Overseen by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, local cities and towns often maintain areas of the trail within their jurisdictions.

[8][1] The trail is under the maintenance auspices of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (WSPRC) and is open for non-motorized activities year round to hikers, bicyclists, and horse riding.

[10][13] Volunteer efforts and local fundraising led to minor improvements to the new trail, though there were initial concerns by Willapa River Valley residents near the pathway over issues of littering, privacy, right of ways, and trespassing.

Funding in the amount of $4.5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), allowed the rebuild of two, 300 foot (91 metres) bridges near Adna and Dryad; the reconstruction was not completed until 2016.

[10] The Chehalis River is mostly inaccessible due steep slopes and any points of access to the waterway off the trail is beset by the legalities of bordering private property.

To offset this concern, as well as provide "passive recreational experiences" via a gateway to the Chehalis River, the parks system purchased, in 2016, a 180-acre (73 ha) plot in the former community of Ceres.

[19] Construction of a $3.3 million pedestrian bridge over Washington State Route 6, less than one mile west of Claquato, was begun in 2021 to lessen vehicular dangers for users of the trail.

The 2024 project is overseen by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and the trail would be considered unimproved at a 15-mile midsection stretch, though a schedule for additional funding and completion is foreseen in 2026.

[5] A long-term plan for the Willapa Hills Trail by the WSPRC is to join the pathway to other similar hiking routes, creating a linked Rail-to-Trail system from the Pacific Ocean to Idaho.

Due in part to a petition,[23] the law requires the state to post warnings of the dangers of jumping from bridges and subsequent drowning hazards, with particular outreach to provide information regarding cold water shock.

The law was named after Zachary Lee Rager who perished from cold water shock while jumping into the Chehalis River from a trestle bridge on the Willapa Hills Trail.