Celebrate Pennsylvania Trails Month
Celebrate Pennsylvania Trails Month with statewide network
September is Pa. Trails Month, and there are more than 12,000trail miles across the state to hike and bike.
“Sixty-five percent of Pennsylvanians agree that parks, trails, and open space are an essential part of the healthcare system.”
September is Pennsylvania Trails Month, and there are more than 12,000 trail miles across the state available for a variety of outdoor activities such as walking, biking and more.
According to the Pennsylvania Land and Water Trail Network Strategic Plan 2020-2024, a trail is a designated route open to the public for recreation or alternative transportation. Trails have economic, environmental and health benefits.
“Sixty-five percent of Pennsylvanians agree that parks, trails, and open space are an essential part of the healthcare system,” according to the Fall 2018 Lion Poll, overseen by the Penn State Center for Survey Research.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, trails and other outdoor spaces have seen an increase in usage and appreciation. Several state reports and surveys show trails have both physical and mentals benefits.
“Outdoor recreation equipment sales have soared. For example, bike sales increased 121 percent, skateboards and scooters 107 percent, and kayaks 85 percent. New bikes and kayaks were difficult to purchase in some areas,” stated the Pennsylvania trail network plan.
Because of the many benefits of trails, Pennsylvania has a goal to extend the statewide trail system to help people achieve healthy lifestyles. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) announced a new goal recently to have a trail within 10 minutes of every resident.
Finding a trail near you
The state has a way to go before everyone in Pennsylvania lives 10 miles from a trail but there are resources available to help people find the trail closest to them.
Explore Pennsylvania Trails is an official DCNR website at www.trails.dcnr.pa.gov. People can use the site to search for trails by county, municipality, or selecting the “near me” menu option on the interactive map. There’s a “find my location” button as well and when selected it takes users exactly to their location on the map with trails in the area highlighted in red. Users can also search for trails by length or activity.
People living in the Pottstown area can use a website called Pottstown Area Outdoors. The Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation added the site to be an outdoor exploration tool to residents. The “location finder” takes users to an interactive map with icons categorized by outdoor activities and amenities. People can use the map to select an outdoor activity and view a list of spaces for that specific activity including area trails.
For more information about Pottstown Area Outdoors, visit bit.ly/PottstownAreaOutdoors.
Trail building and funding
Trails are seen as a very important asset in Pennsylvania but take a lot of funding and planning to build. There are several considerations when building a trail such as feasibility studies, land-use agreements, engineering, and construction costs.
With a finished trail network as the goal, DCNR has made trail building a top priority. The organization has identified several trail gaps that would benefit the community once filled. The top 10 trail gaps on the list will help extend the networks of state trails, but require a significant amount of resources and planning. People can view the top 10 gaps at www.gis.dcnr. state.pa.us/storymaps/trailgaps.
Federal, state, municipal and private funds are the common sources for trail projects. These funds are competitive and there’s usually only a limited amount available compared to the list of trail project needs. The Pennsylvania trail network plan states project costs have increased in recent years.
“One indicator of this increase is evidenced by the fact that the average DCNR trail grant award amount between 2009 and 2019 increased by over 30 percent. In addition, due to COVID-19 impacts, trail construction costs continue to rise, requiring the need to raise additional funds after project costs exceed estimated budgets,” stated the plan.
Trail maintenance made possible by volunteers, supporters
Trails require a lot of money to build, then additional funding is needed after it’s built for yearly maintenance. A 2015 Rails-to-Trails Conservancy report found that the average trail maintenance costs are between $500 to $1,000 per trail mile per year.
In addition to state, county, and municipal agencies, many trail groups are non-profit organizations and clubs. The volunteer-based groups manage and build trails. Some groups don’t even have paid staff.
“They contribute a large amount of sweat equity to the development and maintenance of trails. They typically have limited funding; many hold events that raise funds for their activities,” stated the trail network plan.
Trails have a long list of advantages and at the top of that list is improved health for area residents. Considerable time, money and effort go into expanding the trail network in Pennsylvania, but many would say the effort is worth the gain.
For more information about statewide trails and to view the trail network strategic plan, visit bit.ly/PATrailNetworkPlan.