Carroll County Conservation has set their sights on paving the entirety of the Sauk Rail Trail following last months award of a $900,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT). The grant combined with an additional $200,000 from the Carroll County Board of Supervisors and City of Carroll will be enough to pave the approximately four miles of trail between U.S. Highway 30 and Swan Lake State Park. That just leaves the stretch between there and Maple River that is still original asphalt. Conservation Director, Jason Christensen, says they are hoping to include this section when construction crews are on-site and available.
It costs approximately $250,000 to pave one mile of trail, so the Carroll County Conservation Foundation has set a goal of raising $500,000 for this effort. The Sauk Rail Trail is a valuable asset to the people who live and work in the area, and Christensen says it also draws thousands of people from throughout Iowa and beyond every year.
Work on the portion funded by the DOT grant is scheduled to finish no later than September 2023, which leaves a very limited fundraising window to get the extra two miles included in their plans. Christensen explains how to make a donation.
The 33-mile Sauk Rail Trail runs from Black Hawk Lake in Lake View to Swan Lake State Park in Carroll, passing through Maple River, Breda, and Carnarvon along the way.
