Although there are 13 bridges along the Banks-Vernonia bike trail, the 735 feet long, 80 feet high Buxton Trestle is definitely the highlight. The bike trail is funded by the Rails to Trails Conservancy, an almost 40 year old non-profit group that believes that “every person deserves access to free, accessible and safe places where they can walk, bike and be active”. The Banks-Vernonia trail was the first rails-to-trails project in Oregon, running along what used to be a railroad used by the Oregon-American Lumber Company, once one of the largest mills in the state. Although the trail to the south was closed due to maintenance, we were able to ride over the trestle, and up north. Nothing beats a bike ride through Oregon on a blue sky filled day.
What a lovely biking trail. I need to go visit Oregon sometime!