Portions of it are very scenic. None of it passes through industrial areas, but there are a fair number of road crossings (many of which are just stop signs, where most drivers stop and wave bikes across) and it does parallel the Orting highway (two-lane, so not terrible) at times. While the Orting highway is on one side for a while, you’re also passing through farmland, with a nice fruit stand at about the 3.5-4 mile mark.
There’s a nice coffee stand with plenty of outdoor seating, Trailside Coffee, at about the 15-mile mark, which I often stop at….it’s the little things.
Approaching the coffee stand, if on a weekend, watch for the homemade blackberry pie sign…it’s a senior couple operating a small vegetable stand out of their home, and the pie is excellent (worth figuring out how to carry it home)…….if they’re operating this year!
It crosses a couple of beautiful ravines, one with a very long bridge at about 18(?) miles (nice place to stop and soak it all in), and you ride along or cross several rivers and streams. At the 10-mile mark, stop at the top of the small hill, at the picnic tables, and watch for eagles soaring over the river. At about 20 miles, there’s a very popular drive-in restaurant next to the trail, Wally’s, if you’d like to have a meal near the turnaround. If your timing is good, they sometimes host customized-car shows.
The trail starts in Puyallup, and goes all the way through Buckley, ending up with a short gravel section downhill to the White River. There is also an unpaved spur that cuts over from just beyond South Prairie, to Carbonado, which I just saw on a map today so I haven’t explored that yet….I think it may be a little rugged. Later this year, and finishing in 2023, King County is building a pedestrian/bike bridge from the Buckley end, over the White River, and will extend the trail to Enumclaw. Eventually, it’s intended to hit the Cascade foothills, thus the name.
If you want to try a shorter section, there are plenty of parking areas along the way. The park in Orting (at roughly the 7 mile markj is a great place to start, as there is an abundance of parking, you’re past most of the road crossings, and it becomes even more rural.
The Puyallup trailhead is not far from home, and, obviously, it’s my go-to.
I keep threatening to go elsewhere, but I like the convenience.