Hikers helped win funding that’s fixing Washington state’s longest trail

Two years ago, hikers like you helped secure a huge win for public lands in Washington state: $15 million of annual funding to tackle the recreation maintenance backlog on our state lands. Ever since, that funding has been improving trails, roads, bathrooms, campgrounds and more. 

We like to celebrate those wins, including recent work on the Palouse to Cascades Trail.

The Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail travels 287 miles across Washington, through scrublands and forests. Photo at left © David Hagen. Photo at right by trip reporter uberheathen.

• Hike these highlights of the Palouse to Cascades Trail:
• Beverly Bridge – a pedestrian bridge spanning the Columbia River, offering an impressive vantage point of both the river and the nearby Saddle Mountains.
• Thorp Trailhead – a hike through agricultural Kittitas County with wind turbines and peek-a-boo views of Mount Stuart along the way. 
• Lake Keechelus – a year round option and great during the winter for those new to snowshoeing because of its flat grade. 

The Palouse to Cascades is a unique trail that travels from the forests of the Cascades to the scrublands of Eastern Washington, starting near North Bend and ending near the Idaho border. It’s enjoyed year-round by hikers, cyclists and equestrians. 

Certain sections of the Palouse to Cascades Trail experience regular water damage, particularly the Lone Pine section west of Tekoa. Washington State Parks worked for 5 months to install culverts, reclaim ditches, grade the trail and add gravel to keep those water problems at bay. 

Washington State Parks was able to fix the water-damaged Lone Pine segment of the Palouse to Cascades Trail thanks to recreation-maintenance backlog funding. Photo courtesy of Washington State Parks.

Their work improved nearly 40 miles of the trail. Now, the nearby communities of Malden, Rosalia and Tekoa can access this trail in their backyards, and long-distance hikers and bikers can travel more easily across the state. 

With this funding now in our state’s budget, we look forward to continued improvements to the accessibility and sustainability of trails on Washington state lands — like the work on the Palouse to Cascades Trail. Still, we have more work to do. The current maintenance backlog is $409 million on state parks land alone.

Each year, during the state legislative session, WTA advocates in support of funding requests to help our state land managers provide high quality recreational experiences on state lands. This year’s state legislative session is no exception. 

Join WTA’s Trail Action Network and be part of future wins for trails. You’ll receive 1-2 emails per month with action alerts and updates on the issues affecting our public lands. When hikers come together, we can make lasting changes that benefit everyone who loves to get outdoors.