Beginnings and construction

The rail line was used by the Weyerhaeuser company for approximately 60 years to haul timber logs into the Puget Sound region.^[1] The Chehalis Western Railroad operated on the line. A dedication and grand opening of the path was held on September 27, 1998 and at the time, consisted of a combined 150 acres (61 ha) spanning various ecosystems. The opening included the trail's long-standing 2-mile (3.2 km) route along the Deschutes River and was not yet connected to the Yelm–Tenino Trail (YRT).^[2][a]

In 2001, approximately 100,000 people were estimated to have used the trail^[4] and about 13 miles (21 km) had been paved. A $462,000 grant that year from the state's Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation allowed for a southern, 7-mile (11 km) stretch that connected to the Yelm-Tenino Trail to be fully completed and paved;^[5] the effort was begun in late 2002.^[4] Finished by September 2003, a dedication ceremony was held and a bronze and granite plaque was installed at the junction of the two trails.^[6]

A group of volunteer senior officers began patrolling the Lacey portion of the trail in 2004 after a series of crimes were noted on or near the path, including the rape and murder of Ashley Parks, a 15-year old the prior year.^[7]

An equestrian center is situated off the trail near the YRT junction outside of Rainier. By late 2004, the Northwest Equestrian Center had not been issued permits from the Thurston County Public Works Department (TCPW) to allow horses and riders to cross the trail between the center's parcels, potentially putting future competitions in jeopardy. The TCPW noted that the safety and enjoyment of trail users were a priority and that the center could not promise to cross over the pathway during organized events.^[8]

Completion

The Karen Fraser Woodland Trail, then known as the Woodland Trail, was officially connected to the Chehalis Western Trail during a ceremony on December 2, 2007.^[9]

Due to breaks in the trail, the path was not yet fully rideable by 2007. Under a project known as "Bridging the Gap" that was begun in 2001, three bridge crossings in the Olympia and Lacey area were completed between 2007 and 2014.^[10][11] Part of a 2005 federal appropriations bill, efforts to begin the construction project began with $4.1 million in funding for a bike and pedestrian bridge over Interstate 5.^[12] A groundbreaking was held in July 2006.^[13] The project, initially finalized at $1.6 million, was completed and opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in February 2007.^[14]

The "Bridging the Gap" effort, by early 2007, was estimated to cost a total of $11 million.^[14] Issues regarding powder coating on the rails of the I-5 span had to be redone a few months after it was opened. Additional expenditures continued, such as associated costs to complete walls and drainage issues, increasing the first bridge project's budget to $2.8 million.^[15]

A federal complaint was filed by "bike enthusiasts" to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) in December 2005 regarding gates at the Chehalis Western and Yelm–Tenino junction. The barriers, installed in 1995 following state and federal guidelines at the time, were meant to limit the use of motorized vehicles on the trail. The complaint stated that the gates were a violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act as it was a hindrance to disabled cyclists. The gates, with a 3 foot (0.91 m) opening, were attempted to be replaced with a 5 foot (1.5 m) opening barricade by the county parks department in October 2006,^[b] but the work was stopped by order of the FHA citing new rules that posts or traffic bollards must be used instead.^[17][16] The gates were replaced with bollards, and posts installed at most other intersections and trailheads along the Chehalis Western Trail, by October 2007 at a cost of $30,000, equivalent to $46,582 in 2025.^[18][19][c]

Since the beginning of the trail's construction and opening, Thurston County had been the owner of the 15.5-mile (24.9 km) "southern leg" of the Chehalis Western. The county took full ownership of the entire path in July 2009, procuring the northern, 5.5-mile (8.9 km) span that reached Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area. The non-monetary transfer from the Washington Department of Natural Resources was based on the conclusion that the county would achieve a "higher level of service" and provide better maintenance to the section.^[20]

The second pedestrian bridge, over Martin Way, was completed in March 2010. Built at a cost of $1.8 million, equivalent to $2,657,561 in 2025, the project was approximately $700,000 under budget, equivalent to $1,033,496 in 2025. U.S. Representative Brian Baird, who helped to provide funding for the bridge, was amongst the crowd to walk the new span for the first time during the dedication ceremony on March 31.^[21]

The final bridge, which crosses over Pacific Avenue and spans above the Kite Girl statue in Lacey, was completed in December 2014. The bridge marked the final step in connecting the Chehalis Western to what was then known as the Olympia Woodland Trail. At the crossing is a bicycle traffic circle and plaza known as Hub Junction.^[10] Based on 2015 plans designed by landscape architect Robert Droll,^[22] the junction was dedicated in March 2016; the roundabout is considered to have been the first such of its type in the state.^[10] Responsibility of the junction remained unclear until 2021 when Thurston County and the cities of Lacey and Olympia formally agreed to cooperative management and oversight of the roundabout area.^[23]

By 2016, four overlooks and "resting spots" had been completed along the trail; the Lacey Rotary Club undertook the construction efforts. The first overlook, located at Chambers Lake, was constructed in 1997.^[24]

An underpass was constructed beginning in late 2019 under an active railroad track near Rainier Road and Talcott Ridge Drive. The project was estimated to cost $1.7 million.^[25]