Based on the website, I agree about a lot of it not being flushed out. The Mickelson Trail is, however, quite nice, though not as flat as many people imagine rail-trails to be.
And there is this proviso:“What about Private Lands?
Private lands are exactly that – private. While there may be a few landowners along the way who become interested in hosting a small piece of the trail, the reality is that public roads will be utilized for large stretches of the route.”