview Trail is a north–south corridor that will one day link Portland's 40-Mile Loop Trail (Marine Drive section) with the Springwater Trail's section through Gresham. As of spring...
The Warrenton Waterfront Trail runs for nearly 5 miles through the small city of Warrenton, located near where the mighty Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean in northwestern Oregon. Portions...
My wife and I rode this trail for the first time July 20 and 21, 2017 (a Thursday and Friday). Our plan was to ride Banks to Vernonia, stay overnight in Vernonia, and return the next day. On Thursday we drove from the Olympic Peninsula in Washington to Banks, arriving around noon. We were shocked to find that the State allows no overnight parking in the trail head parking lot. Besides that, the parking lot which holds about 30 vehicles (about half for compact cars) was full and there was only one compact space left which we could not use b/c we drive a minivan. We discovered a bicycle shop "Banks Bicycle Shop" 503-596-2433 adjacent to the trail head where we received some suggestions of where we could park from the very helpful staff which solved our problem. We have heard that the shop will actually come out on the trail to provide assistance. We also visited the Sheriffs office where we were told by the office staff that they thought we could park on the street for 48 hours without a problem. Our bikes are hybrids and we ride with a handlebar bag, trunk bag, and for an overnight ride, panniers. We noticed most of the bikes on the trail were road bikes with no gear at all, so their experience may be different than ours. The trail is black top all the way and scenery abounds. Yes, the trail has a number of root bumps, but most are well marked with paint stripes. Also, the beginning and ending of the bridges have significant bumps, but you just have to be aware of this. The first 4 or 5 miles are flat, or perhaps a very slight grade. However, the next 7 miles is a steady, unrelenting 5% grade and by the time we got to about the 12 mile point, we were very disappointed. About that time we met another biker who told us we were nearly at the top and we would soon begin the descent. Just before arriving in Vernonia there was a slight upgrade, but nothing much. We arrived at our B&B, "The Carpenter's House" and spent a very comfortable night. The next day we looked forward to "payback time". We rode the gentle incline to "Hilltop" and then had a magnificent ride back to Banks. Had we known the extent of the upgrade on the first day, it would have been easier because we would have known it would not extend all the way to Vernonia, but most of the reviews speak only of switchbacks and steep incline, which are very short and insignificant for us in comparison to the unrelenting upgrade for 7 miles. The bottom line is, it is a beautiful trail and a beautiful area and the answer to the question of whether we would do it again is "Yes!" because we would now be forearmed with knowledge of the trail layout.
I rode this trail for the first time last evening. I was surprised by the popularity of Frenchman's Bar Trail - not for the trail but the beaches, which makes parking crowded. There were just a few riders on the trail. There is parking at Vancouver Lake Park, near the middle of the trail, which appears to used manly for the beach, and at the northern termination again used for the beach. I found one small parking spot just before entering the park that had only one car. The trail is completely flat which makes it great for hiking and biking. The middle section goes along a slough and the rest through fields.
We parked at the Yelm Trailhead parking lot which is behind the city hall at Railroad and Washington SW. The parking lot was small – about 15 spaces – and shared with parking for the city hall. The trailhead had a porty-potty and the remains of what was once a bench. The trail condition from Yelm to Rainier, which is 5.5 miles, had a number of root heaves. The root heaves were all pretty well marked with paint so you could avoid them. The trail condition from Rainier onward to Tenino was in better shape.
For the most part, the trail follows State Highway 507. At times, there are trees that act as buffer to the road. There are a number of low-traffic street and driveway crossings. The trail connects with the Chehalis Western Trail which heads north into Lacey. We continued on the Yelm-Tenino Trail. There aren’t that many benches along the way except for the trail intersection with the Chehalis Trail and near McIntosh Lake.
At about 11 miles, we decided to turn around and head back to the trailhead. If you had one day to cycle one trail, I would recommend the Chehalis Western Trail instead since it does not follow the state highway and offers more variety.
Great ride, lots of flowers and great smells Boring to down town Portland.
The trail is pretty large and has some other trails where it leads off of. It seems good for biking. One issue I found with the trail were the power lines that were there. However, after a certain distance those are ignored.
great trail, but I keep getting lost southbound at hwy. 224. Some signs would be good. Even painted on the sidewalk. Anything! The trail just ends and -- bang-- you're face to face with highways going every which way.
Gladstone seems to be particularly unfriendly to bikes. Don't they understand that bike traffic brings money-spending traffic without congesting roads?
I love walking the esplanade during my lunch on sunny days. It has great views of the river and the city and can be just about as long as you want depending on which bridges you cross over. The only downside is that some of the cyclists take the trail way too fast for how crowded the path can get and that makes it a bit on the hazardous side if you're not really paying attention.
We start at 12th Ave public parking area...walk 2.5 miles to the COVE...back to 12th Ave. Total is close to 5 miles...very stroller friendly on the prom...
As a female, I feel safe on this trail. Yes homelessness is a problem but no one has bothered me and I love the trail and try to pick up litter when I can.
Great for everyone. Heavily used, but only because it's open, awesome and full of wildlife! Birds galore! Also, wide trail allows for cyclists to cruise at a super quick pace. Awesome, awesome!
since I'm not from the area this was a neat ride to see some of the other parts of Vancouver it follows the electrical lines and a nice riverbed the ending is a bit anti-climactic but worth the trip overall
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
_104188_st.jpg)
_144993_st.jpg)
