Clallam County has received a $980,000 federal highways grant that will fund additional paving of the Olympic Discovery Trail. The new paved trail section will run about eight miles from the top of Fairholm Hill, bypassing Highway 101, to Sappho. The trail segment will have gravel along both its sides to allow horseback riders to use the trail along with bicyclists and hikers.

The paving is scheduled for 2013. The five-mile new section of the trail will run from a Merrill & Ring bridge that runs over the Sol Duc River and Forest Service Road 2918 to along Cooper Ranch and Mary Clark roads, following 

The U.S. Forest Service has worked closely with Clallam County in developing the trail.

Also funded by the grant is the installation of large stream culverts. Forest Service Road 2918 will also be improved to connect the trail south from Highway 101 to the Sol Duc River.

Long-term plans call for having the trail run to the Pacific coast at LaPush along the route of Highway 110 – LaPush Road.

The next segment of the trail will link that turnoff with the trail, from Sappho.