Chehalis Western Trail is a good choice for a winter walk or pedal

Trail location: Olympia/Lacey

Trail length: The main trail runs 15.5 miles and the northern segment (Woodard Bay Trail) is 5.3 miles long; connects to the south with the east-west 14.5-mile Yelm-Tenino Trail.

Level of difficulty: Wide, level-to-gentle paved trail; dirt horse trail alongside (usually separated) outside of urban areas.

Setting: This long north-south trail was originally the railroad bed of the Weyerhaeuser-owned Chehalis Western Railroad, which operated from 1926 into the mid-1980s. The line transported logged trees from the small community of Vail in the Bald Hills (southeast of Tenino) north to the log dump on Woodard Bay on Puget Sound. Now a rail-to-trail conversion that runs through the middle of Thurston County along the Olympia/Lacey border, it's the hub of the county's trail network.

Highlights: This peaceful trail runs alongside wetlands and pastures, through forests and behind homes. Perfect for mud-free winter walking or cycling, this paved path is often raised above the surrounding landscape. From the Chambers Lake trailhead south of Interstate 5, you can go about 14 miles south and connect up with the Yelm-Tenino trail (also a rail-to-trail conversion). North of Chambers Lake, there are a few gaps in the trail on either side of I-5. Currently, you can walk a short distance to Pacific Avenue, where you are diverted onto a local trail (a bridge over Pacific Avenue is in the design phase, and another bridge will be finished next spring north of there at Martin Way). To access the northern part of the trail (also called the Woodard Bay Trail), drive to the Woodard Bay trailhead and walk south to Martin Way.

Facilities: Year-round restrooms at the Chambers Lake and Woodard Bay trailheads.

Restrictions: Leash law and scoop laws in effect; path is shared with cyclists.

Directions: To park at the Chambers Lake Trailhead, from Interstate 5 heading south, take Exit 109 and turn right off the exit ramp onto Martin Way. At the next light, turn left on College Street and drive about one mile. Just after crossing Lacey Boulevard, turn right on 14th Avenue Southeast. In .7 mile, after crossing under the trail beneath an old railroad trestle (the Chehalis Western Trail), turn left into the parking lot. For directions to the Woodard Bay trailhead, see the trail Web site (below).

For more information: 360-786-5595 or www.co.thurston.wa.us/parks/trails/cw-trail.htm. Print out a trail map from the Web site before you go.