Welcome to the Klickitat Trail Conservancy (KTC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the 31-mile Klickitat Trail, a rail trail in Washington state, in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge.
The Klickitat Trail, a non-motorized multiple use trail, follows the first 31 miles of an old railroad corridor that once linked the towns of Lyle and Goldendale. The gently graded trail starts at a trailhead with lovely river views in Lyle, Washington, at the confluence of the Klickitat and Columbia Rivers, follows the nationally designated Wild and Scenic Klickitat River 13 miles through oaks and pines to the old mill town of Klickitat, and then after a few more miles at the Wahkiacus trailhead, turns up Swale Creek and into the remote and beautiful Swale Canyon, ending in the high, open ranch country of the Goldendale Plateau. The Klickitat Trail is a Washington State Park.
Read KTC President Ken Hansen’s Spring 2025 Newsletter here!
Now is the time to speak up for the Klickitat Trail and outdoor recreation in Klickitat County!
Klickitat County is updating their comprehensive plan, written in 1979. There have been a few minor updates, but not a revision of the County plan. This plan “is the primary document to implement the community’s vision for future growth and development while protecting livability, culture, natural resources and the environment.”
- Goldendale, County Services Building – March 13
- White Salmon, Pioneer Center – March 20
- Trout Lake, Grange Hall – April 10
- Bickleton, Location TBD – April 17
- Dallesport, Community Center – May 1
Comprehensive Plan Community Outreach Meetings will be held from 6-8pm at all locations
More info on meetings and link to current plan
UPDATE on SWALE CANYON
Ribbon Cutting at 11:00 am on Thursday, May 8, 2025, for the Swale Canyon improvements project. This will allow for more time between the opening and the annual fire closure beginning on June 21st, and hopefully better wildflowers. KTC will be collaborating with Washington State Parks and Paragon (contractors) on this. KTC president Ken Hansen plans on leading a guided bike trip. More details will follow once they are ironed out.
Please note the Swale Canyon section of the Trail remains CLOSED while work continues on the upgrades until May 8th. Except for Swale, all other sections are open year round for your recreational enjoyment.
Beginning on the third Monday of June, 2025, Washington State Parks will implement the annual temporary closure of the Swale Canyon leg of the Klickitat Trail. This closure balances public safety concerns for heat illness/injury and resource concerns for fire and summering steelhead smolt with a predictable schedule for visitor planning and trail enjoyment. State Parks management reserves the right to make changes to the date(s) to address unforeseen emergency or management issues and such circumstances will be communicated through agency channels and to appropriate stakeholders and partners if/when such circumstances arise.
Swale Canyon is a unique resource and upgrades such as decking and railings on the many trestles, removal of debris piles, and placement of gravel in the many sections of the trail where the original railroad ballast rock made travel difficult. Significantly, the debris piles removed from Swale Canyon are anticipated to be utilized in the pending Suburbia Bridge replacement project.
Replacement of the Suburbia bridge (removed following the ’96 flood) is slowly moving forward. Our contact with the State Parks planning office reports the Suburbia Bridge replacement project is slowly moving forward. Due to design complexity and delays, additional funding was required for design completion. Bridge designs are now being considered and if all goes well the bridge is scheduled for completion in 2027. State Parks has also put out a public request for proposals to select a design consultant to start working on the trail segment from the Suburbia Bridge to Snyder Creek. Completion of this bridge, relieving the need to travel on Hwy 142 to continue on the Klickitat Trail, is a high priority of KTC.
Photo: Annick Chalier
Currently the trail is unpaved, with a packed fine gravel surface for the first 2 miles from Lyle to the Fisher Hill Trestle and also through the town of Klickitat. The rest is primitive, with dirt and larger gravel, suitable for hiking and mountain biking. The first 13 miles — between Lyle and Klickitat — can also be used by equestrians, but the rest of the trail, with many trestles, is not yet horse-ready.
This recognition award by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission would not have been possible without the generous and loyal support of KTC’s members. It is member support that keeps us going, enables us to work on the Klickitat Trail, and encourages us to work with Washington State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service to advocate for needed improvements. KTC thanks you for your ongoing support!
This view is from the Harms Road trailhead access into Swale Canyon.
The Trail’s spectacular scenery includes carved gorges, interesting geologic formations, abundant wildflowers, rolling hills, oak and Ponderosa Pine woodlands. Great birding opportunities in abundance all along the Trail, including winter habitat for bald eagles near the Lyle trailhead
In season, the entire trail is also good for cross-country skiing. A missing trestle a mile north of Klickitat prevents through use in this section, so those wanting to hike or bike the entire trail need to use Hwy 142 for the 3+ miles between the town of Klickitat and the Wahkiacus trailhead. The 2+ mile section of trail going from Wahkiacus toward Klickitat is a lovely hike, but dead-ends at the missing trestle.
Most of the land adjacent to the trail is private and it is very important to respect private property by staying on the trail and keeping your dogs leashed and on the trail. Dogs are permitted on leash only. Adjacent landowners have poultry and livestock and there is open-range grazing of cattle and sheep, especially in the section from the Fisher Hill Trestle to Pitt and in the Harms Rd. area. Also, rattle snakes, ticks, and poison oak can be hazards to dogs and people alike everywhere along the trail.
There is a bathroom with running water and a drinking fountain at the Lyle trailhead available in warmer weather, and an outhouse there in winter. Outhouses are also provided at the Pitt, Wahkiacus, and Harms Rd. trailheads.
Copyright © 2003-2025 Klickitat Trail Conservancy (KTC) All rights reserved
last updated 4/7/2025
