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New Vision
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The New Vision Trail Rehabilitation Project - PHASE 2.5
Winona Forest’s New Vision Project is a massive multi-phase project focusing on building a 12 month
multi-use outdoor recreation destination. To do so, volunteers, in collaboration with the NYS DEC,
are engaged in major trail rehabilitation projects, resurfacing trails, building bridges,
strengthening drainage systems, adding trails, and installing areas to increase public enjoyment,
such as picnic pavilions, trail side benches, enhanced signage and maps.
For 2020, the Winona Forest Recreation Association was awarded a third matching grant in the amount
of $33,386.33 from the Environmental Protection Fund’s (EPF) Park and Trail Partnership Program to
continue the New Vision Project. Phase 2.5 was smaller in scale, and emphasized public enjoyment
WFRA will have to raise an additional $3,710.00 in matching funds, for a total of about
$36,182.26 to complete Phase II.
We are pleased with the progress, placing multiple trail side benches along scenic locations. Late
summer 2020 we got to work on the construction of a picnic pavilion alongside Bill’s Belly, one of
many newly resurfaced trails that received multiple new bridges. A significant portion of Winona
Way near North Church Road received new culverts to enhance drainage and provide dryer trail
conditions for our users while decreasing erosion. To strengthen our winter grooming capabilities,
we added a Tidd Tech groomer and track setter for our winter users.
What’s next for Winona’s New Vision Project?
The scale of the next phase (2021-2022) will depend upon future grant approvals, NYSDEC
contributions, as well as Mother Nature. Regardless, we are incredibly excited about the upcoming
year, and project plans.
Late spring we intend to begin construction on a new trail behind CCC Camp, called “Norway”, named
for the Norway Spruce that lines much of the trail. This backcountry 5K loop trail will allow us to
offer a very nice course for future events for run, bike, and snowshoe. This trail should be
completed by summer’s
end.
A major trail resurfacing project will take place on Winona Way, including a bridge build, and
drainage improvements. Most of the work will take place between Hawley Road and North Church. You
may have seen the massive stone piles at the parking area at North Church. This will be used to
build up and dry out sections of Winona. Several culverts will be added, ditching to direct water
run off, and a new bridge will replace aging and undersized culverts.
I am incredibly hopeful this will be the summer “Little Sandy” trail will be built. This trail will
someday be a connector for Winona Way, to Bargy, to eventually Raspberry Trail. It will open up all
sorts of options and opportunities for our users, in addition to a 25K loop for potential event
use. The trail will require the construction of a substantial bridge across Little Sandy Creek,
located near the Winona Way/Sally’s Ride intersection. WFRA intends to cut the trail this summer,
and will depend upon DEC for the bridge build.
DEC intends to build a connector snowmobile trail from Bronze trail to Sycopath. This will give our
snowmobile users a very nice woodland trail experiences while enabling access to destinations
without having to drive through the CCC area.
This also greatly reduces any effect WRFA events may have on snowmobile use, providing a convenient
detour around event staging at CCC. Speaking of Bronze, this snowmobile trail will get some much
needed enhancements, adding stone to eroded areas, providing smother trails for our snowmobile
enthusiasts.
While the list includes the “big” projects for the upcoming summer, WFRA will continue to update
trailhead signage, and further resurface necessary sections of trails, further improving user
experience. We are confident that these and future projects will result in building a recreational
area like no other. We are dependent upon you to make this happen, through your membership dues,
event participation, and generous donations. If we all make some kind of contribution, it
will enable us to sustain this direction for the future.
Winona Forest’s New Vision Project is a massive multi-phase project focusing on building a 12 month
multi-use outdoor recreation destination. To do so, volunteers, in collaboration with the NYS DEC,
are engaged in major trail rehabilitation projects, resurfacing trails, building bridges,
strengthening drainage systems, adding trails, and installing areas to increase public enjoyment,
such as picnic pavilions, trail side benches, enhanced signage and maps.
For 2020, the Winona Forest Recreation Association was awarded a third matching grant in the amount
of $33,386.33 from the Environmental Protection Fund’s (EPF) Park and Trail Partnership Program to
continue the New Vision Project. Phase 2.5 was smaller in scale, and emphasized public enjoyment
WFRA will have to raise an additional $3,710.00 in matching funds, for a total of about
$36,182.26 to complete Phase II.
We are pleased with the progress, placing multiple trail side benches along scenic locations. Late
summer 2020 we got to work on the construction of a picnic pavilion alongside Bill’s Belly, one of
many newly resurfaced trails that received multiple new bridges. A significant portion of Winona
Way near North Church Road received new culverts to enhance drainage and provide dryer trail
conditions for our users while decreasing erosion. To strengthen our winter grooming capabilities,
we added a Tidd Tech groomer and track setter for our winter users.
What’s next for Winona’s New Vision Project?
The scale of the next phase (2021-2022) will depend upon future grant approvals, NYSDEC
contributions, as well as Mother Nature. Regardless, we are incredibly excited about the upcoming
year, and project plans.
Late spring we intend to begin construction on a new trail behind CCC Camp, called “Norway”, named
for the Norway Spruce that lines much of the trail. This backcountry 5K loop trail will allow us to
offer a very nice course for future events for run, bike, and snowshoe. This trail should be
completed by summer’s
end.
A major trail resurfacing project will take place on Winona Way, including a bridge build, and
drainage improvements. Most of the work will take place between Hawley Road and North Church. You
may have seen the massive stone piles at the parking area at North Church. This will be used to
build up and dry out sections of Winona. Several culverts will be added, ditching to direct water
run off, and a new bridge will replace aging and undersized culverts.
I am incredibly hopeful this will be the summer “Little Sandy” trail will be built. This trail will
someday be a connector for Winona Way, to Bargy, to eventually Raspberry Trail. It will open up all
sorts of options and opportunities for our users, in addition to a 25K loop for potential event
use. The trail will require the construction of a substantial bridge across Little Sandy Creek,
located near the Winona Way/Sally’s Ride intersection. WFRA intends to cut the trail this summer,
and will depend upon DEC for the bridge build.
DEC intends to build a connector snowmobile trail from Bronze trail to Sycopath. This will give our
snowmobile users a very nice woodland trail experiences while enabling access to destinations
without having to drive through the CCC area.
This also greatly reduces any effect WRFA events may have on snowmobile use, providing a convenient
detour around event staging at CCC. Speaking of Bronze, this snowmobile trail will get some much
needed enhancements, adding stone to eroded areas, providing smother trails for our snowmobile
enthusiasts.
While the list includes the “big” projects for the upcoming summer, WFRA will continue to update
trailhead signage, and further resurface necessary sections of trails, further improving user
experience. We are confident that these and future projects will result in building a recreational
area like no other. We are dependent upon you to make this happen, through your membership dues,
event participation, and generous donations. If we all make some kind of contribution, it
will enable us to sustain this direction for the future.
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