Willow Trails Committee
Mission Statement: To provide safe and enjoyable recreational trails for Willow residents and visitors.
Goals:
- Identify historic and currently used trails.
- Obtain public use easements for recreational trails and trailheads.
- Maintain trails for safe and enjoyable use while protecting the natural resources.
- Provide information to the public on trail safety and etiquette.
- Provide a forum for trail related issues.
Trail News
The trail committee has been awarded by the State $21K for trail grooming this winter.
Bill Luth, grooming czar and his deputies, have been out grooming what he can and
cutting lots of trees fallen the recent wind. He hopes to be grooming across the lakes
next week. The grooming grant is funded through snowmachine registration fees, so
help our trails by making sure your machine is registered.
We have also been awarded over $9K in grooming money from the Borough to cover
the Haessler/Norris Trails. Joan Bryner is the manager of that fund. If you are
interested in helping with grooming and would like to be reimbursed for gas expenses,
please contact her.
The Willow Summer Trails Master Plan has been completed and adopted by WACO at
the June, 2011 general meeting. At the June 20 special meeting, WACO also submitted
its implementation on the Borough’s Capital Improvement Project (CIP) list. The Willow
Summer Trails Master Plan can be viewed on the link at below or a hard copy is
available at the Willow Public Library.
We have already identified three projects from the Plan took look for funding. A paved
pedestrian/bike path along Long Lake Rd is our top priority. Currently, the committee is
creating a legislative file in hope of getting funding from State legislative appropriations.
A second project is a pedestrian bridge across Shirley Creek along the Lucky Shot Trail.
This project will be a big link connecting existing trails and a future trail to the Willow
Creek Campground from a proposed community park. The last project is hardening of
the ATV trail along Crystal Lake Rd ROW where it crosses wetlands.
If you are interested in being part of any of these projects, or if you would like to be
placed on the WTC email list, call Steve at 495-6368. The Willow Trail Committee
meets the third Wednesday of each month, 7pm at the Willow Community Center. [update Nov 17]
Willow Area Trail Plan
The June 2006 edition addressing winter trails is available both as a downloadable PDF and as
text indexed by section.
Willow Summer Trails Master Plan
- Download Summer Trails Plan Final [June 2011] (pdf: 13M)
Trail History
We hope to document early uses of our various trails, both for their historical
value and to preserve precedence.
Trail Links
A nice Frontiersman article can be found here for those who may have missed it (Sep 12, 2006) (reprinted in the News-Minor and the Juneau Empire).
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Recreational Trails Project Facts can be found here.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Trail Guide and Trail Conditions page can not be found here. [Stale link]
Alaska recreational trails, state grants and trail resources can be found here.
Big Lake Trails, Inc’s web site has information about activities and projects, rides and events. Additionally, members can download trail data (GPS, Maps, GoogleEarth trip planning etc).
Mid Valley Trail Club (Susitna Landing) have maps (for download) of Trapper Lake
area trails on their web site http://www.mvtrailclub.org
Willow Trails Committee
Steve Charles, Chair
Phone: 6368 Email: trails@waco-ak.org
Meets: 3rd Wednesday/Month, WCC, 7PM
