Klickitat Trail

The Klickitat Trail is a 31-mile gently graded rail corridor in southern Washington just north of the Columbia River. Starting in Lyle, Washington off Highway 14, the trail heads north 16 miles along the Klickitat River, of which 11 miles is designated Wild and Scenic between Lyle and Pitt. A few miles past the town of Klickitat, the trail leaves the river and winds its way up through the Swale Canyon for 12 miles to Harms Road.

From Lyle to Klickitat the trail is excellent for hiking, biking and nature viewing. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has proposed paving portions of the trail near Lyle and Klickitat to make it universally accessible. The 12-mile stretch of trail through Swale Canyon is by far the most remote. This portion of the trail will remain unimproved with numerous trestle crossings – be prepared for a rustic, bumpy bicycle ride or hike. Please note that the Swale Canyon portion of the trail can be closed in the summer when fire danger increases.

The entire trail is within the right-of-way of an abandoned rail corridor. The USFS manages 13 miles of the trail from Lyle to Klickitat. The remaining 18 miles will are cooperatively managed by Washington State Parks and Klickitat Trail Conservancy (KTC).

Directions: Park across Highway 14 from Greg Colt Realty at the west end of town. From the trailhead, proceed north parallel to SR142. At 0.9 miles north of Lyle, the trail accesses a public park. Download a map at www.klickitat-trail.org.