Rock Island Trail in Eldon takes a step forward

Kim Shafer of the National Park Service, who has been working with communities across Missouri and the midwest to help them develop local trail systems, recently sent an update with progress on the Rock Island Trail through Eldon, Missouri.  The Eldon Advertiser published an article about the recent developments: 

Inspecting the Rock Island line through Eldon

The American Society of Landscape Architects and the National Park Service have joined forces with Eldon community leaders to try to turn the dream of the Rock Island Trail into a reality.

Landscape architects from the Kansas City and St. Louis chapters were in town Friday to tour the proposed trail route and conduct a vision session that helped facilitate a discussion of project goals, objectives and ideas.

This is the first step in developing a concept plan for the city, which could be used to raise support and apply for grant funding.

The eastern portion of the proposed trail was cleared last year by local volunteers and members of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, with Ameren hiring a local contractor to clear brush along the western part of the railroad right-of-way.

Landscape architect Andrew Kilmer, ASLA Chapter President - St. Louis, explained that there would be a follow-up meeting in four weeks, where initial conceptual plans would be discussed, along with any potential impact on infrastructure, traffic, utilities and economic development. 

Download the full article as a PDF.

Interest in developing the Rock Island railroad corridor into trails is evident all up and down the line--in Owensville, Belle, Versailles, Eldon, Lincoln, Windsor and other communities.  

Meeting participants discuss how Eldon's Rock Island Trail fits into MoBikeFed's proposed multi-state trail system map.

And of course the work to connect the Katy Trail to the Kansas City metro area via the Rock Island Corridor is proceeding apace.  We should see the first section of the new Rock Island Trail State Park, several miles leading southeast from Pleasant Hill, officially open later this year or early next year.  The Department of Natural Resources is working on the final legal agreements from the remaining 40 miles or so that will continue that trail all the way from Pleasant Hill to connect to the Katy Trail at Windsor.  We should see that remaining 40+ mile portion of the trail open up within the next few years.

Kansas City, Raytown, Lee's Summit, Greenwood, Jackson County, and other communities along the last portion of the Rock Island between Pleasant Hill and Kansas City have formed a coalition and are actively working to acquire that portion fo the line and develop it into a trail and commuter rail corridor. That could happen with the next 10 years or so.

Altogether, there are some very exciting trail developments along the Rock Island Corridor!

Communities interested in the National Park Service's program to assist communities with trail development can contact:

Kimberly Shafer
kim_shafer@nps.gov
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE | MIDWEST REGION
RIVERS, TRAILS & CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
601 Riverfront Drive | Omaha, NE 68102 | T 402.661.1914 | www.nps.gov/rtca

Image credits:

1. Planning meeting: Eldon Advertiser

2. Trail inspection: Eldon Advertiser

3. Multi-State Trail Vision: MoBikeFed

File: 

Eldon Advertiser Article on Rock Island Trail