Troutdale’s Ch’ak Ch’ak Trail celebrates ribbon cutting along Sandy River

Ch’ak Ch’ak means bald eagle in the Chinuk Wawa language, and that name will hopeful signify a new nature trail’s soaring success following a ribbon cutting celebration.

The Ch’ak Ch’ak Trail is a three-mile segment of the 40-Mile-Loop Trail that runs in Troutdale and Fairview. On Thursday, Oct. 10, stakeholders and community members celebrated its official opening, providing a new place to recreate and soak in views of the Sandy River.

“This trail commemorates the sacred relationships of the tribes who called these lands home,” said Troutdale Mayor Randy Lauer. “It is a symbol of not just the beauty, but the cultural history.”

The trail gives the community a safe, car-free alternative to busy roads often filled with heavy trucks, as well as access to nature near the confluence of the Sandy and Columbia Rivers.

It was a day of celebration for nature lovers — just down the way the city of Troutdale celebrated the groundbreaking of the 3.5-acre Sandy Riverfront Park, which will eventually serve as a natural connector between the Ch’ak Ch’ak Trail and Downtown Troutdale.

“Trails are an important and vital part of the region, and now more people have a place to walk and play,” said Metro Councilor Ashton Simpson. “In East County we don’t have a full pedestrian network built out — this moves us toward our goals of safe, affordable travel opportunities.”

Ch’ak Ch’ak Trail was a collaborative project, both in designing and funding. It cost $4.29 million — $3.8 million came from federal funding, the city of Troutdale committed about $117,000, and the Port of Portland paid for the rest.

The project also continues the Port of Portland’s ongoing development of the Troutdale Reynolds Industrial Park, a 700-acre former brownfield that now features natural areas and open spaces, wetland habitat and a business park that employs nearly 5,000.

“We love this trail, it being a continuation of the 40-Mile-Loop is a real treat,” said Curtis Robinhold, executive director of the Port of Portland.