Wam-sag-man Trail Awarded $30,000. The Chicago-based Tawani Foundation has issued a $30,000 grant to the Wamego Community Foundation to support the Wam-sag-man Trail will link Manhattan with Wamego. $10,000 will be provided annually for three years. Total cost of the project is an estimated $4 million. Volunteers expect to work in fall on St. George Phase I.
Smoky Valley Ranch Trail under Development. A five-mile trail is being built on the 16,000-acre Smoky Valley Ranch Preserve owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy. The preserve is located north of Scott City along the Smoky River. This short grass prairie has bison and the rare black-footed ferret which preys upon prairie dogs. Preserve officials hope to complete the trail this year.
Lake Shawnee Trail Update. According to the Kansas Trails Council newsletter (June 2008), the last two miles of the paved Lake Shawnee Trail are now under construction. This will complete the seven-mile loop around the lake. Deer Creek Trail will link up the Lake Shawnee Trail with the Shunga Trail. The City is building the Deer Creek Trail in phases from its northern terminus south to Lake Shawnee.
Osawatomie-Rantoul Trail Segment Open. The newly-completed segment of the Flint Hills Nature Trail is highly recommended. This trail section goes through oak-hickory and floodplain forests along the Marais Des Cygnes River between Osawatomie and Rantoul. There is a tree canopy for much of the way providing shade. The trail’s surface is crushed limestone suitable for all types of bikes. There are rocky bluffs south of the one bridge. The eastern trailhead is located 2 miles west of Osawatomie on John Brown Hwy (then north for ¼ mile on Indianapolis Rd.). The western terminus is one line south and one mile east of Rantoul on Virigina Rd. The total distance is 12 miles roundtrip. Due to the summer heat, a morning ride or walk is recommended. This trail segment was developed by the Osawatomie Division of Kanza Rail-Trails Conservancy.
Funding for Wichita Trails Approved. The Wichita City Council approved $250,000 on July 1 for three trail projects: (1) a trail along the Little Arkansas River between 13th St. and Bitting received $100,000 for design work; (2) a trail along 21st St. west of Maize Rd to Cheney received $50,000 to complete a missing gap; and (3) another $100,000 was allocated for a trail stretching from I-135 to K-96 and McAdams for design work.