Bill Chipman Palouse Trail
| Bill Chipman Palouse Trail | |
|---|---|
| Established | April 4, 1998 19 years ago |
| Length | 7 mi (11 km) |
| Trailheads |
Moscow, Idaho Pullman, Washington |
| Use | Biking, in-line skating, hiking |
| Elevation | |
| Elevation change | 180 ft (55 m) |
| Highest point | 2,535 ft (773 m) |
| Lowest point | 2,355 ft (718 m) |
| Grade | 0.5% |
| Hiking details | |
| Trail difficulty | Easy |
| Season | All |
| Months | 12 |
| Sights | Palouse, Paradise Creek |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Right of way | Palouse River Railroad, formerly Union Pacific |
The Bill Chipman Palouse Trail is a paved rail trail in the northwestern United States, from Pullman, Washington, eastward to Moscow, Idaho. Completed 19 years ago in 1998, it follows the former Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way and connects the rural university towns on the Palouse across the state border.
From Pullman, the trail's 7-mile (11 km) route gently climbs eastward along Paradise Creek, crossing it twelve times on original railroad bridges. The elevation at its highest point, the eastern terminus at the Perimeter Road trailhead in Idaho, is 2,535 feet (773 m) above sea level and the vertical drop westward to Pullman is just under 200 feet (60 m). The trail has two rest areas, three emergency phones, and multiple interpretive areas. It is south of and parallel to State Route 270, the Moscow-Pullman Highway, which becomes State Highway 8 in Idaho. The BCPT is not only a recreational facility, but also a commuter route that connects the land-grant campuses of the University of Idaho and Washington State University.
After 12 years of community vision, perseverance, and donations, along with agency cooperation, the Bill Chipman Palouse Trail was dedicated on April 4, 1998. It is part of the federal Rails to Trails program, which preserves railroad corridors for non-motorized transportation and possible future transportation use. It is open dawn to dusk year round - day use only - and to all ages and abilities. The trail is maintained and managed by a coalition of park and trail representatives from Whitman County, the City of Pullman, the City of Moscow, the University of Idaho, and Washington State University. With non-motorized traffic transferred to the BCPT, the highway was later improved and widened to five lanes (two lanes in each direction with a center dividing lane), completed in spring 2008.
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