| Iron Horse State Park is a 1,612-acre park that was once part of the path of the Chicago-Milwaukee-St. Paul-Pacific Railroad. The park offers more than 100 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trail along the route of a historic railroad. High trestles provide spectacular views of the valley below. The 100-mile-long John Wayne Pioneer Trail meanders through a variety of ecosystems and geological zones. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the trail with the exception of snowmobiles in winter, which are allowed from Stampede Pass Rd. to Cabin Creek. Horse-drawn wagon users must obtain a key to the gates of Lake Easton State Park. Originally, the trail right-of-way was part of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. The railroad operated between 1908 and 1980, when the company went into bankruptcy. Within this area, there are thirty substantial trestles, four tunnels (one of which is 2.3 miles long), two snow sheds, three developed trailheads located at South Cle Elum, Easton, and a USFS area at Hyak The state's Department of Natural Resources acquired much of the property and turned it over to State Parks, which continues to acquire land and make improvements to the area. |
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