Hayward Lake Railway Trail

Description:

• For riders interested in mixing a little riding with a bit of history, the 5.73 km (3.44 miles) Hayward Railway Trail provides the perfect mix or you can make a 13.65 km (8.2 miles) loop using existing roadways. Along the route, numerous interpretive signs help bring the history of this unique rail line back to life. While you pedal along this serene mountain lake, it's difficult to imagine the black smoke and noise that accompanied the old steam locomotives during the early part of the century. During its heyday, beginning at the turn of the century and extending into the 1940s, the trains chugged their way along this route. In 1921, the steam locomotives were replaced by electric engines, and in 1929-30 the Ruskin Dam was built, creating Hayward Lake. The construction of the dam meant the rail line had to be elevated above the high-water line, and many of these original trestles still stand today, a haunting reminder of the romantic age of train travel. © Copyright Ward Cameron Published by Ward Cameron Enterprises. All Rights Reserved.