Map of the Banks-Vernonia Trail
Banks-Vernonia State Trail
Banks-Vernonia State Trail
LENGTH:
21 miles
SURFACE:
paved
COMMUNITIES:
Banks, Manning, Buxton, Veronia
HIGHLIGHTS:
rail trail, Oregon countryside, rural communities, Buxton Trestle
RELATED LINKS:
The Banks-Vernonia State Trail is the first Rails-to-Trails linear state park that was constructed in the State of Oregon. The 21-mile paved trail was built along the abandoned railway bed that extends from the City of Banks, Oregon, north to the City of Vernonia. Banks is located south of Highway 26 and is 24 miles west of Downtown Portland. Vernonia is located 45 miles away from Downtown Portland on Highway 47.
Conditions
The Banks-Vernonia State Trail is paved for the entire route. The trail is open for non-motorized uses such as bike riding, running and walking.
The Banks-Vernonia State Trail is relatively flat for the first 5 miles with only a slight elevation gain. From 5 miles north of the trailhead at Banks, for the next 7 miles, there is a fairly steady 790 foot elevation gain. This translates to a grade of 2%, This doesn't seem like much, but it is a steady climb. From this high point the trail drops again, with some fairly steep sections just north of LL Stubs Stewart State Park where the trail drops down to cross Beaver Creek then climbs back up. After this point there is a fairly even grade down to the City of Vernonia.
Communities
The Banks-Vernonia State Trail goes through the following communities: Banks, Manning, Buxton and Veronia
End Points & Trail Description
The Banks-Vernonia State Trail starts on the north end of the City of Banks. There is a large trailhead with parking at NW Banks Road and NW Sellers Road, just east of Highway 47. This trailhead has a restroom and interpretive exhibit. There is no RV or trailer parking available.
Leaving Banks, the trail takes a straight diagonal path to the northwest and crosses under Highway 26. It continues following the route of Highway 47 through the community of Manning. The Manning Trailhead has parking but no restroom and is located at NW Phil Road on the east side of Highway 47. From this point, the Banks-Vernonia State Trail takes off away from Highway 47/26 and goes across agricultural land to travel along the edge of the woods.
The trail wraps around the east side of Buxton. The Buxton Trailhead is located off of Bacona Road on the north side of Buxton. At this trailhead here is a restroom and parking. There is also parking for horse trailers and picnic tables available. This trailhead is near the Buxton Trestle. The trestle is a historic wooden structure that was built for the train tracks to cross Mendenhall Creek. Bikes and pedestrians are allowed to cross the trestle, but horses need to take the bypass trail.
North of Buxton, the Banks-Vernonia State Trail goes 3.5 miles through L.L. Stub Stewart State Park. This section is deep into the forest and away from the highway, but there is camping and other trails and picnic areas in the park. A trailhead is located along the entrance road into the park.
At the north end of the state park the Banks-Vernonia State Trail crosses Highway 47. The trail wraps around to the highest point of the trail and then after a very windy and steep 1.5 miles down, it crosses the highway again. At this second crossing, there is the Tophill Trailhead. This trailhead marks the halfway point between the City of Banks and the City of Vernonia. There is parking and a restroom at this trailhead as well as an ADA accessible equestrian loading platform and hitching posts. After the Tophill Trailhead there is another steep section going up from the crossing at Beaver Creek. The Tophill Trailhead is near the historic wooden Horseshoe Trestle. The trail does not go over the trestle, but you can see it crossing the highway just east of the trailhead.
At 4.5 miles north of the Tophill Trailhead, there is another small trailhead called the Beaver Creek Trailhead. The trailhead is located right on the Nehalem Highway (Highway 47). There is a restroom and a few parking spots at this location. The trail follows right next to the highway from this point until reaching Vernonia. Per the brochure, there is parking available at the corner of Umatilla Street and Weed Avenue on the south end of Vernonia. From this point the trail heads to the east past Anderson Park. It then does a loop around Vernonia Lake next to Vernonia City Park.
Resources
Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the Banks-Vernonia State Trail in Northwest Oregon.
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