Find the top rated running trails in Longview, whether you're looking for an easy short running trail or a long running trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a running trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Once again the Cascade Bicycle Club’s annual Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Ride took some 6,000 riders along the Yelm Rainier Tenino Trail this weekend. The trail used to be very pleasant but over the (17) years I have participated in the STP, the trees have grown and the tree roots have progressively ruined the surface of the asphalt. Even worse, the shade is such that it is virtually impossible to see the uneven ruts and bumps until you’ve hit them. This is especially true when dozens of cyclists are cruising down the trail in a pace line at 25 mph. Yesterday was just plain dangerous.
There are also dozens of raised yellow box covers for posts. I have never seen the posts being used, but the box covers are another pointless danger for unsuspecting cyclists. This is no small issue given that 75% to 80% of the riders each year are participating in the STP for the first time. And when one cyclist goes down, he/she takes several more down as well. These covers should be permanently removed or at least designed to be perfectly flat. Just common sense.
This trail could be a real asset to the community, but presently it is a hazard to cyclists.
I can't give this 5 stars because of the 3 busy highways that you have to cross when getting close to Tenino.
Otherwise it is a great trail for distance, and relatively quiet without a lot of trail traffic.
word to the wise.. there is a significant amount of the trail that is not shaded. Wear your sunscreen and or go early in the morning.
I am planning another trail ride this year most likely in the fall.
If you're traveling from Beaverton to Portland, this is the best way to do it if you're on a bike. After the bike path ends, you can take a short side road to the Oregon Zoo.
This is an easy paved path with both up hills and down hills, some straight stretches, some curvy parts as it follow some large power lines in a north-south swath through the neighborhoods. There's one section where you have to get off the trail and go about a quarter mile through traffic and a busy intersection to connect and continue the trail on the other side of Highway 26 (Sunset) so if you have small kids with you, consider only doing the north half or the south half. There are several street crossings and many parks and connecting trails to other destinations.
We walk and bike this trail often. Made a 15 mile loop by riding the trail and then riding around Lake Sacajawea. You see ducks, turtles, herons, and nutrias.
I love that this trail is here and I ride it often, but the section between Manning and Buxton is becoming unpleasant to ride because of neglected upkeep. As has been noted in other reviews, the bridge transitions are dangerous if you are unaware and hit them at speed (which is likely on the steep downhill run below Buxton). Also in that area, tree roots have pushed the asphalt into ridges big enough to unseat you or to bounce your chain off. Many of these are hard to see in shady areas. There’s a section just above the Manning trailhead where the asphalt has been torn up and heavily grooved for years. I recently met a rider in that area pushing his bike back to the Manning car park with a shredded road tire. I am sure money is tight. Although I want to see new trails built, I would not want it to result in neglecting to maintain this regional gem of a trail, particularly the heavily used lower half of it.
We moved from Bellevue (Omaha) Nebraska 3 years ago and we loved riding our bikes on the Papio Creek 20+ mile trail. However this ride is one for the “record books”. It’s got to be one of the most scenic rides in America and worth the one-hour drive from our home north of Vancouver Washington. This is a “must be there” ride!
Compared to trails that get all star rating, albeit a short 4 miles this trail is well maintained and has sufficient width to pass the two abreast walkers. Over half the trail is on a dike next to the Columbia River and its daily ship and commercial fishing boat traffic. Additionally there is a well maintained bathroom facility halfway between Warrenton and Hammond at a dog park. Before the dog park coming from Warrenton there is a very short section of on road riding, but the shoulder is 4 foot wide. The town of Warrenton/Hammind do a wonderful job of maintaining the trail One thing to be aware of is there are several elk herds that use the trail area and in the fall during elk rutting season you might need to detour our wait them out.
This really could be a spectacular trail.... :-(
Unfortunately, there is a section of trail between Banks and Buxton that goes through some hay fields that has been desperately overdue for repairs for years now. We ride the entirety of this trail every summer, so we are very familiar with the state of the trail from one year to the next. The transitions from trail to bridges are horribly jarring, and that one section I mentioned above has large sections of crumbling asphalt that can be downright dangerous for those of us riding road bikes with narrower tires. You simply cannot enjoy the ride through this section, as you're constantly trying to stay upright as you navigate the vast sections of potholes.
I have tried complaining to the staff at Stub Stewart, but no one seems to have answers when pressed for repair timelines. Worse, I've experienced them "passing the buck" by bemoaning the multi-jurisdictional nature of trail ownership and maintenance. At this point, they need to stop pointing fingers and just figure out how to make these desperately needed repairs to the trail!
It's paved, it's short but sweet, keep in mind that the railroad IS active (not super active, I didn't see any trains on my particular trip), so use caution at crossings. It's within Battle Ground State Park. I went on a fall day and was tickled (and slightly saddened) to see a bunch of uneaten apples that had fallen off the trees in the area; hopefully some of the local wildlife got some tasty snacks out of them.
Aug. & Oct. 2023 I biked entire 56 mile trail both directions. TrailLink write-up is generally correct, with pavement at both ends and then a variety of gravel (packed, loose, and rough) through 90% of the ride. All bridges were completed many years ago, and perfectly in tact. (So, don't pay attention to the many pictures and posts here from 2011; those 2011 pics do not show nor tell of the trail as it exists today.) I used a mid-width tire (1.95"), which handled the gravel nicely. One should NOT bike the loose and rough gravel on thin street tires. I am a fair-weather-only biker: I took one bottle of water (refilled along the way), a jacket, sunscreen, but no backpack. The trail was wonderful for me in the warm, dry weather. I stopped in Pe Ell and got food at the mini-mart, and stopped in LeBam and got a late lunch. I was never in a hurry, using mid-gears over the rough, just soaking in all the beauty of the countryside, hills, forrest. Depending on your energy, you could do the whole length in one day in the dry Summer if you start at 8:30am, or do it in two days, starting around noon. The Raymond side could be a little confusing as it brushes over 101 and the city for a half-mile; map helped there. But, 99% of the trail is woods, farm fields, forrest, and beautiful countryside. I put up about 20 pictures of the journey along the way.
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