Rebuilt railroad bridge near Tri-Cities opens WA hiking, biking from west to east

Tri-Cities outdoor enthusiasts looking for a new challenge are in for a treat this spring.

A railroad bridge connection opening Friday will give them the chance to trek from the Idaho border all the way to King County.

Washington State Parks has repaired and renovated the Beverly Railroad Bridge spanning the Columbia River at the town of Beverly, about 70 miles northwest of the Tri-Cities.

Hikers and bikers can now walk or ride for three-quarters of a mile, 70 feet above the water while enjoying spectacular views of the Columbia River.

This special construction project is a renovation of a now historic bridge that was originally built by the Chicago, Milwaukee and Pacific Railroad in 1909 as part of the Pacific Extension.

In 1906, the company started construction of The Milwaukee Road Project, a transcontinental rail line that ran from Chicago, Illinois to Tacoma, and completed it in three years.

The nonprofit group Palouse to Cascades Trail Coalition worked with numerous clubs, and agencies to secure $5.7 million to pay for the bridge renovation repairs and renovation.

The trail connects the western Washington segment of the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail with Eastern Washington and beyond.

The Palouse to Cascades Trail is within a rail corridor that stretches more than 285 miles across Washington, from Cedar Falls to the Idaho border.

The trail is the western terminus of the Great American Rail Trail, envisioned by the Rails to Trail Conservancy which will ultimately go coast to coast from Seattle and Tacoma to Washington, D.C.

Washington State Parks currently manages about 250 miles of trail within this corridor in the state of Washington.

The Beverly Rail Bridge Trail can be used by hikers and bicycles. Pets must be on a leash.

While the bridge has a flat concrete flooring which are good for wheelchairs, there is a gravel section from the end of the bridge to the parking area that may be tricky to negotiate without wide tires.

There will be a grand opening ceremony of the Beverly Bridge at the Huntzinger Trail head in Beverly, at 1 p.m. April 8.

Getting there

From Tri-Cities: Take Highway 24 north from Richland across the Columbia River at the Vernita Bridge and then head west and north to Highway 243.

In Beverly, take a right turn east on Lower Crab Creek Road SW and a left on Seattle Street. Then go 0.2 miles through the gates to a gravel parking lot.

From Vantage: Head east across the Columbia River on Interstate 90, then head south on Highway 26, and south on Highway 243 six miles.

Make a left turn on the Beverly Burke Road and an immediate right turn on T 8 SW. Then go 0.4 miles and park at the dead end. Then walk up the railroad embankment to the trail.

Alternatively, from the Vantage Boat Launch exit, head south six miles along the west side of the Columbia River past the Palouse to Cascades Army West Trailhead to the west side of the Beverly Railroad Bridge.

This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 12:31 PM.