Search the site

Tonquin Trail master plan

Planning and conservation  ›  Natural areas, parks and trails  ›  Planning parks and trails  ›  Regional trails and greenways  ›  Tonquin Trail master plan

The future Tonquin Trail will offer bicyclists and pedestrians safe, new connections between Wilsonville, Sherwood and Tualatin.

Imagine a bicycle outing with family or friends that begins at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, follows Cedar Creek through Sherwood and brings you to Metro's 250-acre Graham Oaks Nature Park in Wilsonville. Leaving your bike at the trailhead, take a leisurely hike through the restored Oregon white oak woodland where you can glimpse Mount Hood and hear the cry of red-tailed hawks nesting in the park's conifer forest. This is one of many adventures available on the future Tonquin Trail.

When constructed, the 22-mile long Tonquin Trail will connect the Willamette and Tualatin rivers and the cities of Wilsonville, Sherwood and Tualatin with safe pedestrian and bicycle connections for all users. Commuters and fitness enthusiasts alike will have new ways to reach work, shopping, schools and natural areas and connect with local bike and pedestrian networks.

As part of the regional trail network, the Tonquin Trail will connect to the Westside Trail and the Fanno Creek Trail. There may also be a connection to Champoeg State Park if the proposed French Prairie bridge is built over the Willamette River in Wilsonville.

Planning the Tonquin Trail

Metro, in partnership with the cities of Wilsonville, Sherwood and Tualatin, and Clackamas and Washington counties, is leading the development of the Tonquin Trail master plan. The project, initiated in 2009, will identify a preferred alignment for the trail, design guidelines and cost estimates and identify the jurisdictions that will operate and maintain the trail. Funding to purchase the trail corridor was approved by voters in Metro's 2006 natural areas bond measure.

Public input helped determine the trail route

Over the past two years, the project team has worked closely with a project steering committee to conduct public involvement and perform a thorough analysis of trail alignment options. In winter 2009, open houses were held in Wilsonville, Sherwood and Tualatin to gather input about route ideas and receive feedback on the study alignments advanced from a 2004 Tonquin Trail feasibility study. In summer 2010, Tonquin Trail booths were set up at annual events in communities along its route to share alignment options and gather feedback. More than 1,000 people shared their ideas and opinions about the trail project.

The project steering committee's recommended alignment

Feedback from surveys, public meetings and interviews with land owners helped narrow the route options. Following public involvement and a thorough technical analysis, a recommended alignment was developed and agreed upon by the project steering committee.

In October and November 2011, the project team and project steering committee members presented project updates to the elected officials in the jurisdictions the trail will travel through. The elected officials showed strong support for the committee’s recommended alignment and enthusiasm for seeing the trail built.

Next steps

The Tonquin Trail Master Plan is expected to be complete in summer 2012. When the plan is finished, each partner jurisdiction will be asked to formally adopt it and include the Tonquin Trail in local land use and transportation plans. Between now and when the plan is complete, the project team and project steering committee will consider the following topics:

• general trail design guidelines including trailhead locations and logo
• trail operations and maintenance
• trail funding and construction phasing.

Public involvement will be conducted in spring 2012 to share the preferred alignment and trail design ideas with residents.

Built portions of the trail

Portions of the trail have been built and are being used today. These areas include a 1.5 mile section through Metro’s Graham Oaks Nature Park and in the Villebois community in Wilsonville; in Stella Olsen Park in Sherwood and in the Tualatin Community Park in Tualatin. As funding becomes available, other trail segments will be built.

Tonquin Trail master plan project steering committee

A project steering committee made up of representatives from the participating jurisdictions, project partners, residents and technical advisers are helping shape the master plan. The committee reviews project information and will make recommendations on the trail alignment, design, funding, phasing, development, operations and maintenance. Committee members will also serve as project liaisons representing the interests and perspectives of their respective jurisdictions, organizations and constituents.

Steering committee members

• Hal Ballard, Washington County Bicycle Transportation Coalition
• Connie Ledbetter, citizen representative, City of Tualatin
• Al Levit, citizen representative, City of Wilsonville
• Lori Mastrantonio, senior planner, Clackamas County
• Michelle Miller, associate planner, City of Sherwood
• Chris Neamtzu, planning director, City of Wilsonville
• Damon Reische, Clean Water Services
• Stephen Shane, long range planning, Washington County
• Brian Stecher, citizen representative, City of Sherwood
• Carl Switzer, parks and recreation coordinator, City of Tualatin

Project information

• Tonquin Trail recommended route 427K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published May 3, 2012