CARBONDALE – Through federal funding administered through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the City of Carbondale has been awarded a $200,000 Recreational Trails Program Grant to build a natural-surface, multi-user trail around Cedar Lake.
The SIU Center of Archaeological Investigations is conducting an archaeological survey before trail construction may begin. The project is set to be bid this summer, and the projected timeline for trail building to commence is scheduled to begin as early as this fall.
This particular grant is projected to fund the construction of 7 miles of trail. The proposed trail will reach from the city’s boat launch on Cedar Creek Road to Cove Hollow, wrapping around the north end of the lake. This will reach down to Cove Hollow to meet the trailheads at the south end where the U.S. Forest Service’s property begins. One trail segment will be built to be accessible for those with disabilities. The expansion of this trail segment in particular to be ADA accessible aligns well with ongoing development of the Cedar Creek boat dock area – ADA-accessible restrooms and an ADA-accessible boat launch are being installed. The trail in its entirety will be open to use for hikers, backpackers, and mountain bikers.
This project is the first step on the City of Carbondale’s end to create a loop trail circumnavigating the entirety of Cedar Lake. On the southern end of the lake, the U.S. Forest Service has built and maintains the 5.5 mile long Cove Hollow Trail, 2.9 mile long Cedar Lake Trail, and about 5 miles of the River to River Trail.
As Cedar Lake serves as the water source for Carbondale and other communities, sustainable construction and maintenance of all infrastructure is a priority. Sustainably built trails will allow for minimal to no impact to the resource during construction, use, and maintenance of the trail system. Application for this grant spawned from public input gathered during the compilation of a recreation master plan the city has been working on for the city-owned property around Cedar Lake. These trail expansions will bring an even fuller opportunity for the residents of Carbondale to have access to outdoor recreation within close proximity to town.
