East Branch Community Trails in Keene to expand

KEENE | Last month, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Adirondack Park Community Smart Growth Grant Program awarded $100,000 towards the final phase, the completion, of the East Branch Community Trails. Located on Essex County-owned reforestation lands along Route 9N, along the Keene-Jay town line, this multi-use, non-motorized trail system currently features 3+ miles of trails through forests, fields, and along the east branch of the Ausable River for mountain biking, hiking, running, walking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing for people of all skill levels. "It's a really complex network of fun, flowy, and entertaining trails, with challenges thrown in there," said Glenn Glover, executive director of the Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA). "It really is such a beautiful asset." This grant will go towards adding even more trails to this system, expanding the parking lot to better meet fast-growing demand, and refurbishing the existing picnic shelter to allow for greater use. A series of short jump trails featuring different obstacles, such as skinnies, will also be created for youth and novice riders. As a result of a partnership among BETA, the Town of Keene, and the Keene Youth Commission, discussions for this community-driven project started in the early 2020s. "The Keene Youth Commission was actually the driving force for all of this," said Town of Keene Supervisor Joe Pete Wilson. "They approached us, and then we approached BETA because the town doesn't have the capacity to build and maintain something like this." With the help of Peduzzi Trail Contracting, BETA developed a concept plan for the new trail system in 2021 and completed Phase 1 of the project in September 2022, which included over 2 miles of new multi-use trails. Phase 2, which consisted of adding a new ¾ mile, machine-built, mountain bike-specific trail, was completed in fall 2023. The current trail system encourages exploration, with gentle beginner loops near the trailhead and more advanced terrain for those who venture higher into the network. On the map, which can be found both at the trailhead kiosk and on BETA's website, the trails and loops — each named based on community input — are marked in green for beginner, blue for intermediate, and black for advanced. For instance, the Leepoff Loop near the trailhead is the easiest, while the most challenging, as of right now, is Duzzi, a 0.30-mile "enduro" mountain bike trail, featuring a 280-foot descent, that was built by Luke Peduzzi and opened last June. Currently, Purple Lizard Maps of central Pennsylvania is creating a brand new map of East Branch Community Trails, and as progress continues on Phase 3, the map will be updated. Organizers are also hoping to work with the Department of Transportation to install signage for both pedestrians and drivers to increase safety awareness. Plans are in place to construct more trails this summer, with the goal of completing the entire site by the end of 2028. "Growing up, when I got my very first bike, it was a great time. We need something today that gets children away from their screens, something to get them outdoors and exercising," Glover said. "East Brach Community Trails is a great way of doing that." East Branch Community Trails is currently closed due to it being mud season. However, officials believe that the trail network should reopen to the public sometime next month. For more information or updates, visit betatrails.org.

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East Branch Community Trails in Keene to expand

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