Showing possible route from Seattle to Idaho Boarder
Trail generally starts at Rattlesnake Lake
End point is wherever you want it to be

Leg 1

Rattlesnake Lake to Lake Easton

• This is the first leg of our epic adventure

  • It starts with a mild upward grade - not hard, but you will feel it

  • The second half has a light downhill grade - an nice boost to camp

• Starting at Rattlesnake Lake, Ending at Lake Easton- 38 miles

• Starting at Olallie State Park, Ending at Lake Easton - 34 miles

• Starting at Rattlesnake Lake, Ending at Hyak - 21 miles

• Starting at Olallie State Park, Ending at Hyak - 17 miles

Camp 

• Primary - Lake Easton

• Alternate - Cold Creek Campground (Park at Hyak)

• Backup - Roaring Creek Campground

• Backup - Thorp School

Sites

• Ragnar - Remnants of Railroad Depot

• Change Creek Trestle

• Hall Creek Trestle

• Mine Creek Trestle

• Garcia Station Sign

• Hansen Creek Trestle

• Avalanche Shed

• Snoqualmie Tunnel - 2.3 miles

• Keechelus Lake

• Keechelus Lake Avalanche Shed Remnants

• Tunnel 49 / Whittier Tunnel

• Yakima River Bridge

• Modern replacement of original Milwaukee bridge

• Tunnel 48 / Easton tunnel

• Easton

  • Burgers and groceries at gas station

Issues

• Olallie State Park

  • May not allow for trailer turn around

    • If used, may need to unload bikes on road prior to trailhead

    • Consider driving to trailhead with trailer if:

      • Excellent trailer skills and not going on a busy day

      • Can disconnect trailer, move it with Scouts and turn it around

• Tunnels

  • You MUST have headlamps

• There are 2 ways to get into camp at Lake Easton

  • East Approach

    • Take trail north before you hit Lake Easton

    • Find Trail 1 mile after Cabin Creek Bridge

      • Look for small sign on the left

      • There is a smaller horse trail the drops down to the northeast

      • If you reach an odd bridge that curves over  the Yakima River and a railroad track - you wen to far

    • This takes you first to the North Camp - we are NOT camping here

    • Follow road to other camp

  • West Approach

    • Pass Lake Easton

    • Trail will join with Cabin Creek Road 

    • Follow road to the Post Office and ride through town NW on Railroad Street

    • This is a little over a half mile longer than the other approach

      • It's about the same length if you find the trail to camp on railroad Street just past the bridge

    • Maybe you want to check out town - maybe stop for a burger?

Leg 2

Lake Easton to Kittitas

• Day 2 includes a gradual downslope to Ellensburg

  • Ellensburg is not a bad place to stop, and group can tour around the college campus

  • It's not that far to ride to camp if camping in Kittitas

• Starting at Lake Easton, Ending at Kittitas - 45 miles

• Starting at Lake Easton, Ending at Ellensburg (Kiwanis Park) - 38 miles

• Starting at Lake Easton, Ending at Thorp - 30 miles

Camp

• Primary - Kittitas

• Alternate - Camp Wanapum

• Backup - Lake Easton

• Backup - Ellensburg KOA

Sites

• Easton

  • Small town

• Yakima River at confluence with Cle Elum River

• Cle Elum - Train station

  • Full out town 2 miles to the north

  • Interpretative trail 

• Tunnel 47 / Thorp Tunnel

• Tunnel 46 / Thorp tunnel

• Thorp

  • Fruit and Antiques

  • Icee at gas station

• Trestle over Yakima River

• Trestle over Hwy 10 and BNSF RR

• Ellensburg - University

• Ellensburg - Recycle Bike Shop

• Historic Kittitas Depot 

Issues

• In Easton, trail joins road

  • Don't miss trail as road turns to the north

• Tunnels

  • You should have headlamps that work

• Few Road Crossings on way to Ellensburg

  • Don't forget how to cross streets

• Ellensburg to Kittitas

  • Missing trail through Ellensburg

  • If you go past Central University - you will need to ride on roads

    • Ride through Ellensburg to the Rodeo Grounds on the east end of town

Leg 3

Kittitas to Camp Wanapum

• This is the most challenging section of the trail

  • We travel through a remote section and through a military base

  • First part of trail through Army Base can be soft and has an uphill grade

  • Group should stock up on extra water and hit the trail early in the day to beat the midday sun

• Starting at Kittitas, Ending at Camp Wanapum - 32 miles (not including possible 4 mile shortcut)

• Starting at Prater Road, Ending at Camp Wanapum - 29 miles 

• Starting at Kittitas, Ending at Beverly (other side of Columbia River) - 30 miles  

• Starting at Prater Road, Ending at Beverly - 27 miles 

Camp 

• Primary - Camp Wanapum

• Alternate - Sand Hollow Campground

• Backup - Beverly Dunes

Sites

• Historic Kittitas Depot 

• Renslow Trestle

• Site of historic Boylston Depot

• Boylston Tunnel

• Cheviot

• Rye Station Sign

• Rock Cut

• Doris

• "New Doris" - 2 faucet water pump

• Cohassett Station Sign

• The Cove Park

Issues

• Yakima Training Center

  • NO Vehicle Access!!!

  • Plan to ride early

  • Full Water capacity

  • Plan for NO Cell Service

  • Sandy trail with nasty rocks

• Boylston Tunnel

  • Closed due to rockfalls and tumbleweeds 

  • Take bypass over tunnel

Leg 4

Camp Wanapum to Othello 

• This section starts on gravel trails and transitions to road

  • Road is used in second part of ride as parts of trail have puncture vines and rest trail is unmaintained or is still used by rail road

  • Road starts off as gravel and transitions to paved in Smyrna 

  • Can stop pretty much anywhere along this path (30-50 miles)

  • There is a nice overlook of valley at 37 miles mark

• Starting at Camp Wanapum, Ending at Othello - 46 miles 

• Starting at Beverly , Ending at Othello - 39 miles 

• Starting at Camp Wanapum, Ending at 46.8025, -119.3298 - 37 miles 

  • Nice High Point and view of valley

  • Primary plan

• Starting at Beverly , Ending at 46.8025, -119.3298 - 31 miles 

Camp 

• Primary - Lind-Ritzville Middle School 

• Alternate - Lind Park 

• Alternate - Ritzville Wheat Land Communities’ Fairgrounds

• Backup - Othello Fairgrounds

• Backup - Ralston - simple and free (509-659-0893)

Sites

• Beverly Junction

• Columbia River 

• Beverly Bridge

• Beverly

  • Nothing here

  • A quarter mile south is Schwana with a gas station and food

  • About 2 miles east of river is parking for Nunnally Lake with a vault toilet

• Crab Creek Bridges

  • NOTE: bridge is out on Google Satellite Images

• Milwaukee Road Taunton Substation 46.8032, -119.3452

  • maps.app.goo.gl/QMJbTJn4B5qWiV8H8 

• High point overlook of valley 46.8019, -119.3279

  • Take pictures and get picked up

  • It's another 9 miles if you want to ride into Othello with a little bit of elevation gain

Issues:

• Area around Smyrna has Goat Heads!!!

  • Between 46.8389, -119.6966 and 46.8396, -119.6534

  • Avoid!!!

  • There appears to be a trail that exits at 46.8385, -119.7033 that will get you on the road

    • This is your last chance to get off the trial 

    • 11 miles from Bridge 17.5 miles from Camp

    • Get on Lower Crab Creek Road and just stay on it until it turn to North

      • Road is gravel and transitions to paved in Smyrna 

  • You can also just hop on the Lower Crab Creek Road at Lenice Lake Public Access or earlier

    • Lenice Lake Public Access 46.8339, -119.8335

      • maps.app.goo.gl/smdczgDU1m2BRxA86 

      • Vault Toilet to the north of trail if you need one

    • Nunnally Lake Public Access is also fine

• Trail ends

  • Trail ends around 30 miles east of bridge

  • There is still an active railroad to Warden

  • You'll need to ride Lower Crab Creek Road

Leg 5

Lind to Marengo 

• This section enters scablands

  • Trail section is pretty remote with limited camping opportunities

  • Goal is to get most out of this section and end at a reasonable spot

• Starting at Lind, Ending at Marengo - 25 miles (Silos)

• Starting at Lind, Ending at Benge-Ritzville Rd (around Carlmar) - 30 Miles (nothing here)

• Starting at Lind, Ending at Ewan - 50 Miles

• Can start in Ralston (16 miles east of Lind) if camping there

• Can start in Warden (32 miles west of Lind)

• There are a handful of gravel roads you can get picked up on or take to a paved road

Camp

• Primary - Rosalia City Park

• Primary - Malden City Park

• Backup - Saint John Fairgrounds or Park

• Backup - Camp at Tekoa

Sites

• Lind Trestle - Missing Trestle west of Lind

  • Ride there to see it if you like

• Tunnels under SR 395

• Ralston

  • Tiny town with park you can camp at

  • Water and WiFi

• Cow Creek Crossing

  • Bridge is out with cliff on both sides

• Railroad crossing

• Marengo 47.0230, -118.1953

  • Silos at Marengo Road crossing

  • Scablands with exposed bedrock

• CPT and PTCT intersection (we don't plan to ride this far)

• Revere - Silos and then the Revere Wildlife Area

Issues

• Cow Creek Trestle burned down

  • Take Detour

  • Must have map and route inputted into GPS

Leg 6

Malden to Idaho

• This is the final stretch to Idaho

  • Last bit of trail has a few mud holes that you should walk around

  • Depending on how the group is doing, and where we camp, this last day can be as long or short as desired or needed

  • The Tekoa Trestle should not be skipped, unless you have a phobia

• Starting at Malden, Ending at Idaho Boarder - 35 Miles (can be shortened to 30 if you take PCM Road)

• Starting at Rosalia, Ending at Idaho Boarder - 25 Miles

• Starting at Tekoa, Ending at Idaho Boarder - 6 Miles

Sites

• Malden 

  • Almost completely destroyed by the Babb Fire in 2020

• Rosalia - cute town

  • Grocery and restaurants

  • State Park with restrooms - planned SAG Wagon stop

  • Pool and Camping in past (closed 2025)

• Rosalia concrete arch bridges

• Seabury Bridge

• Tekoa Trestle

  • Long trestle - there is an even longer bypass of you need to take it

• Tekoa - small town

  • Restaurants, a grocery and a hardware store

• Washington-Idaho state line

  • The trail intersects with dirt road and curve of paved road

  • There is a Sign that says "END OF WA DNR MILWAUKEE ROAD CORRIDOR"

    • Not much of a sign, but that's where we are at

    • If you blink, you'll miss it - ride a few meters back down trail from intersection and look to the NW side of trail

  • Take many group photos and head home!

Issues

• Rosalia: 

  • Steep hill from hill down into Rosalia

  • Riders generally go into town - see below

• Pandora (Pine Creek Bridge): 

  • Missing Trestle 5 miles east of Rosalia

    • Bypass onto Pandora Road then downhill to Wilhelm Road and then back to trail through private property

    • Steep with 10% grade and not marked

• Missing trestles: 

  • Missing trestles at Engel Road, Fox Road and the Fairbanks-Seabury Road

    • Steep descents and climbs greater than 8%

    • Watch for traffic!

• Tekoa: 

  • East end of trestle has a post that you need to pass around on a corner - Watch out

• Tekoa to Idaho state line: 

  • Can be muddy in spots

  • Seasonally impassable