The Foothills Trail is a mostly paved non-motorized

rail-trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...

in east

Pierce County, Washington Pierce County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 921,130, up from 795,225 in 2010, making it the second-most populous county in Washington, behind King County, and the 60th-most populous ...

, extending uninterrupted for from

Puyallup, Washington Puyallup ( or ) is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States, located about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Tacoma and 35 miles (56 km) south of Seattle. It had a population of 42,973 at the 2020 census. The city's name comes from th ...

through

Orting Orting is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,041 at the 2020 census. History The first recorded claims for land in Orting were made in 1854 by William Henry Whitesell, Thomas Headley, Daniel Lane, and D ...

and South Prairie, and terminating in

Buckley Buckley may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Buckley's, a Canadian pharmaceutical corporation * Buckley Aircraft, an American aircraft manufacturer * Buckley Broadcasting, an American broadcasting company * Buckley School (California), ...

. The trail is used by cyclists, walkers, joggers, inline skaters, and horse riders. Listed as Foothills Regional Trail, it was designated a

National Recreation Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

in 2012.

Route

The trail begins in Puyallup and progresses to the community of

McMillan MacMillan, Macmillan, McMillen or McMillan may refer to: People * McMillan (surname) * Clan MacMillan, a Highland Scottish clan * Harold Macmillan, British statesman and politician * James MacMillan, Scottish composer * William Duncan MacMill ...

. This portion of the route is paved and travels through farmland and is mostly separated from road traffic though the path twice crosses railroad tracks. The trail continues into downtown Orting, paralleling (but not on)

Washington State Route 162 State Route 162 (SR 162) is a State highways in Washington, state highway in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, serving rural Pierce County, Washington, Pierce County. The highway travels from an interchange with Washing ...

, and passing through the city's Central Park. There are frequent views of

Mount Rainier Mount Rainier (), indigenously known as Tahoma, Tacoma, Tacobet, or təqʷubəʔ, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With a s ...

during this short section. The path advances on to South Prairie while overlooking the

Carbon River The Carbon River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. It flows about 30 miles (48 km) from its source, the Carbon Glacier on Mount Rainier, to join the Puyallup River at Orting. Charles Wilkes called the river the "Upthascap River", ...

during certain stretches. Passing wildlife viewpoints, the trail meanders into Buckley, the ending trailhead for the path.

Future plans

Longer-range plans call for the western end of the trail to extend through Sumner and connect with the

Interurban Trail (King County) The Interurban Trail South is a rail trail in King and Pierce counties, Washington. The interurban trail North is a bicycle route running from Downtown Seattle through Shoreline and to the Snohomish County, Washington line. The Interurban Trail ...

(which runs through

Auburn, Washington Auburn is a city in King County, Washington, United States (with a small portion crossing into neighboring Pierce County). The population was 87,256 at the 2020 Census. Auburn is a suburb in the Seattle metropolitan area, and is currently rank ...

and

Kent, Washington Kent is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue metropolitan area and had a population of 136,588 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest municipality in greater Seattle and t ...

) to Pacific, Washington and is planned to connect to existing segments in Edgewood and Milton, Washington. Construction began on a short segment in Fife, Washington. The northeastern terminus is expected to eventually reach

Enumclaw, Washington Enumclaw ( ) is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 12,543 at the 2020 census. The Enumclaw Plateau, on which the city resides, was formed by a volcanic mudflow (lahar) from Mount Rainier approximately 5,700 y ...

, while the southeastern end may go through

Carbonado, Washington Carbonado () is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. Carbonado is located near the Carbon River in northern Pierce County, approximately 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Seattle. Carbonado is the last town before entering Mount Raini ...

and extend to the entrance of

Mount Rainier National Park Mount Rainier National Park is an American national park located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. The park was established on March 2, 1899, as the fourth national park in the United States, preservi ...

. Milestones along the trail count down the distance to the park.

References

External links

Pierce County Foothills Trail

Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition
Protected areas of Pierce County, Washington Rail trails in Washington (state) Transportation in Pierce County, Washington {{US-trail-stub