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Print Friendly MapThe 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 next to the Clark County-owned Chelatchie Prairie Railroad, which sees limited freight and excursion rail use.
Clark County is planning on extending the trail along the entire 33-mile length of the railroad from the existing Burnt Bridge Creek Trail near Hazel Dell Avenue in Vancouver to the railroad’s northern terminus in Chelatchie Prairie.
Parking for the open portion of the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad Trail can be found in Battle Ground Lake State Park on NE 249th Street/Burt Road.
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.
The trail segment is accessed from Battle Ground Lake state park. It is very short, less than a mile but with the state park nearby you could easily lengthen it. The trail itself is in excellent condition and especially if you have mobility issues, a nice little walk. It is mostly a shaded area and filled with wildflowers on both sides.
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