Banks–Vernonia State Trail
The Banks–Vernonia State Trail is a paved rail trail and state park in northwest Oregon in the United States. It runs for 21 miles (34 km), primarily north–south, between the towns of Vernonia in Columbia County and Banks in Washington County on an abandoned railroad bed. Banks is about 25 miles (40 km) west of Portland.
| Banks–Vernonia State Trail | |
|---|---|
Whistle-stop shelter at the Buxton trailhead | |
| Type | Public, state |
| Location | Columbia and Washington counties, Oregon |
| Nearest city | Between Banks and Vernonia |
| Coordinates | 45.6651126°N 123.1634443°W |
| Operated by | Oregon Parks and Recreation Department |
| Open | Year round |
| Status | Day use, fee-free |
The 8-foot (2.4 m) wide trail is open to non-motorized uses such as hiking and biking. A 4-foot (1.2 m) wide horse trail parallels the hiking and biking trail. The rail trail crosses 12 bridges and the Buxton Trestle, a former railroad trestle bridge that is 600 feet (180 m) long and 80 feet (24 m) high. A second railroad trestle, the Tophill (or Horseshoe) Trestle, was damaged by fire in 1986 and is bypassed with a series of switchbacks at the Tophill trailhead.
Amenities available at some locations in the park include picnicking, fishing, wildlife watching, forests, bird-watching, historic sites, public restrooms, parking, horse hitching posts, a loading platform, and a whistle stop shelter. The rail trail connects to a network of about 20 miles (32 km) of unpaved mountain-biking trails in L. L. "Stub" Stewart State Park. About 14,000 people used the rail trail in 2004.