Photo by Adam Sawyer
Here’s some history for you. In the 1920s, a railway line was built to haul lumber from Vernonia, along with passengers and freight from Keasy, to Portland. When the Oregon-American lumber mill closed in 1957, the railroad went dormant for three years. In 1960, the line saw life again when it was leased to the Vernonia South Park and Sunset Railroad. The company offered steam engine joy rides for five years, until calling it quits in 1965. Nine years would pass before the right-of-way was purchased by the state of Oregon in 1974. Some 16 years later in 1990, the line was handed over to parks and recreation. By the mid 1990s, what had lain untouched for years was now the Banks-Vernonia State Trail.
The nonprofit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has the enviable task of converting former rail lines into trails. Brilliant! The first Conservancy project in Oregon, the eight-foot wide, 21 mile long paved trail extends from (you guessed it) the town of Banks in Washington County to the town of Vernonia in the coast range. The multi-use trail is open to hikers and bicyclists and is paralleled by a four-foot wide horse path. There are six separate trailheads spread out along the length of the trail. All of the trailheads are accessible by car, and most provide restrooms, picnic tables and ADA access.
Photo by Adam Sawyer
The Banks-Vernonia Trail is level and uncrowded making it ideal for families looking for an easy way to engage nature via bicycle. Even on weekends it is easy to find solitary segments. The path is also varied enough to keep the kids interested. There are open fields, mountain views and long sections of canopied trail providing shade in the summer and enjoyable tunnels of color in autumn. The trail is also open year round, and much of it remains usable in winter. Of course, check conditions ahead of time.
In its entirety, the path crosses 12 bridges, numerous creeks and the Nehalem River. Along the way, you’ll run into two old railroad trestles, each 80 feet high and 600 feet long. The Buxton Trestle is open to trail users and can induce jaw-droppage in kids as well as parents. This wooden marvel of engineering was constructed in 1921 and rebuilt in 1936. Recently fitted with guardrails and a deck, you can now cross safely where locomotives once rambled by, eight stories above the ground.
Smack dab in the middle of the converted railway, 3 1/2 miles of the path crosses through Stub Stewart State Park. This happy coincidence gives you a litany of options in terms of trip length and final destination.
For more information on closures and current conditions, contact the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department at 503-324-0606, or visit the Banks-Vernonia State Trail website. There are no fees for parking or using the trail.
-Adam Sawyer
Photo by Adam Sawyer
Photo by Adam Sawyer
