Trail to link Yakima, Cascades

YAKIMA – Plans were announced Friday for a hiking path that would link downtown Yakima to the Pacific Crest Trail along the backbone of the Cascade Mountains.

“The thought is that citizens could have the opportunity to feel empowered to walk, bike, ski or ride a horse from downtown Yakima to Mount Rainier,” said city attorney Ray Paolella, a director of the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy, one of several involved groups.

The trail will be named for the city’s most famous former resident, the late Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas. Because it is still in a conceptual stage, organizers say it is too early to provide details on the timetable or cost.

About 90 percent of the proposed trail already exists on public land or property owned by nonprofit groups interested in recreation. The remaining 10 percent could be added using public road rights of way or through voluntary easements granted by private landowners.

An umbrella organization likely will be created to coordinate planning.