Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail | |
---|---|
Length | 285 miles (459 km)[1] |
Location | Washington, United States |
Established | 1981 |
Use | Hiking |
Season | Year-round |
Surface | Gravel |
Right of way | Railways |
Maintained by | Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission |
Trail map | |
The Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, formerly known as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail and the Iron Horse Trail, is a rail trail that spans most of the U.S. state of Washington. It follows the former railway roadbed of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) for 300 miles (480 km) across two-thirds of the state, from the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains to the Idaho border.
The former Milwaukee Road roadbed was acquired by the state of Washington via a quitclaim deed, and is used as a non-motorized recreational trail managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. State legislation "railbanked" the corridor with provisions that allow for the reversion to railroad usage in the future.