🌲✨ The Gate-Belmore Trail is officially open!
Thurston County celebrated the completion of the first phase of its newest trail with a ribbon-cutting this morning.

Here are a few highlights:

👷‍♀️ Built with Heart & Expertise
Behind this beautiful trail is the team from Thurston County Public Works; planners, engineers, ecologists, and community partners who worked hard, much of it behind the scenes, to make it happen.

🌱 Preserving Prairie, Protecting Wildlife
Built along a historic rail line to reduce environmental impact, the trail passes through rare South Sound prairie, a habitat for species like the federally threatened Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly and recently returned wildlife like western bluebirds and osprey!

🛤️ Deep Roots, New Connections
This trail follows a former 1890s railroad route, repurposed now as a path of community, recreation, and nature. When fully complete, it will link over 50 miles of regional trails, connecting places like Kenneydell Park, the Black River, and Mima Mounds.

🌍 Land with Cultural Significance
This land also holds cultural importance. Long before this trail was built, the Chehalis tribe lived, moved, and cared for this landscape. Thurston County remains committed to managing these spaces in a way that respects their history and the knowledge passed down across generations.

🚶‍♂️🚴‍♀️ A Trail for All
Whether you’re here for a peaceful walk, a bike ride with the kids, or some birdwatching, this new space is for everyone. 

💚 A Place to Connect
In a fast-moving world, trails like this offer something rare: a chance to slow down, reconnect, and build community—naturally and meaningfully.

Learn more HERE