Gate to Belmore Trail

The Gate to Belmore Trail, also as the Gate–Belmore Trail, is a 12.5 mi rail trail in Thurston County, Washington connecting the communities of Gate, Littlerock, and Belmore near Black Lake.

History
The trail is a former railroad line of BNSF and located in southwestern Thurston County. The county obtained a 12.5 mile section of the railway with the intent to convert it into a trail as part of a connected trail system within the county, including access to the Chehalis Western Trail and the Yelm–Rainier–Tenino Trail. The Gate to Belmore Trail has remained undeveloped, with limited public access, since it was acquired in 1996. Due to its inchoate nature and concerns of liability, the route is not open as an official trail but the course is used, without impediment by the county, by people in the surrounding communities.

Route
Starting at the northern trailhead, the trail begins in Kenneydale Park at Black Lake in the community of Belmore, located south of Tumwater. The course meanders south and passes through or near several local parks and preserves including the Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve, Glacial Heritage Preserve, the Black River Habitat Management Area and Capitol State Forest. The trail journeys through Littlerock and then heads southwest, ending in Gate.

Future plans
Several stages have been scheduled to officially open the trail. Plans have included 4.0 mi of improvement to the Littlerock to Gate section, consisting of an updated trailhead and picnic area. A similar stretch of 0.25 mi is outlined for the northern terminus in Belmore. A paved extension of 1.6 mi, with a picnic area and trailhead, is planned to be completed in 2024 near the Glacial Heritage Preserve as part of a $2 million initiative through the county's Trail Connectivity Program. The trail program is also seeking further funding for a 0.5 mile addition to the existing course. Access to the trail for residents of Chehalis Village, part of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, is planned via a broader scope of connecting the entire trail system in the county.