With tremendous volunteer and community support, the Lehigh Portland Trails are moving forward towards a grand opening in Summer 2016. The completed trails will include about 2 miles of wide graveled trail, and about 5.5 miles of natural-surface singletrack trails (with room to add perhaps 2-3 miles in future years).

The Lehigh Portland Trails project is based on a two-year grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, awarded in 2014. Volunteers began clearing brush in mid-2014, with volunteer workdays throughout winter 2014-2015 finally breaking through end-to-end by Spring 2015. When work resumed after the summer heat, clearing continued on additional spurs and loops of the main wide trail, with the majority of the clearing work completed by February 2016. In all, well over 100 volunteers contributed, to varying degrees, over time.

Volunteers have also been working nearly continuously since 2014 on the singletrack trails, most of which were cut and cleared entirely with hand tools in order to create the highest-quality trails for mountain biking and trail running. A weekly mountain biking group rode the Lehigh Portland Trails throughout the summer and fall, which along with individual riders, runners, and hikers, helped to “burn in” the singletrack over the last year or so, as well as build skills among local riders.

The trails hit a major milestone recently, with delivery of the first loads of rock to the wide trail. Weather permitting, additional rock will be added and graded over the coming months.

So what’s left to do before the grant ends?

• We have a bridge to move into place!
• The western end of the wide trail, connecting to Washington Avenue, needs to be completed.
• Kiosks and signage
• Elm Creek fishing area
• BMX skills area
• Finishing and bridges for singletrack
• Fruit trees, and/or berry plants

Tentatively, we’re aiming for a late June grand opening!