PORT ANGELES – The dream of creating a coast-to-coast walking and cycling trail across America just got a step closer when the

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy made a late-breaking decision to add the Olympic Discovery Trail to the Great American Rail-Trail (GART).

The trail will go from Washington, DC to the Pacific Ocean through Washington State, stretching more than 3,700 miles and meandering through 12 states. The decision to add ODT guarantees that the western-most section of the GART runs through Clallam County which, according to Iris Winslow from the Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau, is sure to be an economic boon.

There are over 1,900 existing trail miles, meaning more than 52% of the coast-to-coast trail is complete.

Photo: Olympic Discovery Trail Facebook page.