by Emily Gates, Special Projects Coordinator, PRPS

Despite the natural disaster that threatened the 2011 Greenways and Trails (GWT) Summit, the event, originally scheduled September 11th0inh and postponed until October 23rd0inh, was well attended.  Approximately 180 people traveled to The Yorktowne Hotel in York, Pennsylvania (PA), to benefit from educational sessions and networking opportunities!

York, PA

The summit offered a plethora of breakout sessions, each falling into one of four categories including: health, marketing/trail towns, partnerships, and construction/management/maintenance. The Pine Creek Rail Trail, Triple Divide Trail System, Hollow Creek Greenway and Jordan Creek Greenway are just a few of the entities featured during the summit.  Review our GWT Program Guide to learn more about the sessions that were offered.

On Monday morning, October 24th, participants were welcomed by the Mayor of York, Kim Bracey, and updated on the "State of PA Trails" by Cindy Dunn, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Deputy Secretary.  PA DCNR Secretary Rick Allan and PA Department of Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch followed Bracey and Dunn sharing their thoughts on trails, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and smart transportation.

Exhibit Hall

During refreshment breaks, attendees visited the Exhibit Hall that sported displays such as Carter van Dyke Associates, Bike Path Country, the York Area Mountain Bike Association, and the Farm and Natural Lands Trust of York County.  Snyder's of Hanover and Brown's Orchard and Farm Market provided healthy snacks for the breaks. 

York Central Market

Some attendees savored York's commodities on a greater scale at York's Central Market on Monday evening.  Attendees strolled to the market, albeit through a sprinkling of rain, and sampled homegrown products from community vendors while listening to the New South Mountain Ramblers, a band of trail enthusiasts who played everything from Bonnie Raitt to Neil Young.

Overall, attendees enjoyed the summit sessions and the city of York itself. The overall summit survey results were very good; 45 of the 180 attendees completed the survey, giving us a sample size of 25%.  Attendees really enjoyed the downtown aspect of the summit; one response stated "Great to be able to walk...the supper at the market was GREAT." The session offerings and Keynote Speaker were also well received.  According to the survey results, a few topics that folks hope to see at the next summit include, "strategies for dealing with railroads" and "information on sustainable trails and greening your projects."

Planning Committee members and a variety of sponsors including Bitting Recreation, General Recreation, George Ely and Associates, PA DCNR, WellSpan Health and the York Water Company were instrumental in planning the event-thank you GWT Planning Committee and sponsors!

ExplorePAtrails.com Surpasses 10,000 Mile Goal

by Kent Taylor GIS Specialist, Western PA Conservancy 

Prompted in part by an award-winning statewide recreation plan completed in 2009, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources continued to build on its 30+ year effort to support planning and construction of recreational trails in 2011. Moreover, trail enthusiasts are using online tools to share information about those trails like never before.

DCNR, in partnership with Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Keystone Trails Association, and more than a thousand trail stewards and volunteers, have powered the one-stop website, www.ExplorePAtrails.com, with resources for searching, viewing, mapping, and sharing information about the state's rich network of trails.

Numbers Tell the Story

Launched two years ago with just over 5,500 miles and 191 trails, the website today contains 10,323 miles and 414 trails, and those numbers are growing. The increase is due mostly to participation of 1,018 "reporters" who have voluntarily registered with the site and added content such as new trails, trail updates, photos, reviews and calendar events.

At www.ExplorePAtrails.com users can find simple, easy-to-use ways to bring many of these resources together into one centralized, community-driven workspace designed specifically for collecting and sharing trail information.  

One-stop Shopping for State and Local Trails

The scenario is a common one: friends or relatives are coming for the weekend and you're looking for a good place to take a hike or a bike ride, maybe one that's new or one that you've never tried before. More and more, ExplorePATrails.com is the place to get information on how to navigate to those trails and what to expect when you get there.

DCNR has posted its trails in state parks and state forests on ExplorePAtrails.com, but descriptions, reviews and photos continue to come in from individuals, clubs, and municipal trail builders. The hope is that every land and water trail will find its way onto the site.

Trails for the Future

The growth in the numbers of website users searching and sharing trails information at ExplorePAtrails.com--108,000 visitors since its launch--is reflected in the demand for outdoor recreation as many local communities and "trail towns" strive to attract tourism dollars to stores and businesses. DCNR estimates that more than 50 miles of new trails were constructed in 2011.

To find out more about how to participate or to locate a trail in your area, visit, register online at www.ExplorePAtrails.com or contact c-ketaylor@pa.gov.