The regional pathway that would someday link Leavenworth, Cashmere and Wenatchee now has an adopted route. Its path through Cashmere follows a request the town made two years ago. It keeps clear of the Cottage Avenue and Highway 2 intersection and follows the Wenatchee River on the paved path at Riverside Park. Most of the new work inside town limits would be quiet residential streets, plus one new bridge over the river toward Old Monitor Road.
The Chelan-Douglas Pathways Master Plan was adopted on March 12, 2026. Its companion study for this corridor recommends an 18.4-mile pathway between Leavenworth and Wenatchee. If you already walk the dog along Riverside Park or ride the river path on a fall evening, you're using a piece of the route today.
The corner Cashmere asked to avoid
In June 2024, the Cashmere Planning Commission sat down with route maps from the regional planning effort and marked them up. The Cashmere Valley Record reported that commissioners preferred to avoid the congested Cottage Ave./Hwy 2 intersection and use the existing river trail. They thought a route through town could bring more foot traffic to local businesses. At that meeting, Steve Croci, the city's director of operations, said the project had about $1 million in planning funds. He described a pathway built for bicycles, e-bikes, wheelchairs, runners and pedestrians.
The same story quoted Jeff Wilkens, executive director of the Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council: "Our main priority in this project is making transportation connections between communities, particularly for people who may not have access to a car."
The March 2026 corridor study follows that 2024 preference closely. It shows exactly where a rider or walker would go.
The route through town, west to east
The Leavenworth to Cashmere to Wenatchee Corridor Study executive summary lays out the Cashmere section in this order:
- Goodwin Bridge. The pathway comes into Cashmere over the Goodwin Bridge.
- Sunset Highway. A separated, 12-foot-wide multiuse path runs between the road and the rail line.
- River Street. This stretch becomes a "neighborhood greenway." Pedestrians use the sidewalk and bicyclists share the road. Traffic calming would include speed humps, sharrows and lower speed limits.
- Aplets Way. For a few blocks, path users would use the existing sidewalks and bike lanes.
- Riverside Park. The route joins the existing waterfront path.
- Riverfront Drive. The route continues on quiet streets for the rest of its run through town.
- A new bike and pedestrian bridge. From the end of Riverfront Drive, a proposed bridge would cross the Wenatchee River to Whitefish Drive and on to Old Monitor Road. From there the pathway would continue along Highway 2.
The study includes an illustration of that bridge as seen from Old Monitor Road, looking south across the river toward River Street. On the far side, the plan says the route "may require closing the existing highway exit near Old Monitor Road." It describes that off-ramp as very low use and says drivers would exit Highway 2 at Old Monitor Road instead.
Downtown's main corner doesn't appear anywhere on that list. Instead, the route follows the river and a string of quieter streets.
What's already on the ground
You can already walk part of this. The City of Cashmere describes the existing Riverside Trail as running from Aplets Way through Riverside Park to North Douglas Street. The city's biking and walking page calls the Riverside Park trail paved and used for walking and biking.
| Piece of the Cashmere route | Status in the March 2026 plan |
|---|---|
| Riverside Park waterfront path | Existing, used as-is |
| Aplets Way sidewalks and bike lanes | Existing, used for a few blocks |
| River Street neighborhood greenway | Recommended, with traffic calming |
| Sunset Highway separated path | Recommended, 12 feet wide |
| Riverfront Drive | Existing quiet street, recommended as route |
| Bridge to Whitefish Drive and Old Monitor Road | Proposed new structure |
The city's own parks page still describes the full Leavenworth-to-Wenatchee route as a planned trail of roughly 20 miles. The 2026 corridor study puts it at 18.4 miles, which is the newer figure.
Where Cashmere falls in the build order
The study sorts the corridor into three feasibility tiers. Tier 1 covers segments with few physical, environmental or regulatory constraints and a good chance of near-term funding or support. Tier 3 covers segments with high costs and land acquisition needs.
The study recommends starting construction on Tier 1 "as soon as possible" and names two priority sections. One runs from Leavenworth to Peshastin and the other from Cashmere to Wenatchee. Next comes a shorter link between Peshastin and Big Y. The last phase connects Big Y to Cashmere.
So the plan puts Cashmere at both ends of the schedule. The run east toward Wenatchee, over the river and past Old Monitor Road, is among the first priorities. The connection west toward Big Y, where the Link Transit park and ride sits, is scheduled last.
The phasing order doesn't set construction dates. The plan's FAQ says that finishing the master plan lets partners apply for state and federal grants to refine final designs and build the pathways. It lists possible funding types without naming an award for the Cashmere-to-Wenatchee section. In September 2025, the Wenatchee Business Journal reported that Wilkens told a state panel the four pathway corridors were being taken to 10% design that year. He also said the project had drawn more than 1,800 survey responses.
Cashmere has money in the plan already. The Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council paid for the study with a federal planning grant, along with contributions from Chelan County, Link Transit, and the cities of Cashmere, Entiat, Leavenworth and Rock Island.
Aplets Way, e-bikes and the blocks in between
The pathway's short stretch on Aplets Way runs through a part of town that has been under discussion this fall. At its September 28 meeting, the Cashmere City Council decided to enforce existing rules for scooters, electric bicycles and motorized mini bikes, and to keep working on further regulations. Ward Media reported that decision on September 30.
According to that report, the city already bans bicycles, scooters, skateboards and similar wheeled devices on the sidewalks along Cottage Avenue between Aplets Way and Woodring Street. The same ban covers Aplets Way between Mission Avenue and Elberta Avenue. Scooters and skateboards are also banned on the streets in those stretches, though bicycles are not. Violations carry a civil penalty of up to $100 under Cashmere Municipal Code Chapter 10.96. No new ordinance was adopted that night. City officials talked about reaching families through schools, utility bills and possible bike safety programs, possibly with Rotary.
The corridor study sends path users onto the sidewalks and bike lanes of Aplets Way for "a few blocks" between River Street and Riverside Park. The study doesn't name the exact blocks, so how that stretch lines up with the city's sidewalk rules is left for final design. Until then, the rules above apply to anyone riding Aplets Way today. This is general information, not legal advice, so check the current code or with the city before relying on it for your own situation.
How people responded, and how to follow it
A January 8, 2026 public feedback summary counted 179 responses on the Leavenworth-to-Cashmere-to-Wenatchee alignment. Of the people who gave an opinion, 93% supported it outright or supported it with feedback, and 7% opposed it. The most common concern was how close the route runs to the highway. Some respondents raised safety questions about the Easy Street crossing near the Highway 2 roundabout. In Cashmere, the route's choices of River Street, the park path and Riverfront Drive keep much of the town section away from Highway 2.
The corridor summaries and full plan are on the Chelan-Douglas Pathways corridor page. The Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council's board agendas include a public comment period. The October 8, 2026 agenda lists [email protected] and (509) 663-9059 as contacts. The partner list includes the City of Cashmere, Chelan County, Chelan PUD, Link Transit and WSDOT. According to the plan's FAQ, the state and federal grant applications that adoption makes possible are what would pay for final design and construction.
We live and work along this river corridor, and we'd love to compare notes on the Riverside Park path, River Street, or what a future bridge to Old Monitor Road could mean for your block. Reach out to Team Stoddard anytime. If you'd like a current read on your own Cashmere property, start with our Instant Home Valuation.
