Students volunteer for Triplett Valley Trail Project

Under the supervision of Morehead State University faculty member and licensed surveyor Joe Curd, students Logan Green of Mt. Sterling, John Harper of Isonville, Deborah Kroth of Newport, and Jacob Day of Ashland volunteered their time to check property lines along the path of the proposed Triplett Valley Trail. 

“We really appreciate the efforts of these students to make sure that our site surveys are up to date,” said Dr. Scott Davison, MSU professor of philosophy and president of the local non-profit organization Daniel Boone Rails to Trails.  “It illustrates the broad support for this project across the entire community.”

The trail plan would start with the Memorial Tree Walk near the city park, travel along Triplett Creek to the Fazoli's/Morehead Cinema/Buffalo Wild Wings area, and then pass through the Boone Hollan wetlands region to KY 519 along parts of the old railway bed.

A recent survey by the city/county Recreation Commission received a very high number of responses and listed trails as the second priority behind water based recreational facilities.

Financial support for the Triplett Valley Trail project has come from the city, the county, Morehead Tourism, St. Claire Regional Medical Center, MSU and a number of private individuals. Cost estimates for the trail, obtained from Palmer Engineering in Lexington, were paid by a non-point source pollution water grant administered by April Haight, director of MSU’s Environmental Education Center, who has been directly involved with rails to trails efforts in Morehead for many years.

In addition, Rowan county fiscal court retained Richard Howerton, an engineer from Greenup, to study the prospects for a trail from the old Sunny Brook Golf Course all the way to the KY 801/US 60 intersection, and to prepare a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant on behalf of the city and county to fund the construction of the Triplett Valley Trail. 

Thanks to community support and the work of many volunteers, eventually there will be a dedicated trail space that provides alternative transportation from one end of town to the other, and creates opportunities for recreation for people of all ages and abilities.

Additional information is available by contacting Dr. Scott Davison at s.davison@moreheadstate.edu.

Pictured above, left to right, are MSU students Logan Green, John Harper, Deborah Kroth, and Jacob Day.