CCCNews Podcast: Banks-Vernonia Advocate Says Passion, Persistence Fuel Oregon's Rails-to-Trails Success
The Dalles, Ore. — What does it take to transform an abandoned railroad into a nationally recognized recreation destination?
According to longtime Banks-Vernonia trail advocate Michael Calhoun, the answer is far more than laying asphalt. It requires years of persistence, community support, public partnerships and a vision that extends well beyond recreation.
Calhoun joined the CCCNews Podcast this week to discuss the history of the Banks-Vernonia State Trail and what lessons it may offer for another long-discussed project in Oregon — the historic railroad grade along the Deschutes River.
The conversation explored how Vernonia, a community of roughly 2,000 residents northwest of Portland, reinvented itself after the closure of its lumber industry and how an abandoned railroad corridor eventually became one of Oregon's best-known rail trails.
Founded as a logging town, Vernonia's economy centered around what was once the world's largest electric sawmill. When old-growth timber supplies were exhausted and the mill closed in 1957, the community faced the difficult challenge familiar to many rural towns dependent on natural resources.
"It really revitalized the community," Calhoun said of the eventual trail conversion.
The railroad itself ceased operations in 1973 before sitting abandoned for years. Discussions to convert the corridor into a public trail began during the late 1980s. Construction followed during the 1990s, with the final segment completed around 2010.
Today, the Banks-Vernonia State Trail stretches more than 20 miles through forests, across historic railroad trestles and into communities that have embraced outdoor recreation as part of their identity.
Calhoun later helped secure National Recreation Trail designation for the route through the National Park Service, a certification recognizing exceptional public trails across the country.
While the designation does not automatically provide grant funding, Calhoun said it strengthens future grant applications and gives communities national recognition for their trail systems.
"It elevates you against your competitors," he said.
The discussion also addressed concerns often raised during trail development, including crime, emergency response and impacts on nearby landowners.
Calhoun said those conversations are important but should be addressed through public meetings and community involvement rather than assumptions.
"You have to hear the input from the people and be able to have an answer for that," he said.
Tourism has since become an important part of Vernonia's economy, with restaurants, bicycle-friendly businesses and recreational events serving visitors who use the trail throughout the year.
The trail attracts cyclists, hikers, runners and equestrians, while also introducing visitors to the area's logging history, railroad heritage and natural resources through interpretive displays and preserved railroad equipment.
For Peterson, however, the larger question centered on what those lessons might mean for the Mid-Columbia region.
The discussion turned to the historic railroad grade running along the Deschutes River.
Today, approximately 19 miles of the former rail corridor are accessible before burned or removed railroad trestles interrupt the route. Beyond those gaps, much of the old railroad grade continues upriver toward Maupin, creating the possibility of a much longer recreational corridor if future infrastructure could reconnect the missing sections.
Peterson noted that a completed trail could eventually offer riders and hikers access to more than 50 miles of the Deschutes River while preserving one of Oregon's most significant railroad stories.
The canyon contains remnants of the famous Deschutes Railroad War, when competing railroads raced up opposite sides of the river in the early 1900s to reach Central Oregon first. Visitors can still see evidence of the railroad construction, including blasted basalt cliffs, historic work sites and other surviving features.
Calhoun said projects of that scale require more than enthusiasm.
"It takes passion and persistence," he said. "If you're not going to go to the meeting, the next meeting and the one after that, you have to keep going."
He emphasized that every successful trail project depends on local partnerships involving government agencies, elected officials, nonprofit organizations and community advocates.
"It helps to network and have people behind you," he said.
Calhoun also cautioned that increased visitation should always be balanced with protecting sensitive natural resources, noting that some areas require careful planning before encouraging additional public access.
He pointed to boardwalks, interpretive infrastructure and thoughtful trail design as examples of ways communities can both protect natural landscapes and allow people to experience them.
As Oregon continues expanding trail connections such as the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail and the future Salmonberry Trail, Calhoun believes communities should continue looking at abandoned rail corridors as opportunities for recreation, tourism and historic preservation.
"The history is still there," he said. "If there aren't people telling it or showing it, it gets lost."
For communities considering similar projects, Calhoun encouraged residents to learn who manages local trails, attend public meetings and work with organizations such as American Trails, which assists communities seeking National Recreation Trail designation.
Whether future generations eventually ride from The Dalles toward Maupin on the historic Deschutes railbed remains uncertain. But Calhoun said many of Oregon's best trail systems began with local residents willing to ask a simple question:
"Why not?"
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