By Lance Knickerbocker

Yesterday people gathered to witness the official Phase Three opening of the Chester County portion of the Chester Valley Trail. A wet and chilly morning did little to dampen the excitement of community members huddled close together at the Exton Trailhead; waiting for the ribbon to be cut.

The idea for constructing a community trail in the county began in the 1990’s. According to Chester County: “The Chester Valley Trail project dates back to 1991, when representatives of Chester County, Montgomery County and PennDOT envisioned a soon-to-be-abandoned rail line as a major trail.”

When finished, the length of the Chester County portion of the Chester Valley Trail will total about 18.5 miles. Much of the funding for the trail has been provided by Federal appropriations, State grants, and support from The William Penn Foundation.

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Ellen Ferretti was on hand to speak about her department’s special relationship with Chester County:

[quote bgcolor=”#ddd1b5″]“[We are] proud to partner in projects such as this in Chester County as we know the commitment and the interest is here. Recent survey data shows trails ranked as the number one recreational interest among Pennsylvanians right now, and people want them close to home…Built through partnerships with local communities and stakeholders, they offer opportunities for fitness and stewardship, and connections to the great outdoors.”[/quote]

We couldn’t have said it any better. You can find a map of the Chester County Trail here.