Groups look to generate ideas for western county trail network
Jun. 22—If You Go What: Meeting on possible Middletown Valley trail network When: 7 p.m. Monday, June 26 Where: The Main Cup, 14 W. Main St., Middletown
Local hiking and trail enthusiasts will meet next week in Middletown to gather ideas for a trail network to connect parks and communities in Frederick County's Middletown Valley.
The meeting Monday evening at Middletown's Main Cup restaurant will be the third gathering by the Middletown Valley Trails Alliance, the Catoctin Land Trust, and others to work toward building a network of trails across the western part of the county.
"It's very conceptual at this point," said David Lillard, executive director of the Catoctin Land Trust.
Frederick County has an exciting trail network in the eastern part of the county, but not as much in the Middletown Valley, Lillard said.
The county's bicycle and pedestrian plan does include a trail spur running from Middletown to Myersville, and the county has funded a feasibility study and put other money into the project in recent years, he said.
Along with its main bicycle and pedestrian plan, the county also has a plan from 2019 to connect the communities of Brunswick, Middletown, Frederick, and Thurmont, partly along the former route of the Hagerstown and Frederick Trolley.
But Lillard and others envision a more robust network, linking various communities and parks in the region, such as South Mountain State Battlefield and Gambrill State Park.
Lillard said he sees the parks as hubs in a network that would link towns such as Middletown and Myersville, and possibly even communities such as Thurmont and Frederick.
The network would be a resource for tourism, as well as for people who live in the area who want to hike or bicycle, he said.
Middletown Burgess John Miller said the town is enthusiastic about the idea, and has provided maps and other information to the project's organizers on how the town could be connected to various areas.
"It's a magnificent plan," he said.
Miller said he can envision a larger system connecting Middletown to Burkittsville, Brunswick and other areas.
He feels the town could benefit from the tourism, including with restaurants and ice cream shops where hikers or bikers could stop.
Myersville Mayor Mark Hinkle said the town is open to listening to discussions, but for now, the town council feels like the project is more something for the county to look at.
As a former firefighter, Hinkle said he has some concerns about accessibility for emergency responders if someone is hurt or has a medical emergency on the trail.
Finding a way to get across or around Interstate 70 would be a challenge, he said.
"There's a lot to discuss about this," Hinkle said.
Planning is certainly a challenge, Lillard acknowledged, including the need to navigate around private property and other obstacles.
Following old rail networks is usually the easiest way to lay out routes, but many landowners are also willing to donate or sell easements across their property, he said.
He hopes to present the findings from the meetings and discussions to the county executive, the state's Department of Natural Resources, and others this summer.
Meetings like the one on Monday can help develop ideas and see what can and cannot be done.
"That's the idea, to see what is really possible," Lillard said.
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