(INDIANAPOLIS) – Governor Eric J. Holcomb today joined members of the Clarksville Town Council and Redevelopment Commission to officially open the newly completed Discovery Trail. The 1.9-mile asphalt multi-use trail was built with help from a more than $840,000 Next Level Trails grant.
“I’m so glad I could join you here in Clarksville, Indiana’s oldest town, to celebrate our state’s newest trail. The Discovery Trail accomplishes the key goal of our Next Level Trails program by connecting Clarksville’s residential core to schools, parks, employers, and neighboring communities via the Ohio River Greenway. The opportunity to get outside and exercise with friends and family has never been more important, especially as more Hoosiers are taking advantage of our growing statewide network of trails.”
The new trail is built on a former railroad corridor, acquired from CSX by the town in 2018. The project extends through Clarksville, from Applegate Lane southwest to Silver Creek, where the trail merges with the Ohio River Greenway, creating uninterrupted trail connections to New Albany, Jeffersonville, and Louisville. As part of the project, a new trailhead and crossing signal were installed at Eastern Boulevard.
“Completing this trail puts the majority of Clarksville residents within two miles of a trail,” said Ryan Ramsey, Clarksville Town Council president. “Trails are an important investment in our quality of life, and we are grateful to the many partners who helped make this project a reality.”
The trail was developed by the Town of Clarksville in cooperation with the Clarksville Redevelopment Commission and Clarksville Parks & Recreation. Key partners in the project include SoIN Tourism, Duke Energy and Silver Creek Sand and Gravel. The total investment for the project, including Next Level Trails funding, was more than $2,373,000.
The Discovery Trail is one of 17 Next Level Trails grants awarded to communities and non-profit organizations in May 2019. The nearly $25 million investment announced by Gov. Holcomb, the largest infusion of state trails funding in Indiana history, will develop a total of 42 miles of new trail across Indiana in the coming years. As part of Gov. Holcomb’s Next Level Connections initiative, the Next Level Trails program makes critical trail connections within and between communities. Next Level Trails is administered by the Department of Natural Resources.
This is the third Next Level Trails project opened to the public this year. The Veterans Memorial Parkway Trail was dedicated in Hebron on June 6, and the Syracuse-Wawasee Park Foundation celebrated the completion of the Conklin Bay Boardwalk and Trail on July 30.
A map of the project can be found HERE.
More information about the Next Level Trails program can be found at on.IN.gov/NextLevelTrails.
