Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
5 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
6 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
7 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
8 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Washington Renslow Renslow Trestle
AO Edited

Renslow Trestle

A former railroad trestle over Interstate 90 has been refurbished for non-motorized traffic on the Palouse to Cascades trail.

Renslow, Washington

Added By
slgwv
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The trestle from off the southeast abutment.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
The trestle from off the southeast abutment.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Looking northwest from the southeastern abutment of the trestle.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
View of the trestle from the west, from the Boylston Road above I-90.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Looking west off the trestle; I-90 on the right, frontage road on the left. Mt. Rainier is visible on the skyline left of center.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Looking southeast across the trestle from the western abutment.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
About the trestle.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Completion of the trestle in 1910.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Detail of the old girders on the west side.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Looking east over I-90 from the trestle.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Detail of the old girders in the trestle. Looking northwest.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Looking southeast along the trestle.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Looking west from the trestle over I-90. On this exceptionally clear day Mt. Rainier is visible on the skyline left of center.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Roadcut on the old roadbed leading to the trestle.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

When the Milwaukee Road (more formally known as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, & Pacific Railroad) abandoned its tracks through Washington state in 1980, the state eventually acquired the right-of-way to be used as a basis for a recreational trail. Now called the Palouse to Cascades Trail, the trail construction has occurred in fits and starts, with gaps being filled in as funding allows.

One of the biggest gaps was here, where the Renslow Trestle now crosses Interstate 90 between Ellensburg and Vantage. The original timber trestle was built in 1908, then replaced by the present steel trestle in 1910. The steel trestle was built within the wooden trestle, a piece at a time, to minimize disruption of the rail traffic. The trestle crosses the canyon containing Johnson Creek (also called Park Creek), and is some 680 feet long, with a height of roughly 118 feet.

The route along the creek was much later followed, in the late 1960s, by Interstate 90. Conveniently, there was plenty of clearance for the freeway to be laid between the existing trestle supports and, of course, the trestle was amply high enough to clear the tallest vehicles.

The last passenger train crossed Renslow Trestle in May 1961, and freight trains stopped in March 1980. The rails all along the route were then salvaged. The rest of the right-of-way could then be converted to trail, but the trestle itself sat abandoned, a forlorn steel skeleton between the trail ends on either side. It was too dangerous to cross on foot, so hiking, biking, and horse traffic had to make a long detour between the ends of the trail.

As more of the trail was completed, agitation grew for the Renslow Trestle to be retrofitted to be safe for non-motorized traffic, and this finally occurred in the late 2010s. Prefabricated concrete slabs were laid on the trestle bed and guardrails were installed. The trestle opened in spring 2021.

Related Tags

State Parks Trails Transportation Railroads

Know Before You Go

The Renslow Trestle is freely open on the Palouse to Cascades Trail. It is most easily accessed from the Boylston (or Renslow) trailhead, which is near the trestle on the southeast side at about 46.95437 N, 120.29749 W. It is just off Stevens Road, which goes under I-90 but does not have access ramps to the freeway. To get to the trailhead, take Exit 115 off I-90, which is west of the trestle, onto Cleman Road. Go south about 1/4 mile and turn left on Badger Pocket Road (intersection about 46.95745 N, 120.41338 W). Follow Badger Pocket Road. It makes a right-angle turn to the south in about half a mile; keep going another 0.8 mile and turn left onto Carroll Road (at about 46.95651 N, 120.40158 W). Follow Carroll Road 1.5 miles and turn left onto Prater Road (at about 46.95651 N, 120.36936 W). Now take Prater Road 1.1 mile to the junction with Boylston Road (at about 46.96974 N, 12036248 W). Turn right here and follow Boylston Road 3.3 miles to a T-junction with Stevens Road. Boylston Road mostly parallels I-90 on the south, with views of Renslow Trestle as the road approaches it. At 3.1 miles the road crosses under Renslow Trestle.

From the T-junction, the trailhead parking area is to the right on Stevens Road a couple of hundred yards. A short connecting trail leads from the parking area up to the Palouse to Cascades Trail; turn right to get to Renslow Trestle

The Palouse to Cascades Trail is on the edge of the U.S. Army Yakima firing range through here; stay on the marked trail. Do not trespass onto the firing range!

Community Contributors

Added By

slgwv

Edited By

Jeff B

  • Jeff B

Published

November 14, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://washingtongravelriding.home.blog/2021/04/29/the-renslow-trestle/
  • https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/renslow-trestle-now-carrying-people-across-interstate-90-on-palouse-to-cascades-trail/article_499bf092-8d20-57fb-97c1-9885dfc8628e.html
Renslow Trestle
Renslow Trestle
Renslow, Washington, 98926
United States
46.956912, -120.304499
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Wild Horse Wind Farm

Renslow, Washington

miles away

Dick and Jane's Spot

Ellensburg, Washington

miles away

Ginkgo Petrified Forest

Vantage, Washington

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Renslow

Renslow

Washington

Places 2

Nearby Places

Wild Horse Wind Farm

Renslow, Washington

miles away

Dick and Jane's Spot

Ellensburg, Washington

miles away

Ginkgo Petrified Forest

Vantage, Washington

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Renslow

Renslow

Washington

Places 2

Related Places

  • Looking up the pass. The trestle seems a lot narrower than it is.

    Winter Park, Colorado

    Devil's Slide Trestles

    These decaying bridges 1,000 feet high are a reminder of the skill it took to cross the Colorado Rockies by rail.

  • The western end of the tunnel looking east.

    Rockmart, Georgia

    Braswell Mountain Rail Tunnel

    An abandoned railroad tunnel forgotten by time awaits inquisitive hikers.

  •  Visitors enjoy the views of Torrey Pines Cliffs.

    La Jolla, California

    Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

    A dramatic coastline that’s home to a rare pine tree.

  • Three Island Crossing as seen from the embankment above the river to the south.  This is also a unit of the state park.

    Glenns Ferry, Idaho

    Three Island Crossing State Park

    At the site of the most dangerous crossings on the Oregon Trail, a museum explores the complex history of westward migration in America.

  • Looking up at the Highball Signal.

    Delmar, Delaware

    Highball Signal

    This relic is one of the last survivors of the earliest eras of the American railroad.

  • Riga, Latvia

    Latvian Railway History Museum

    A collection of historical engines and rolling stock from throughout Riga's rich railway history.

  • TY 51 locomotive.

    Krakow, Poland

    Kraków-Płaszów Train Graveyard

    This cemetery of rusting Soviet-era steam locomotives and train cars offers an apocalyptic glimpse into a bygone era.

  • Looking south not far from Caliente.  The paved path to the right of the highway connects Caliente with Kershaw-Ryan State Park and is open to non-motorized traffic.

    Etna, Nevada

    Meadow Valley Wash

    Much of the spectacular canyon followed over a century ago by the Los Angeles & Salt Lake railroad is now accessible to cars.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.