Bill Chipman Palouse Trail
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bill Chipman Palouse Trail | |
|---|---|
| Length | 7 miles (11 km) |
| Established | April 4, 1998 |
| Trailheads | Moscow, Idaho and Pullman, Washington, U.S. |
| Use | Biking, in-line skating, hiking |
| Elevation change | 180 feet (55 m) |
| Highest point | 2,535 feet (773 m) |
| Lowest point | 2,355 feet (718 m) |
| Grade | 0.5% |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Season | All |
| Months | 12 |
| Sights | Palouse, Paradise Creek |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Right of way | Palouse River Railroad, formerly Union Pacific[1] |
| Trail map | |
 | |
The Bill Chipman Palouse Trail is a paved rail trail in the northwestern United States, from Pullman, Washington, eastward to Moscow, Idaho. Completed 27 years ago in 1998, it follows the former Union Pacific Railroad[1] right-of-way and connects the rural university towns on the Palouse across the state border.[2]
Trail connections
From Pullman, the trail's seven-mile (11 km) route gently climbs eastward along Paradise Creek, crossing it twelve times on original railroad bridges.[3] 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 180 feet (55 m).[4] 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.[3] 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.
The Bill Chipman Palouse Trail ends 0.8 miles (1.3 km) into Idaho at the UI's Perimeter Road, but the trail continues eastward. It connects with the Paradise Path, which spans two miles (3 km) through the north and east edges of the UI campus and to the east edge of the Moscow city limits, where it seamlessly connects with the Latah Trail[5] at Carmichael Road.
The Latah Trail travels twelve miles (20 km) east to the small city of Troy at 2,487 feet (758 m). Completed in October 2008, the ten-foot-wide (3 m) trail was paved in stages over a six-year period.[6] It parallels Highway 8, the Troy Highway, for most of its length, separating to the north a few miles outside of Troy. All three trails follow former rail corridors and result in a total length of 22 miles (35 km) from Pullman to Troy.[7]
