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After over two years in development, VCTA is proud to (finally) announce the completion of Phase 1 of the Harrison Park West trail project! This phase adds about 1 mile of professionally built, bike optimized “flow” trail to the existing 1 mile loop trail that winds along the hilltop and riverside of the “S” shaped meander of the North Fork river that makes all of Harrison Park so incredibly special. Our personal favorite part of the new trail segments, beyond being SUPER fun to ride if you’re a mountain biker, is the way our builder, Global Action Sports Solutions, utilized our incredible native Vermilion clay in the construction of several sections and features. GASS is a worldwide leader in bike optimized trail construction, and if Phase 1 is any indicator, Harrison Park West has all the makings of a regional hotspot for trailgoers and outdoor enthusiasts of all types!
Phase 1 was completed on a shoestring budget with only private donors, local grants, and LOTS of volunteer sweat. We hope it can act as a sort of “down payment” on the rest of the project, because while Phase 1 might be in the books, we have a long way to go! Phases 2 & 3 are fully mapped and planned, but we’ll need a significant amount of fundraising to get us there.
We’ll share much more about the different facets and funding needs of this project, and others, in the coming days. This info dump is leading up to our first public meeting, where we hope to add to our board and assign interested people to the different areas of VCTA’s overall mission of building a vibrant, engaged, and inclusive Vermilion County community, one foot at a time!
In the meantime, enjoy these pictures and feel free to go have a walk (or ride) around! Please be advised that adequate trail signage is forthcoming, so proceed with caution. See The Hills at Harrison Park West on Trailforks for more info.
Generous thanks to Vermilion Healthcare Foundation and Balloons Over Vermilion for their grant funding support (and extreme patience!), IMBA for their trail design work, GASS for their expertise and generosity, and of course the City of Danville for partnering with us on developing this community treasure!
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