The Yelm–Rainier–Tenino Trail, formerly the Yelm–Tenino Trail, is a

rail trail A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, 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 rail corr ...

located in Thurston County,

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, United States.

Route

The trail is a long paved path designated for use for

cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

and

walking Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an " inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults o ...

. The trail runs parallel to State Route 507 and intersects with the southern end of the

Chehalis Western Trail The Chehalis Western Trail is a rail trail in Thurston County, Washington, and is the longest shared-use path in the region. It occupies an abandoned railroad corridor that was once used by the historic Weyerhaeuser-owned Chehalis Western Rail ...

. Trailheads are located at the trail termini in Yelm and at Tenino's City Park, with additional parking lots and entry points along the trail. Rainier straddles the trail approximately east of Tenino. The trail is mainly flat, with a combined elevation change of approximately over its course. The trail is used by

bicyclists Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world for pur ...

participating in the annual

Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic The Seattle to Portland, or STP, is an annual one- or two-day supported bicycle ride from Seattle, Washington, to Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The STP "is considered one of the 10 biggest recreational bicycle rides in the country, draw ...

as they ride from Yelm to Tenino.

History

The trail, acquired by the county in 1993, has been constructed along the route of a former

Burlington Northern Railroad The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States–based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1995. Its historical lineage begins in the earliest days of railroad ...

line. Originally this section of railroad was named "The Prairie Line," but in 1986 the rail line from Yelm to Tenino was abandoned. The trail was renamed in late 2021. Previously the "Yelm–Tenino Trail", the name now incorporates the city of Rainier, which maintains a portion of the trail that bisects the area and the city's limits.

Future plans

In 2024, the city of Tenino has begun plans and contracts to extend the trail through the community's downtown area that would place the western terminus near the intersection of Old Highway 99 and SR 507.

Artwork

A copper wind sculpture was installed at the Prairie Line Trailhead in Yelm at the end of 2023. Symbolizing a tree, the

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , literal translation, lit. "Holy Faith") is the capital city, capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Santa Fe County. With over 89,000 residents, Santa Fe is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fourt ...

artwork known as ''Ponderosa'' was part of an initiative to begin a creative district in the community. The following spring, a metal sculpture made of recycled

argon Argon is a chemical element; it has symbol Ar and atomic number 18. It is in group 18 of the periodic table and is a noble gas. Argon is the third most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, at 0.934% (9340 ppmv). It is more than twice as abu ...

cylinders used for welding was added to a trailhead cross-corner from Yelm City Park. The artwork, titled ''Centennial Bloom'', was donated by a Centralia sculptor to the city in honor of Yelm's 2024

centennial A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century. Notable events Notable centennial events at a national or world-level include: * Centennial Exhibition, 1876, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

. The sculpture depicts a cube metamorphosizing into a

dodecahedron In geometry, a dodecahedron (; ) or duodecahedron is any polyhedron with twelve flat faces. The most familiar dodecahedron is the regular dodecahedron with regular pentagons as faces, which is a Platonic solid. There are also three Kepler–Po ...

. The same artist also donated another metal sculpture displayed on the trail in Tenino.

References

External links

Yelm-Tenino Trail

Map of Trail

History of The Prairie Line
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yelm-Tenino Trail Rail trails in Washington (state) Protected areas of Thurston County, Washington Tenino, Washington Transportation in Thurston County, Washington