|
 The trails of Cuyahoga Valley National Park are wonderful assets that provide extraordinary natural, cultural, and recreational experiences. Whether on foot, bike, or horseback, park users find opportunities for discovery, exploration, recreation, reflection, and rejuvenation.
TRAILS FOREVER is a new program of Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) and Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association (CVNPA) to focus on CVNP’s trail system and connect with trail users who care about these special park resources. TRAILS FOREVER highlights opportunities for the public to enjoy, maintain, enhance, and expand these trails for the benefit of all people, for all time.
TRAILS FOREVER is…
Experiences
Get out on the trails and experience what CVNP has to offer! Whether searching for solitude or the company of fellow trail users, looking for natural wonders or the Cuyahoga Valley’s rich cultural traditions, or a simple rejuvenation of mind, body, and soul, the park’s trails are your paths of discovery and exploration. 
Discover these opportunities at www.nps.gov/cuva.
Check out TRAILS FOREVER gear at Park Place in Peninsula.
Volunteer Stewardship
Trail volunteers are essential to maintaining, enhancing, constructing, and patrolling park trails to ensure they reach the highest standards. Whether adopting a mile of Towpath Trail to care for, working with trail crews to improve trail conditions, or patrolling various park trails, volunteers provide essential services that enhance the visitor experiences. We invite you to join a well-established group of trail volunteers to care for park trails. These groups include the Cuyahoga Valley Trails Council, Trailblazers, Ohio Horseman's Council, Adopt-A-Trail, and other trail stakeholders.
Become a volunteer at www.cvnpa.org/GetInvolved/Volunteer.
Planning
This year the National Park Service is embarking on the Trail Management Plan for CVNP. This planning will consider expansion of existing trails, new trail uses, trailside camping opportunities for hikers and cyclists, and general enhancement of park trail systems. The completion of an updated trail plan is slated for 2012. With opportunities for public involvement, make your voice heard and get involved throughout this planning process. Comments will be accepted until March 15, 2010 through the PECE website.
To learn more about the planning process and other ways to get involved, visit www.nps.gov/cuva/parkmgmt/planning or read the current Trail Management Plan Newsletter.
Trail System Enhancement
TRAILS FOREVER builds on a strong foundation of existing trails to highlight and undertake major capital projects to improve existing trails and expand the trail network. These efforts will take the park’s trail system to the highest standards of design and operation. Sources of funding for these projects may come from: National Park Service or other governmental funding, foundation grants, corporate support, gifts from individuals or organizations, and may include project-specific capital campaigns.
 The first trail enhancement project is completed! In October 2009, the Cuyahoga Valley Trails Council worked alongside park staff to install the Brandywine Gorge Trail Bridge, a 3-section, 165-foot long fiberglass bridge spanning Brandywine Creek. See photos of the bridge construction on flickr®. For more details on the project, click here.
Endowment
CVNPA will lead an effort to engage individuals, organizations, foundations, and corporations in raising funds for the TRAILS FOREVER Legacy Fund in support of a world-class trail system in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The annual proceeds derived from this endowment fund will be reserved exclusively for the national park for the purposes of maintaining and operating in perpetuity the Towpath Trail, bikepaths, footpaths, and equestrian trails in the park.
For more information about the TRAILS FOREVER Legacy Fund, contact Chief Development Officer, John Debo at 330-657-2909 ext 122 or jdebo@cvnpa.org.
Get involved in TRAILS FOREVER today!
Our first event celebrating TRAILS FOREVER - TOPOGRAPHY- was a huge success. See highlights from the evening.
|