Missouri’s newest state park will run smack dab through the center of Gerald. The Rock Island Line Corridor is a reality, according to Melanie Robinson-Smith, deputy regional director with the …
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Missouri’s newest state park will run smack dab through the center of Gerald. The Rock Island Line Corridor is a reality, according to Melanie Robinson-Smith, deputy regional director with the Missouri State Parks.
Smith addressed a group of residents at a community assessment meeting held Monday evening, April 11 at the Gerald Lions Hall.
Smith is also the Katy Trail Coordinator and can be expected to bring that experience to the newest trail project.
Some basic information was given to the audience in anticipation of questions that might come up.
The trail will be open from sunrise to sunset. No camping or overnight use of the trail will be permitted. There will be boundary signs posted every 200 feet or so along the trail. This will warn users of the trail that they are nearing private property. From the other direction it will warn people they are entering state park grounds. Park rangers will provide law enforcement and security along the trail.
Trail heads will be built approximately every 10 miles along the trail. These would include parking, bathrooms, water, an information depot including community maps, local history, and other information.
Most right-of-ways that were entered into by Rock Island Railroad were transferred when the line was sold to Ameren. In turn, most of those were transferred to the Missouri State Parks.
Zane Price is the real estate manager for the Rock Island Line Corridor and will work with adjoining land owners to answer questions and solve and issues.
The Katy Trail is now considered a world class destination, according to David Kelly, director of Missouri State Parks. He reported that an average of 400,000 people use the Katy Trail each year. In 2020 That use jumped to 700,000 visitors. In 2021, there were 500,000 people estimated to use the trail. Of those, 70 percent were probable local users, traveling a section of the trail. The other 30 percent traveled the trail from one end to the other.
Other state parks might see 1 million visitors each year.
Once the Rock Island Corridor joins the Katy Trail, it will become and even greater attraction.
