Pierce County collecting public opinion of Foothills Trail section to Mount Rainier

The county will start the process this fall.

By Ray Miller-Still • July 22, 2024 2:30 pm
Image courtesy Pierce County A map of the proposed Wilkeson-to-Carbonado section of the Foothills Trail that will eventually lead to Mount Rainier.
Image courtesy Pierce County A map of the proposed Wilkeson-to-Carbonado section of the Foothills Trail that will eventually lead to Mount Rainier.

The Foothills Trail, which runs from Buckley to Puyallup and will soon connect to Enumclaw over the White River, is planned to also stretch all the way to Mount Rainier National Park.

But some baby steps need to be taken before such an undertaking is tackled — which include asking the public for help designing a portion of this trail that will, in the far future, lead to the mountain through Wilkeson and Carbonado.

The Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition and Pierce County announced on July 8 that they secured a National Parks Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance grant to start this process.

There’s no actual grant money; according to Pierce County, the value of this grant is in NPS staff time for technical assistance as the county gathers public opinion.

The community outreach effort to gather input on the trail’s design will begin in September. This work is expected to last a year, and will culminate in conceptual design to inform the next phase of Foothills Trail development toward Mount Rainier National Park.

The feedback the county is looking for includes trail surfacing (soft surface versus asphalt), where people foresee problems with constructing the trail, and what amenities should be available.

This section of the trail will connect Wilkeson and Carbonado, and will not immediately connect to the main Foothills Trail.

“Developing this trail offers numerous benefits. Rural trails provide sustainable solutions for active transportation, promote health and well-being, foster community connectivity, reduce reliance on motorized transport and contribute to healthier lifestyles,” the county said in a press release. “Additionally, increased foot traffic along trails supports local businesses and stimulates economic growth.”

WHITE RIVER BRIDGE UPDATE

North of this project, King County continues to work on the pedestrian bridge over the White River to connect Enumclaw to Buckley.

King County estimates that the bridge will be completed in the coming months, but the entire trail from Buckley to the Boise Creek Bridge on the Enumclaw side won’t be completed until the fall.

A date for the grand opening of the bridge has not yet been set.