About

The idea of a trail connecting Manson and Chelan has been around since at least the early-90’s without making much progress. Therefore, the goal of the Northshore Trail Study is to determine what it would take to construct a trail along Highway 150 in practical terms, both from a design and cost perspective. The focus of our study is the segment of the trail located within the City of Chelan.  

When developing potential design solutions, our guiding mission will be to create a trail that everyone, regardless of age or ability, feels comfortable using. Given the volume and speed of traffic traveling on Highway 150, our base assumption is that the trail must be physically separated from the vehicle lanes to ensure the safety of trail users.

We also know that one solution does not fit all on this stretch of corridor. Therefore, we are exploring different trail designs for different portions of the route, as illustrated by the cross sections to the right.

We recognize there are many challenges to constructing a trail in this physically constrained area. In our meetings with shore front property owners, we learned more about specific needs, concerns, and potential impacts of a trail along Highway 150. We are working to identify solutions that minimize those impacts.

For instance, we are working to maintain existing driveway, dock, and service assesses; this may require realignment of the highway corridor in some places. Other design considerations include integrating bus stops and highway crossings as well as looking for opportunities to improve existing public access points to the lake.

Another critical project element is developing high-level cost estimates. These will help to identify potential phasing opportunities and assist decision-makers on how best to move forward.  

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information or the Contact page to reach out to the project team.