Come Join Us for the Dedication of the new trail on Badger Mountain!!!

What: Dedication of new trail on Badger Mountain.
1. Short program with remarks from Commissioners, Park Board, staff, volunteers, and Friends of Badger representatives; followed by ribbon-cutting.
2. Hiking tour of the new trail for those who are interested.

Who: Friends of Badger members, County officials, Park Board, trail users, local media, and most of all volunteers who helped build the trail
Why: Celebration of conservation, recreation, and volunteerism
Weather: Forecast is for mostly cloudy conditions, mid-40s. Dress accordingly. Event will go forward with typical January weather, cancelled only if extraordinary conditions are present. Hike may be cut short if there is snow, rain, or excessive wind/cold.

The new trail is the fourth to be completed within the Preserve. Unlike the other three that preceded it, the new trail rolls gently from beginning to end, with no significant climbing along the way. The trail traverses the lower south face of the mountain maintaining a distance of at least 200 feet from the large apple orchard. The trail is accessed on the west end by climbing the Skyline Trail to the ½-mile mark where there is a junction. It is accessed on the east end by taking the Sagebrush Trail to a junction about ¾-mile from Trailhead Park.
The new trail is 2½ miles in length, and a round-trip from Westgate Trailhead off of Dallas Road is over 6 miles. Visitors need to be prepared for the time it will take to make a full round-trip.

The new trail crosses a section of private property owned by the adjoining orchard. It is the generous spirit of the landowner that has allowed the trail to be built at this location.
Friends of Badger Mountain coordinated construction of the trail in two phases in 2014. To date, over 3400 volunteer hours have been invested in the project by over 400 volunteers, which have included hikers, cyclists, equestrians, corporate partners, church groups, and others. Several superstar Friends volunteers donated over 100 hours each of their own time to build this trail. Over 1000 yards of dirt were excavated by hand, and over 290 tons of gravel have been moved and placed for tread surface. After a break, volunteers will be back later in 2015 to add a top-coating of gravel (new volunteers appreciated).

The new trail is not yet named. Benton County is soliciting name ideas from the public and the Park Board will select a name later in February or March. Suggested names should be one word, no more than 10 characters in length, and easy to pronounce and recognize.