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In 1989, the Wasco
County Planning and Development Office in cooperation with the National Park
Service, the City of the Dalles, and the Port district initiated a planning
effort with the objective of improving and revitalization of the Dalles
riverfront area. this plan identified the many unique riverfront resources,
developed resource opportunities and constraints, and identified an action plan
for the riverfront area. The Riverfront advisory committee was composed of 34
individuals that represented different agencies and in some cases were
interested citizens.
The highest
priority action recommended by the advisory committee, and included in
the The Dalles Riverfront Plan was a Multipurpose Riverfront trail.
The Dalles Riverfront Trail is now a
9-mile pedestrian and bike trail winding from the Visitor Center at The
Dalles Dam to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Wasco County
Historical Museum. The trail is mostly ADA accessible and no motorized
vehicles are allowed. Users can gain entry to the trail approximately
every mile or more from a variety of sites. The most ambitious and
important access point is from the heart of downtown off of 1st and
Union Streets.
The finished trail
runs parallel with the river and provides outstanding recreational
opportunities for residents and visitors to the area. By utilizing a
design that places the trail almost exclusively on public land the trail
creates a public multiple-use resource unlike any other. Moreover, the
trail also represents a unique educational resource for The Dalles
schools, the community college and other universities.
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