Map of the Iron Horse State Park Trail & Iron Horse Trail
Iron Horse State Park Trail & Iron Horse Trail
Iron Horse State Park Trail
LENGTH:
100+ miles
SURFACE:
unpaved
COMMUNITIES:
Cedar Falls, Ellensburg, South Cle Elum, Beverly, Warden, Warden,Tekoa
HIGHLIGHTS:
historic railroad route, tunnels, trestle bridges, natural areas of Central Washington, Yakima River Valley, farmland, canyons, rural communities
NEARBY TRAILS:
Snoqualmie Valley Trail
Columbia Plateau Trail
RELATED LINKS:
The Iron Horse State Park Trail is a linear corridor that spans across much of the central part of Washington State. This route spans from Cedar Falls to the Columbia River and was the route of the Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Pacific Railroad. There is over 100 miles of mostly unpaved pathway for bike riding and hiking within the state park section of the trail. The trail is also referred to at the Milwaukee Road and the John Wayne Pioneer Trail.
The Iron Horse State Park Trail is located to the south of Interstate 90 and wanders through the hills and rural communities along the way. This 110-mile section goes through mile of forests and has a climb of 1610 feet in elevation and includes a 2.3-mile long tunnel at Snoqualmie Pass. There are several other shorter tunnels along the route as well. This section of the trail is popular with cyclists riding mountain bikes and hikers that come up from the Seattle and Redmond area. The main trail connects to numerous hiking trails in the area.
The western end of the Iron Horse State Park Trail connects to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail in the community of Cedar Falls. There are multiple trailheads with parking along the way. The trail goes through the Snoqualmie Pass area and then drops down to the community of South Clé Elum where there is a preserved railroad depot and substation. To the east, the trail travels through the beautiful Yakima River Valley and follows alongside the river through miles of natural areas and farmland. Historic trestle bridges cross the Yakima River. There is a short gap in the trail in the city of Ellensburg, home of Central Washington University. To the east of Ellensburg, the trail crosses the more arid areas of Washington. There trail uses an historic and rather dramatic trestle railroad bridge to cross the Columbia River just south of Wanapum Lake, Wanapum Village and the hydroelectric plant. The trail continues for another 15 piles past the Columbia River.
The 123-mile long unpaved eastern part of the Iron Horse Trail goes through miles of the arid landscape of Eastern Washington State. The trail starts in Warden to the east of Highway 17 and ends at the state line of Idaho. The trail crosses the Columbia Plateau Trail in a remote area to the south of Interstate 90.
Conditions
The Iron Horse State Park Trail and Iron Horse Trail are mostly unpaved and are is various states of condition. The Iron Horse State Park Trail is kept in better condition and has more visitors. The trails are open for non-motorized uses, such as mountain biking and hiking. The trail goes through very remote areas with few services. Trail users should come prepared with supplies and water.
Communities
The western portion of the Iron Horse State Park Trail goes past the following communities: Cedar Falls, Ragnar, Garcia, Bandera, Rockdale, Snoqualmie Pass, Whittier, Cabin Creek, Easton, Pine Glen, Lavender, South Clé Elum, Horlick, Thorp, Ellensburg, Kittitas, Doris, Beverly and Smyrna.
The eastern portion of the Iron Horse State Park Trail goes past the following communities: Warden, Roxboro, Lind, Ralston, LaVista, Pina City, Malden, Rosalla and Tekoa.
Points of Interest
The Iron Horse State Park Trail and Iron Horse Trail go past the following points of interest:
| Rattlesnake Lake |
| Twin Falls Natural Area |
| Ollalie State Park |
| Snoqualmie Tunnel |
| Summit and Snoqualmie Ski Area |
| Keechelus Lake |
| Lake Easton State Park |
| South Clé Elum Railroad Depot |
| Historic trestle bridges over the Yakim River |
| Central Washington University |
| Wanapum Lake |
| Trestle bridge over the Columbia River |
| Rock Lake |
| Columbia Plateau Trail |
| Idaho Border |
Nearby Trails
Snoqualmie Valley Trail: the two trails meet at the far western end of the Iron Horse State Park Trail in Cedar Falls.
Columbia Plateau Trail: the two trails meet in a very remote location to the south of McCall Road at a location that is 18.5 mile drive south from Interstate 90.
End Points
The Iron Horse State Park Trail and Iron Hose Trail exist in two sections that cross through the middle of the State of Washington.
The west end of the western section is located on the east side of Rattlesnake Lake in Cedar Falls. The east end of the western section is located at a point 15 miles east of the bridge over the Columbia River to the south of Wanapum Lake.
The west end of the eastern section is located on the east side of the community of Warden . The east end of the eastern section is located at the Idaho Border to the north of Tekoa
Resources
Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the Iron Horse State Park Trail in Washington State.
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