State calls for public input on Columbia Plateau Trail improvements

A rendering of proposed trail improvements near Turnbull Natural Wildlife Refuge's Long Lake.

Washington State Parks is looking for community input on improvements to a 5-mile stretch of the Columbia Plateau Trail from the Fish Lake Trailhead south into the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge.

Though contingent on the parks department receiving a competitive state grant for $2.5 million, the project would be one of the first steps in a larger, 16-mile improvement plan from Fish Lake to Amber Lake. The aim is to "energize" the stretch, the south side of the trail currently seeing less than a quarter of the use that the north, paved side does, project manager Paul Knowles said.

"We're looking at this project as really an effort to get people excited about the Columbia Plateau Trail, and in a way that harnesses synergy with the national wildlife refuge," he said.

The plan involves extending a paved walkway from Fish Lake Trailhead around a mile and a half to Cheney Plaza Road and adding 3 1/2 miles of crushed limestone into the refuge, Knowles saying that the surfacing is "clearly a major difference in why use is different north from south."

A new bird-blind for viewing skittish wildlife, a redone Fish Lake parking lot with an added pollinator garden, increased seating and shade opportunities, a raised lookout near Turnbull's Long Lake and new signage are also part of the proposal.

Additionally, Knowles said the grant would fund habitat enhancements such as planting native trees and shrubs along the stretch of trail.

"We really want to encourage the community to engage with this project and help inform it," he said.

A survey on the trail improvement plan is open to the public until Wednesday. The deadline for the grant is July 15, and if selected, the parks department would receive funding next year.

The survey can be accessed at bit.ly/4e8PYrn, along with the current draft of the trail proposal. Knowles estimates it could take around 20 minutes to complete, but interested parties are welcome to just look at the proposal without filling out the survey as well.

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 7:04 PM.