9/13: Foothills Trail bridge over Spiketon Ditch opens, providing more options for folks bypassing closed SR 410 bridge
From Pierce County Parks.It is incredibly lucky that King and Pierce Counties completed the Foothills Trail Bridge over the White River last year because it is now serving as a key lifeline connecting between Enumclaw and Buckley after someone driving an oversized truck crashed into the metal support beams on the nearby SR 410 bridge and forced WSDOT to close it until at least November. The road detour adds about 26 miles and 45-60 minutes to the drive between Buckley and Enumclaw, but it is a 12 minute bike ride. King County Metro rerouted the Route 915 to serve the north end of the walking and biking bridge, putting folks within walking distance of Buckley. King County also added some additional lighting to the bridge to make it more comfortable to cross during the night. The trail bridge is even designed to carry one emergency vehicle at a time, though King County is imploring people not to drive unauthorized vehicles across the bridge because it is not designed for it.
The trail will become even more useful when the Spiketon Ditch bridge reopens September 13, nearly two years after bridge inspectors found dangerous and irreparable deterioration to the old timber bridge and tore it down. Once open, the trail will finally connect continuously from Enumclaw to Puyallup, which has been a dream for a long time that keeps getting stymied by bridge closures. Work on yet another trail bridge, the smaller Ski Park Bridge, is set to happen in 2026, though planners are hopeful that an easy trail detour will be available.
The teal lines mark completed trail sections. The orange lines are potential future trails. Base map from the Leafline Trails Coalition. I marked the two bridges.What would likely have been a regular trail celebration will take on added meaning for folks in an area that has been severely hampered by the 410 bridge closure. I imagine a lot of folks in the area are either dusting off old bikes or buying new ones. Here's to hoping that's at least somewhat of a silver lining to what it surely a very frustrating time.
There's no parking at the bridge area itself, but folks can join one of two group bike rides to the celebration: The Foothills Coalition will leave Buckley Trailhead at 10:30 a.m., and the Tacoma Washington Bicycle Club will leave East Puyallup Trailhead at 9 a.m. There is also a community walk from South Prairie Trailhead at 10:30 a.m. The celebration begins at 11 a.m.
Unfortunately, transit service to the Foothills Trail from the Seattle area isn't great on a Saturday morning. However, one could work this opening into a lovely weekend bike adventure that includes camping at Kanaskat-Palmer State Park.
More details on the September 13 opening celebration from Pierce County Parks:
Please join Pierce County Parks and the Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition on Saturday, September 13, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the the Spiketon Ditch Bridge to celebrate the opening of the new construction, which now connects the Foothills Trail into a continuous 24-mile stretch.
The program will include remarks from Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello, Pierce County District 1 Councilmember Dave Morell, Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition Executive Director Breanna Fokes, and other community partners. Light refreshments will follow.
Getting to the Bridge
The Spiketon Ditch Bridge is located in a remote area without direct public access. Guests will need to walk, ride, or roll in from either the South Prairie or Buckley Trailheads. There is no parking at the event site.Please allow extra time for your journey and come prepared for the weather.You can also join one of the group rides or walks leading to the event:
Foothills Coalition Group Bike Ride from Buckley Trailhead
- Leave at 10:30 a.m. from the Doc Tait Pavilion
- Distance: 4 miles to the bridge
- Optional: Wear a bowtie to honor the little bowtie" trail loop near Spiketon
- Ample parking available at Buckley Trailhead
Pierce County Parks Walk from South Prairie Trailhead
- Leave at 10:30 a.m. from South Prairie Trailhead
- Distance: 1.5 miles to the bridge
- Parking is very limited at South Prairie Trailhead
Tacoma Washington Bicycle Club (TWBC) Ride from East Puyallup Trailhead
- Leave at 9:00 a.m. from East Puyallup Trailhead
- Distance: 17 miles one way. TWBC plans to do a 55-mile out-and-back ride, for details, click here.
- To join the TWBC ride, contact tom.butler@twbc.org
- Parking at the East Puyallup Trailhead may be limited due to the Little Steps, Big Dreams Race".
To learn more about this project, visit www.PierceCountyWA.gov/Spiketon.
For a map of the Foothills Trail, click here.
We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you on September 13!