Snohomish County begins Centennial Trail South planning
Published 1:30 am Monday, July 27, 2026
EVERETT — Snohomish County Parks and Recreation began planning a Centennial Trail extension that will connect it to King County’s regional trail system.
The Centennial Trail South Extension will extend 12 miles from Snohomish to Woodinville along the former Eastside Rail line. Once complete, the trail will connect Skagit County to King County, a press release said. As planning begins, Snohomish County is inviting the public to provide feedback at surveymonkey.com/r/ctsouth1
The project webpage is at snohomishcountywa.gov/561.
Planning is expected to continue through 2027. Due to natural features that complicate the construction process and projected funding needs, the county will split construction into phases and will last more than 10 years.
The county has already set aside $2 million to complete engineering studies and preliminary design work.
“Completing the Centennial Trail has been a vision for decades, and we’re excited to take this important next step,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers in the release. “This project will create lasting connections between communities, expand access to outdoor recreation, and provide a safe, non-motorized transportation corridor for generations to come. Community input will play a critical role in shaping that vision.”
The corridor includes bridges, trestles, wetlands, sloughs, steep terrain and other natural features.
“The Centennial Trail is one of Snohomish County’s most treasured recreational assets,” said Sharon Walker, Snohomish County Parks and Recreation director, in the release. “This planning process gives residents the opportunity to help shape what this next chapter looks like, from trail access and amenities to preserving the natural character of the corridor.”
The Centennial Trail first opened in the early 1990s and has steadily expanded over the years. The most recent extension, completed in 2013, connected the trail from Skagit County to Snohomish. In 2016, Snohomish County acquired the former railroad right-of-way from the Port of Seattle and in 2024 the corridor was officially preserved for future trail development.
Taylor Scott Richmond: 425-339-3046; taylor.richmond@heraldnet.com; Bluesky: @btayokay.bsky.social
