William O. Douglas Trail Connections

Category Overview

Trails grants help communities and recreation areas fund the creation and improvement of trails for walking, hiking, cycling, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. These grants help make communities more livable, create regional trails systems, and open up beautiful outdoor spaces for people to enjoy. WWRP is the largest source of trail support in the state of Washington.

Project Highlights

The City of Yakima acquired and developed a trail system along 6th Avenue from I Street to the Naches River and also acquired parcels at two other worksites outside of the city limits for future development of the William O Douglas trail system. The project acquired eight properties totalling 114 acres. The William O Douglas trail will eventually link Yakima with the Wenatche National Forest. The primary recreation opportunity is trail use. The trail along 6th Avenue in Yakima will be maintained by the City of Yakima. The trail segments outside the city will be developed, operated, and managed by other William O Douglas trail partners.

Quick Facts

WWRP Applicant: Yakima City of Category: Trails WWRP Grant: $568,687.45 Applicant Match: $656,403.06 Project Type: Acquisition & Development County: Yakima Legislative District: 14 Status: Closed Completed RCO Project # 06-1851

Location Details

From downtown Yakima (the corner of Yakima Avenue and First Street), drive north on North First Street 1.3 miles. Turn left onto Tamarack Street and in 0.1 miles turn right onto Gordon Road. Drive 0.4 miles and through a narrow underpass to the intersection of Gordon Road and North Sixth Avenue. You may park on the west side of the road beside the orchard. Follow the trolley tracks to the north to the historic Naches River trolley bridge. Crossing the bridge on foot is not currently recommended. The proposed trail climbs the 500-foot hill across the river to the northwest and offers spectacular views of the confluence of the Yakima and Naches Rivers, the Yakima Greenway corridor, and the cities of Selah and Yakima. 2. Greenway-40th Avenue-Powerhouse Rd. connection: From downtown Yakima (the corner of Yakima Avenue and First Street), drive north on North First Street 1.7 miles and take the ramp onto US 12 West. Drive 2 miles and then take the North 40th Avenue/Fruitvale Blvd. exit. Cross Fruitvale Blvd. and drive south on 40th Avenue and take the first right-hand turn into a shopping center. Continue straight (west) to the end of the parking area beyond Fred Meyer. The proposed trail would skirt this shopping center on the north and on the west. 3. Powerhouse Rd.-Painted Rocks connection: From downtown Yakima (the corner of Yakima Avenue and First Street), drive north on North First Street 1.7 miles and take the ramp onto US 12 West. Go 2 miles and then take the North 40th Avenue/Fruitvale Blvd. exit. Cross Fruitvale Blvd. and drive south on 40th Avenue 0.2 miles and turn right onto Powerhouse Road. In 0.2 miles is a mobile home court on the right. The proposed trail would lie to the north of and parallel to Powerhouse Road from this point. It would course westerly, crossing Cowiche Creek, arriving in 0.8 miles at Painted Rocks State Park just beyond the intersection of Ackley Road and Powerhouse Rd. 4. Cowiche Canyon Pathway & Bridge project: From downtown Yakima (the corner of Yakima Avenue and First Street), drive north on North First Street 1.7 miles and take the ramp onto US 12 West. Go 2 miles and then take the North 40th Avenue/Fruitvale Blvd. exit. Cross Fruitvale Blvd. and drive south on 40th Avenue 0.2 miles and then turn right onto Powerhouse Road. At about 0.9 miles, Cowiche Canyon Road angles to the left. There is scarce parking along Cowiche Canyon Rd. Instead, continue on Powerhouse Rd. another 0.1 mile and find parking on the right-hand side of the road just beyond the bridge that crosses Cowiche Creek. The proposed trail would follow Cowiche Creek upstream (southerly and then westerly) approximately 1.5 miles to the Cowiche Canyon Trail maintained by the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy. 5. Summitview Rd.-Trail crossing: From downtown Yakima (the corner of Yakima Avenue and First Street), drive west on Yakima Avenue for 0.7 miles. Bear right on Summitview Avenue and drive 6.2 miles. Summitview Avenue becomes Summitview Road. Continue northwesterly approximately 1.9 miles until you see Rippee Lane on the left. Park on the wide shoulder of Summitview Rd. The proposed trail would cross Summitview Road near here at the section line, connecting land 0.7 miles to the east owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy's Cowiche Canyon Preserve (including the uplands trails in the Cowiche Canyon Trail system) with publicly accessible land to the west (the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy's Snow Mountain Ranch and the Cowiche Wildlife Area maintained by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife). #6. 6th Avenue Pathway/Trolley bridge: From downtown Yakima (the corner of Yakima Avenue and First Street), drive north on North First Street 1.3 miles. Turn left onto Tamarack Street and in 0.1 miles turn right onto Gordon Road. Drive 0.4 miles and through a narrow underpass to the intersection of Gordon Road and North Sixth Avenue. You may park on the west side of the road beside the orchard to examine the north end of 6th Avenue or walk the trolley tracks to the north to view the trolley bridge. Parking is also available at numerous locations south of here along 6th Avenue.

What is the WWRP

The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) is a state grant program that creates and conserves local and state parks, wildlife habitat and working farms. The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office administers WWRP grants, and the legislature funds the program.