The 2003 Sitka Trail Plan
Since 2003, the combined efforts of Sitka Trail Works and our land management partners have been guided by the Sitka Trail Plan. The Plan was shaped by two years of public engagement, ensuring that our trail development and maintenance focus would reflect the community’s priorities.
To solidify the collaboration inherent in this trail plan that covered federal, state, and local lands, all partners signed an MOU stating they would take the lead on certain projects and work together in supporting all elements of the plan.
Having the US Forest Service, the National Park Service, Alaska State Parks, the City of Sitka and the Sitka Tribe of Alaska agree on a shared vision for how trails would connect through our public lands was front page news. Sitka Trail Works was instrumental in facilitating a holistic approach to planning and community engagement that was broader than any single agency could tackle alone.
Since that time, Sitka Trail Works and our partners have put in countless hours design, building, and restoring trails in the Sitka area with the support of many local volunteers and donors. Guided by the Plan, this coalition has developed many of the trails we love today:
- Cross Trail, constructed in six phases from Indian River to Starrigavan, 2007-2021
- Cross Trail neighborhood connectors – Baranof, Pherson, Yaw, Charteris, Cascade Creek
- Starrigavan Estuary Trail, 2004
- Thimbleberry to Heart Lake, 2006
- Thimbleberry Lake Trail,
- Heart Lake Trail,
- Baranof Lake reconstruction, 2006
- Sea Lion Cove reconstruction, 2006
- Fort Rousseau Causeway, 2006
- Herring Cove to Beaver Lake, 2008
- Beaver Lake Loop Trail,
- Lake Eva reconstruction, 2011
- Sawmill Creek Road separated pathway
- Path of Hope
- Indian River Trailhead and separated path, 2018
- Mosquito Cove Trail
- Harbor Mountain Trail Reconstruction
This amazing history of successful trail development and restoration wouldn’t have been possible without the collaborative effort forged in the 2003 Trail Plan.
With so much of the plan accomplished, it’s time to reconvene, identify the possibilities, prioritize and start down a new path for the next two decades.
