willapa hills trail / discovery trail , I-5 to coast link ?

[captain wavy]

https://parks.state.wa.us/1023/Willapa-Hills-Trail this segment of the trail recently received funding to rebuild bridges & tressels !
https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/ilwaco-long-beach-discovery-trail incredible history etc!
it has always been the plan to connect these 2 wonderful trails as a link to the coast as part of the trail system , there are a lot of wonderful people who have been involved in this incredible adventure especially the willapa hills support groups etc ! now recruiting other great minds to help work on this endeavor from the discovery / lewis & clark side & connect to the willapa hills trail ! as well as the continuation of the trail system here on the longbeach peninsula !

 

[john peck]

https://parks.state.wa.us/1023/Willapa-Hills-Trail this segment of the trail recently received funding to rebuild bridges & tressels !
https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/ilwaco-long-beach-discovery-trail incredible history etc!
it has always been the plan to connect these 2 wonderful trails as a link to the coast as part of the trail system , there are a lot of wonderful people who have been involved in this incredible adventure especially the willapa hills support groups etc ! now recruiting other great minds to help work on this endeavor from the discovery / lewis & clark side & connect to the willapa hills trail ! as well as the continuation of the trail system here on the longbeach peninsula !

I've ridden the Lewis & Clark a number of times & am considering another ride down that way. This trail would be so great compared
to the traffic on my usual route. I can side step most of it, but the parts I can't are a real bummer to ride.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Do you have a proposed route in mind to connect South Bend to Long Beach?

I think the big challenge will be getting away from the 101 around the Naselle River, where there is poor shoulder, bad sight lines, and impatient drivers.

From South Bend Willapa Drive and South Bend-Palix Road is a very pleasant (mostly) gravel ride with very little traffic.

It would be very nice to get those trestles on the Willapa Hills trail adequately decked. When I rode it last fall it was a bit sporty crossing some of them. Especially in the rain when the timbers were slippery.

 

[JRA]

Too bad there isn’t a ferry across Willapa Bay to Leadbetter.

 

[captain wavy]

Do you have a proposed route in mind to connect South Bend to Long Beach?

I think the big challenge will be getting away from the 101 around the Naselle River, where there is poor shoulder, bad sight lines, and impatient drivers.

From South Bend Willapa Drive and South Bend-Palix Road is a very pleasant (mostly) gravel ride with very little traffic.

It would be very nice to get those trestles on the Willapa Hills trail adequately decked. When I rode it last fall it was a bit sporty crossing some of them. Especially in the rain when the timbers were slippery.

 

[captain wavy]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WillapaHillsTrailFans/ last word is the state recieved funding to rebuild those tressels as part of the rails to trails conservancy, there are great minds at work for the connection to the beach from raymond , the link around the bay would be a grueling endeavor with forest land owners unless going to the columbia through naselle with bike lane , there are proposed plans by the people who were responsible for the lewis & clark discovery trail to continue that trail to the north end of the peninsula as well !

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Speaking of ferries, I lament the loss of the Ocean Shores - Westport ferry. Which let cyclists bypass Aberdeen and Hoquiam and stay more on the coast.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Just to wake this thread up. These youtoobers apparently passed through the Willapa Hills Trail as well and it looks about the same as it was in 2018:

My understanding is that the problematic section west of Pe Ell is not yet completed as is still problematic.

 

[john peck]

Ya wudna catch me crossing that trestle, but then I weigh as much as the two of ´em. I had no
confidence in those timbers. Thought sure one wud bust.

 

[john peck]

Speaking of ferries, I lament the loss of the Ocean Shores - Westport ferry. Which let cyclists bypass Aberdeen and Hoquiam and stay more on the coast.

Yup,, that was sad, It´s bin gone quite a while now. Don´t suppose they´ll ever bring it back.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Ya wudna catch me crossing that trestle, but then I weigh as much as the two of ´em. I had no
confidence in those timbers. Thought sure one wud bust.

I did cross those trestles in hosing rain in September of 2018. It wasn't the high point of the trip. On the other hand there was nothing on that trail that I wouldn't have walked over without a second thought.

There was one other trestle that had the ties removed, but you could still walk the bike across the timbers. It was a little intimidating, mostly because the timbers were wet, but not excessively deranged.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Good News! Those scary trestles now have decking in place and are no longer scary.

Trail is still rough and muddy in places.