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Print Friendly MapMeandering down a Bonneville Power Administration overhead electric utility corridor, the BPA Trail serves as a connector between Celebration Park and the downtown areas of Federal Way with its southwestern neighborhoods. The trail runs behind offices in the city, providing an opportunity for non-motorized commuting.
There are also frequent access points to neighborhoods, highlighting the trail's usefulness as a commuting corridor for outlying neighborhoods. Near the BPA Trail's midpoint, the West Campus Trail branches off as a 1-mile spur, providing access to more of Federal Way's residences and medical offices.
Parking for the BPA Trail can be found at Celebration Park on Celebration Park Road or in the south at the dedicated lot where the trail meets SW 356th Street.
Love this trail. To be honest I'm a bit attached to it since it's the first trail I rode and it's only 2 miles from home. I ride it almost every day even in the winter. It's pretty deserted at night except for a few people but it's a delight. I normally start at celebration park and go all the way to madrona park, but on weeknights, I turn around at 356th st because there are some drivers who don't stop even when the crossing lights are flashing. But it's an absolute delight and gives me a work out due to the hills
Love that I could run 8 miles on this trail just by going out and back to either end. Great trees and plant life in the middle of some busy streets. Paved with hills throughout.
I usually walk the top mile at celebration park to the first cross street and back, just over 2 miles. Mild hills, the swerves take a lot out of the hills. It's been breezy when I've been walking it however I've heard it can be rather still at times.
It's a really nice skate, if you're comfortable with mild hills.
I hadn't been on rollerblades for many years.
Obviously, I felt shaky at the beginning. As I got more comfortable being on my skates, I still was having trouble slowing down (I don't have brakes - used to be able to turn a skate 90° and drag it).
The hills are pretty mild to the south of the 11th & 12th ave SW crossings - but even on the mild hills, watch out for road crossings. I was afraid that I could get up too much momentum and then get surprised by a road crossing.
North of 11th & 12th Ave SW it looks steeper - I will try those after I get my skating ability comfort level a bit higher again.
There is a bench to sit down just North of 11th Ave SW - that is where my son and I turned around (see link below for a My Track of the skate route we did)
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9oxoNs4rlbsWUE1cnduVnJ2NWs/edit
My son had done it a a couple of times before. We live close to the parking lot on 356th, so he has ridden it on his bike and skateboard a lot. He just got a pair of rollerblades at Goodwill a week ago, so he had skated it a couple of times, and already knew the trail pretty well. He was confident he could skate off into the grass if needed (he, like me, needs to work on braking techniques).
I tend to walk up steeper hills, but if you don't mind hills, this trail is great! There is a paved and dirt trail weaving along most of the trail. The power lines above hum in damp weather which is frequent. Plants die back below parts of the power lines in summer - not sure why. There are lots of thimble berries and black berries in season, and lots of connecting trails to neighborhoods.
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