Building One of Oregon’s Great
Public Places
The Salmonberry Trail is unlike any other trail project in America.
The Salmonberry Trail will connect the Willamette Valley to the Oregon Coast through 82 miles of forests, rivers, mountains, and historic communities.
It is one of the most ambitious trail projects in the country, and projects of this scale are never built by government alone.
They are built by people who decide they are worth building.
The Trail Council brings together individuals, families, and organizations who want to help shape the future of the Salmonberry Trail through transformational philanthropy. Together, members invest in projects that unlock progress, inspire public investment, and create lasting places for generations to enjoy.
Just as importantly, Trail Council members become advocates for the vision. They share ideas, open doors, introduce new partners, lend their expertise, and help build the relationships that move a project of this scale forward. Every member contributes in their own way, united by a belief that the Salmonberry Trail is a legacy worth creating.
Building a Trail One Milestone at a Time
The Salmonberry Trail is being built through an extraordinary partnership.
State agencies steward the corridor. Local governments lead projects within their communities. Engineers, planners, tribal partners, volunteers, businesses, and nonprofit organizations all contribute their expertise.
The Salmonberry Trail Foundation exists to help bring these efforts together and provide the private support that enables the work to move forward.
Public funding often pays for construction.
Private philanthropy makes construction possible.
It supports the planning, engineering, permitting, restoration, land acquisition, partnership building, and early project work that transforms an exciting idea into a project that is ready to build.
Every completed mile begins long before the first shovel touches the ground.
Current Catalyst Projects
The Trail Council focuses on projects that create momentum across the entire corridor.
These investments solve challenges, unlock public funding, and create opportunities that benefit the trail for decades to come.
Why Private Philanthropy Matters
Building public infrastructure is a long process. Projects move from ideas to studies, from studies to engineering, from engineering to permitting, and from permitting to construction. Each step makes the next one possible.
Public agencies are excellent at funding projects that are ready to be built. Private philanthropy makes them ready.
That is where the Trail Council makes the greatest difference, creating momentum where it matters most and ensuring opportunities are not lost simply because the next step could not be funded.
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The First Mile Initiative
Investment Opportunity: $1,000,000
Every great trail begins somewhere.
The First Mile Initiative will create one of the first fully realized public experiences on the Salmonberry Trail near the Williams Creek Trestle.
This demonstration section will allow visitors to safely experience the trail while showcasing what the future corridor can become.
The project includes:
Trailhead improvements
Visitor orientation and interpretive signage
Ecological restoration and native planting
Outdoor education spaces
Demonstration trail surfaces
Maintenance equipment
Community programming and stewardship
More than a destination, the First Mile becomes a living classroom where visitors can experience the vision while future segments continue moving toward construction.
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Opening the Williams Creek Crossing
Investment Opportunity: $2,000,000
The Williams Creek Trestle is one of the defining landmarks of the Salmonberry Trail.
Crossing it will become one of the iconic moments of the entire 82-mile journey.
Before that can happen, significant engineering, permitting, environmental review, and design work must be completed.
Support for this initiative will advance:
Structural engineering
Bridge rehabilitation planning
Construction documents
Environmental review
Permitting
Safety improvements
Project readiness
By preparing the bridge for construction, this investment helps unlock future public funding while moving one of the trail’s most recognizable landmarks closer to welcoming visitors.
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The Trail Ready Fund
Some of the most important opportunities cannot be predicted.
A grant may require a local match.
A property may become available.
Engineering may be needed to submit a competitive application.
A permitting opportunity may appear with little notice.
The Trail Ready Fund provides flexible resources that allow the Foundation to respond when opportunities arise instead of watching them pass by.
Often, these investments unlock many times their value through state, federal, and local partnerships.
Your Place in the Story
The Salmonberry Trail will belong to everyone.
But every lasting public place begins with a small group of people who choose to help build it.
Trail Council members are helping create an extraordinary public legacy for Oregon. Their investments will connect communities, expand access to nature, support local economies, preserve history, and create opportunities for future generations to experience the landscapes that define this state.
If you would like to learn more about the Trail Council or discuss one of the catalyst projects, we would welcome a conversation.
Contact
Gavin Mahaley
Communications & Development Director
gavin@salmonberrytrail.org
(503) 231-4745
Caroline Fitchett
ExecutiveDirector
caroline@salmonberrytrail.org
(503) 888-1233