Jackson Hole News & Guide: Old Yellowstone railway line to become biking and hiking trail

By Julia Hornstein - Jul 1, 2020

Yellowstone-area hikers and bikers may have a new, history-filled recreational experience in their futures – a rail-to-trail project from Reas Pass at West Yellowstone to the west boundary of Yellowstone National Park. 

The Yellowstone Shortline Trail Project is focused on rehabilitating the deserted railroad that used to run from West Yellowstone, Montana, to the Montana-Idaho border, and it just secured its official sponsor: the Yellowstone Historic Center.

The Yellowstone Historic Center — with help from the Custer Gallatin National Forest, among other organizations and motivated individuals — hopes to raise $1.25 million to transform what was once a 9-mile stretch on the Oregon Short Line Railroad into a biking and hiking trail lined with benches and pavilions.

A press release said that the Yellowstone Historic Center hopes to increase local tourism and turn the route into an “outdoor museum” — injecting history into visitors’ outdoor excursions with signs about the Oregon Short Line Railroad.

Once completed, the route will be a 10-foot-wide path with a compact gravel surface and several bridges, allowing users of the Continental Divide Trail easy access to the community of West Yellowstone.

Learn more about the Yellowstone Shortline Trail at https://yellowstoneshortlinetrail.org/.