Hello Trail Community! Hope you and yours have had a nice holiday season. I wanted to take a moment to explain how trails are funded in our region - the information might not be what you expect.
People are surprised that, for the most part, park departments were not responsible for constructing most of our parks' existing and legacy trails; various volunteers were.
While the Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance, its volunteers, and contributors build and maintain trails open to the public, typically on public lands and owned by the public, taxpayers have yet to significantly fund natural surface trails. That is why volunteers have given over 100,000 hours since CORA's inception to get access to, build, and maintain trails.
With demand for all trails continuing to skyrocket, we need help advocating for more access and professionally built trails. Backcountry singletrack can cost $60,000 per mile. Progressive flow trails can cost up to $100,000 per mile. A lot of paperwork, meetings, project management, and stakeholder engagement also go into new trail access while ensuring what we have is maintained.
That is why CORA has become a non-profit organization with a full-time professional staff to enable this change in our region. Our members, donors, trail stewards, board volunteers, and land managers make this herculean effort possible.
CORA would like to take this time to send out a special thank you to some of our local land managers who have taken a proactive approach to building quality trails for the community. Boone County Parks, the City of Lebanon, Great Parks, and Ohio State Parks and Watercraft have all acknowledged the multifaceted value of quality trail experiences for the community and have begun to prioritize trail professional trail design, construction, and maintenance. We appreciate their dedication to creating world-class trails in our region for all to enjoy!
Trail organizations are the lifeblood of our outdoor havens, sustaining the very landscapes that connect us to nature. As we venture into a new year, your support becomes the catalyst for vital trail projects, ensuring safe, accessible, and enriching experiences for all. Every dollar you contribute propels us forward, building not just trails but fostering a sense of belonging and well-being in our community. Join us in this transformative journey—donate today and be the driving force behind a legacy of thriving trails!