Waterfront & Olympic Discovery Trail

Project Background

The Olympic Discovery Trail winds its way through 6 miles of the Port Angeles shoreline and Marine Bluff Area, and the City of Port Angeles owns or operates over 13 miles of trail between the Morse Creek trestle and the Elwha River pedestrian and bicycle bridge.

In 2009 the City of Port Angeles partnered with the Peninsula Trails Coalition, Clallam County, and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and the assistance of funding from the Non-motorized and Off-Road Vehicle Activities (NOVA) Program from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) to draft a Plan to complete the section of trail between the Elwha River and the intersection of Hill Street and Marine Drive.

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By 2012, with the assistance of a considerable amount of volunteer effort, this plan had been realized through several phases from the Elwha to the intersection of 10th Street and Milwaukee Boulevard.

Current Project

In 2015, the City was awarded a no-match grant from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program operated through the Safe Routes to School Program. The grant funds the 100% planning, design, and engineering and construction estimate documents in the development of a protected shared-use path that will complete the 1+ mile trail gap between 10th and Milwaukee to the west and the Valley Creek Estuary to the east.

Planning has begun on the project, and the City has selected Zenovic and Associates, Inc. as the lead consultant on the project. The project has been identified as have three distinct sections:

(1) The Working Waterfront (Valley Creek Estuary - East Marina Entry)

(2) Hill Street Marine Bluff (Hill Street Marine Bluff – Crown Park)

(3) The Crown Park Neighborhood (4th and Milwaukee between Crown Park and the current trail end at 10th and Milwaukee)

Each of these sections provides unique challenges and opportunities, and the City and Zenovic and Associates has met with stakeholders from each of the sections to present the project and provide a venue for feedback about current conditions and the trail’s impact and influences on surrounding property.