Category Overview
Trails grants help communities and recreation areas fund the creation and improvement of trails for walking, hiking, cycling, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. These grants help make communities more livable, create regional trails systems, and open up beautiful outdoor spaces for people to enjoy. WWRP is the largest source of trail support in the state of Washington.
Project Highlights
Olympia Woodland Trail (OWT) Phase I Development will create a long treasured Capitol city legacy and Olympia’s first link in the regional urban trail system being developed by the cities of Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater and Thurston County. OWT users will be able to walk or bike the OWT from beautiful parks on Capitol Lake through a greenway corridor to the Chehalis-Western Trail and Chambers Lake parks. OWT Phase I curves along a 1.8 miles long abandoned railroad through an urban forest sanctuary created by the scenic Indian Creek Ravines. A conveniently located trailhead will feature a restroom, shelter, information kiosk, bike and vehicle parking and service access. The easy trail grade will provide much needed recreation opportunities for people with disabilities, older citizens and cyclists of all ages and abilities. Expectation is for immediate and intensive recreation use. Currently available impact fees fall short of total funding needed. The solicited WWRP Trail Grant is essential. Enhancing these efforts will be the Woodland Trail Greenway Association (WTGA), a visionary advocacy group. The 250 members have donated cash, materials and thousands of hours to interim improvements including removing scotch broom and blackberry, planting hundreds of native trees and shrubs and installing gravel surfacing for improved access. WTGA and other volunteers will install native plants, a nature trail and other improvements as described within this grant application.