History of the Trail

Olympic Discovery Trail
Status Report: February 4, 2002
Prepared by Rich James

For table format of trail history, click here.

Clallam County has been very successful in leveraging a small amount of local trail funding to compete for federal and state trail building dollars.  In the time period from 1995 through the end of 2001 almost 73% of trail funding had come from federal or state sources. In the years 2000, 2001 and 2003 Clallam County received a series of federal grants that provided 100% federal funding for construction of the Olympic Discovery Trail. These grants will provide Clallam County with the opportunity to complete a majority of the trail system connecting Blyn, Sequim, Port Angeles and Forks within the next ten year time period. Clallam County will emerge from this decade with a non-motorized trail system that rivals the quality and safety of its motorized transportation system. A growing number of Clallam County residents living near urban areas are already beginning to enjoy the newfound ability to safely commute to work and shop downtown utilizing a traffic separated trail instead of their cars. Growth in this trend can provide a small measure of congestion relief to the busy Highway 101 corridor.

The background of the Olympic Discovery Trail project begins with the construction of the first railroad grades in Clallam County since much of the route is located on historic railroad grades. The Seattle, Port Angeles and Western Railway lines were laid between Port Angeles and Discovery Bay in 1914 and 1915. At Discovery Bay, the Seattle, Port Angeles and Western Railway lines tied into the Port Townsend and Southern lines built in 1887.

Passenger rail service between Port Angeles and Port Townsend began in 1915. Passenger service was expanded westward as far as Twin Rivers. In 1931 passenger service ended due to competition from cars. The rail lines, now operated by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, were utilized for freight and timber hauling after 1931.

The Seattle and North Coast Railroad acquired the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad lines in 1980 and tried to revive passenger train service between Port Angeles and Port Townsend. This effort failed and by 1985 the train was out of service and the tracks began to be removed.

The Peninsula Trails Coalition ("PTC") was formed in 1988 in an effort to create a public access trail for non-motorized travel between Port Angeles and Port Townsend. The goal was to use the railroad corridor that was in the process of being abandoned. Unfortunately, the railroad rapidly sold portions of the railroad corridor. In spite of this, the idea of the "Olympic Discovery Trail" began to take root and plans were made to develop the trail that would use portions of the corridor that were still available.

In 1991, the PTC, with the help of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, the Clallam County Park and Recreation District and the Trust for Public Lands, bought a 3,000 foot section of corridor which spanned the Dungeness River west of Sequim. After purchase, the PTC coordinated the efforts of several state agencies and local citizens in a massive volunteer effort that turned the 150 foot bridge over the Dungeness River and 500 foot trestle into a pedestrian walkway. This section of the Olympic Discovery Trail is now part of the Railroad Bridge Park, which is owned by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and managed by the Rainshadow Natural Science Foundation and the River Center Board.

In 1991 Clallam County began its planning effort under the Growth Management Act. One of the early public participation planning efforts involved sending out surveys to area residents to poll their reactions to various land use and transportation issues. The questionnaires revealed very strong support for the development of a countywide system of trails to link together various parks and communities on the northern Olympic Peninsula. Strong support was also found for development of non-motorized alternatives to single occupancy vehicles. These opinions were also found to be prevalent among the many citizens that participated in the committees charged with developing the new comprehensive plan for Clallam County. Public support and committee interest were translated into extensive policy support in the comprehensive plan and four regional plans for development of a countywide non-motorized trail system. The Olympic Discovery Trail route between Port Angeles and Port Townsend is originally described as closely approximating the route of the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific rail line.

The Countywide Policy Plan required by the Growth Management Act was adopted in 1993 and contained transportation policies to support non-motorized transportation projects.

County interest in non-motorized transportation coincided with a renewed emphasis by the federal government in alternate forms of transportation that found expression in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Enhancement Act of 1990 (ISTEA). This act provided strong financial support for alternate forms of transportation. The state Motor Vehicle Excise Tax also required that Clallam County set aside a small percentage of its tax receipts (0.42%) to be spent on development of non-motorized transportation. Clallam County took advantage of ISTEA to further its newly developed transportation goals in 1994 when the County first made application to the Transportation Enhancement Grant process for purchase of 1.3 miles of former railroad grade between Kitchen Dick Road and Carlsborg Road in the Sequim-Dungeness Valley. This grant was awarded in 1995, the land was purchased and was developed initially as a gravel based trail in 1996. Additional right of way along the railroad grade was acquired in 1996-1998 to link the county trail with Railroad Bridge Park.

In 1995 the County was awarded a $250,000 Scenic Byways grant for development of the trail between Morse Creek and Siebert Creek. After an extensive public process to determine the best route for the trail, the byway money was utilized to purchase right of way along the selected route. The County followed this effort with a successful Transportation Enhancement grant to construct the trail between Morse Creek and Siebert Creek in 1996. Right of way work was completed in 1998 along with trail engineering and the trail was finally ready to construct by the end of 1998.

In 1998, a two-mile section of corridor running west from Port Townsend was opened as the Larry Scott Memorial Park. Larry Scott was one of the founding members of the PTC, which initiated funding and support for this portion of the trail in Jefferson County.

Another Enhancement grant in 1999 funded Clallam County trail construction through the Deer Park Overlook and west to Morse Creek. Construction began in 1999 and a 5 mile segment of trail opened in October of 1999.

In 1999, with assistance from the City of Port Angeles and a $40,000 grant from the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation, the PTC organized another massive volunteer effort and rebuilt the trestle over Morse Creek east of Port Angeles. This 400 foot trestle is a critical link in a stretch of corridor running along the Strait of Juan De Fuca shoreline that connects the County trail system east of Morse Creek with the Port Angeles Waterfront Trail.

The Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation awarded Clallam County a National Recreation Trails Grant in 1999 to allow construction of the Siebert Creek pedestrian bridge. Paving of the trail between Gasman Road and Old Olympic Highway was also included in this grant. The trail was paved in the summer of 2000 and the bridge was installed in the summer of 2001.

Another enhancement grant was awarded to Clallam County in 2000 to allow the trail work to extend westward towards the now abandoned Rayonier mill site. The summer of 2001 saw extensive work done on the route between Morse Creek and Port Angeles.

The 2001 Enhancement Grant program awarded Clallam County a grant to pave the remaining 4 miles of Olympic Discovery Trail between Morse Creek and Gasman Road. This work was completed in 2001.

The Olympic Discovery Trail received a fiscal year 2001 Transportation and Community and System Preservation Pilot Program (TCSP) grant of $545,000 to construct the missing trail sections between Siebert Creek and Sequim. Acquisition projects utilizing this funding source are underway in the Barr Road to Pinnell Road trail segment and along the Spring Road segment. Construction of these trail segments will begin in the summer of 2002.

The Olympic Discovery Trail received a fiscal year 2002 Transportation and Community and System Preservation Pilot Program (TCSP) grant of $1,600,000 to construct trail segments between Lake Crescent and Forks. Environmental work for these construction projects will begin in 2002.

The Olympic Discovery Trail received a fiscal year 2002 grant of $50,000 from the Secure Rural Schools Program to secure easements from private forest companies for the western portion of the ODT route.
What economic benefits can be expected from use of the trail in the future? What other benefits derive from use of the trail by local residents and visitors? 

Increased revenue to Motels, Restaurants, Food Stores, Campgrounds & Bike Shops

1992 National Park Service Study on the economic impact of trails showed the following results:

A 1998 Canadian Study by the Velo Quebec organization showed the following results:

Increased Property Values

Additional Trail Benefits

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF TRAIL ACTIVITIES ONGOING IN THE YEAR 2002

• Miles of Constructed Trail on the Olympic Discovery Trail Route
  • Clallam County 10 miles
  • Olympic National Park 6 miles
  • City of Port Angeles 6 miles
  • City of Sequim 3 miles
  • City of Port Townsend 1 mile
  • Jefferson County 1 mile
• Total Existing Trail 27 miles

2002 Planned Construction

Timeline in table form for Olympic Discovery Trail development