Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
A preliminary map of the proposed perimeter trail at Riverside/Rotary Park.
WORLAND - The Tensleep Nowood Trailbreakers unveiled their Worland Riverside Park Expansion Proposal to the Worland City Council last Tuesday night.
Justin Smith of the Bighorn Basin Outdoor Recreation Collaborative and CJ Grimes of the BBORC and president of the Tensleep Nowood Trailbreakers (TNT) discussed the plan with no funding requested.
Following the 2017 Wyoming Governor's Task Force on Recreation the BBORC was formed and has been meeting since 2018. The Washakie County subgroup is the Tensleep Nowood Trailbreakers. He said Thermopolis formed the Hot City Alliance and has planned several projects. The Greybull group is planning a BMX track, Grime said.
"We started TNT for on-the-ground project planning and management for Washakie County," Grimes said.
The TNT mission is to "develop, enhance and maintain trails that are fun to hike, ride and ski. We also encourage responsible use, personal well-being and economic benefit in Washakie County."
"We've been trying to communicate and come up with better ways to promote not only what we have but work on things for the future to help our recreation economy and bolster that economy," Grimes said.
In an interview Saturday, Grimes said the group would like to work a few projects in the first year, realizing all of them will take time. He said projects on public lands will involve working with other government agencies.
He said they would like to work with the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service about the area cross-country ski trails around Willow Park. He said there are some maps for mountain biking but they are not official bike trails. "We'd like to get that cleared up," Grimes said.
TNT then began looking for an area close to town to establish a bike park and they approached Worland Public Works Superintendent Brian Burky about working on a trail at Riverside Rotary Park.
He said Burky expressed interest and suggested they present the proposal to the council. The mayor and council last Tuesday night, Nov. 17, were more concerned with possible funding with Mayor Jim Gill stating they likely would not have funding.
Burky said, "I do see a lot of opportunity to work with [TNT]," noting that the group helped provide the winter trails at Green Hills Golf Course.
"We were not asking for anything at this meeting. We wanted to know if they were in favor of a bike park. We were not looking for funding we have avenues that we can apply for funding," Grimes said in Saturday's interview.
He said they likely will come back to the council after the new year with four new members coming on the council.
"We're hoping if everyone is in agreement and we can obtain the funding then next spring or summer we'll be constructing a trail," Grimes said.
THE PROPOSAL
The TNT proposal is in three phases. The first phase would be a three-fourth mile loop trail on the north side of the park. Surface types would range from natural to durable. TNT is recommending a mid-range surface like soil cement or crushed stone that would accommodate most users and allow for minimal maintenance.
The only thing that a mid-range surface would not accommodate would be skaters and scooters, but Grimes noted that Worland has a skate park.
"The perimeter trail is an obvious good fit for the park and would be a wonderful resource for the community," Burky said.
The phase could also include skill features on side loops. Skill features could include log ride, rock garden, teeter-totter and jumps. Grimes said features could be added over time.
The second phase would be turning Riverside into a bike park. Grimes said design features would use and enhance the natural landscape without creating a new maintenance load.
Grimes said, "Bike parks provide a safe place to ride and the more features equal more fun and more exercise."
He said more features could turn the park into a destination for Worland, attracting youth and families from outside Washakie County. He noted many people use the Cody bike park.
Pump tracks could also be added and could be used as an anchor for the bike park phase.
Another popular new activity in parks is disc golf that could be added to Riverside Park. He said Thermopolis and Greybull both have disc golf courses.
In closing Grimes said TNT is "planning for Washakie County's future and how we fit into a regional outdoor recreation landscape. By providing recreational activities near town as well as in the mountains, we improve our quality of life as well as our economy."
