MENDOCINO Co., 5/1/22 — Members of the Ukiah Valley Trail Group, the California Conservation Corps, and volunteers have been hard at work building a new trail in Low Gap Park, and a “reveal” of the new path is currently scheduled for May 15, 2022.
The event will take place between 10 – 11:30 a.m., and visitors will receive a map and directions to the new trail, which is located 1.5 miles from the parking lot, making a 5-mile-long round trip. The route will also be marked, and there will be information stations and docents along the way, according to the Ukiah Valley Trail Group
Here’s more information from the City of Ukiah:
NEW UPPER CITY VIEW TRAIL REVEAL SCHEDULED FOR MAY 15TH AT LOW GAP PARK
Ukiah, CA. April 29, 2022. – On Sunday, May 15th, the City of Ukiah and the Ukiah Valley Trail Group will host a Trail Reveal and grand opening for the new Upper City View Trail being built on City property at Low Gap Park. Participants are invited to sign in at the Low Gap Park parking lot between 10:00 and 11:30 to receive a map and directions to the new trail. It is a 1.5-mile hike to the new trail and about a five-mile round trip. Hikers should come prepared with everything they need to hike on their own including water. Docents will be found along the trail and will be available to answer questions and provide information about the project and the new trail.
The California Conservation Corps (CCC) and volunteers are continuing to work and expect to have the trail complete just in time for the Trail Reveal Hike. Volunteers have already donated over 600 hours of labor to build the trail.
Ukiah Valley Trail Group Board President Howie Hawkes has contributed over 300 trail building hours since 2008 and is one of over 60 volunteers who have helped build the trail. “One of the benefits of working on the trail is you get to be one of the first people to see it. It’s shaping up to be really cool and it winds through a variety of settings and is really beautiful,” said Hawkes.
Primary funding for the trail came from Pacific Redwood Medical Group through their Community Foundation of Mendocino County (CFMC) Fund. Board Treasurer Tim Pletcher states, “Our work wouldn’t be possible without strong community support. Every little bit helps, and most of our funding comes from people donating twenty to a hundred dollars, but the larger donations from groups like Pacific Redwood Medical Group allow us to really jump start this kind of project.”
The City of Ukiah contributed staff time to assist with completion and approval of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents. “We even had Councilmember Juan Orozco bring his family up to help build the trail, you can’t get better land manager support than that,” stated Pletcher.
The proposed trail alignment was first outlined in the CFMC-funded 2015 Low Gap Park Trail Master Plan and the Trail Group started working on planning to build the trail shortly after that. “We spent three years actively working on the permitting and approval process and now we’re going to build the trail in about a month,” stated Hawkes. The Trail Group has plans for more new trail around the valley and is committed to continuing to maintain existing trails. “Tell everyone to keep the donations coming, because that’s what allows us to keep up the work.”
For more information, contact Community Services Director Neil Davis at [email protected] or (707) 467-5764.
