White Water Country Loop Trails - Home   Day on the Hill - 2009 Joanne Manahan, Roberta Kurth, Terri Preston, Rep. Andy Welti, Donna Bussell, Gary Meyer, Laurie Meyer, and Jeff St. Mane                     Brief Trail History In 2004 three existing trail advocacy groups working independently decided to work collaboratively on a trail system that will connect all three trails creating a 50 mile State Trail loop. This loop connects the cities of Rochester, Eyota, Dover , St.Charles, Elba, Plainview , Elgin and Viola with the Whitewater and Carley State Parks and Olmsted County’s Chester Woods Park . The original three groups are: Great River Ridge, Chester Woods and Whitewater/St.Charles Trail Committees. Each had made some progress but with the larger plan we were able to promote it to a larger audience and we have been able to gain from the experience and knowledge of each other. Since we began working together an additional 8 miles of trail on the Great River Ridge has been paved and 5 miles of trail will be built between Rochester and Olmsted's Chester Woods County Park in 2010. We anticipate having another 11 miles of trail purchased in 2010 on the Chester Woods Trail and the St.Charles/Whitewater Trail. We are also working on funding for a bridge that would cross State Hwy 14 connecting the Great River Ridge Trail and the Chester Woods Trail.   Hightlights   Whitewater Country Loop Trail Construction in 2009 & 2010 – Most of the Great River Ridge Trail from Elgin to Olmsted County Road 9 was paved in 2009. There is a 2 mile stretch that was too wet to finish up last fall but it will be paved in the spring of 2010. There is now 13 miles of trail built (Read More)     Dual path that will include horses added – In 2006 a group of horse enthusiasts approached the Whitewater Country Loop Committee about adding horse trails adjacent to the non-motorized trails being planned. The Great River Ridge segment already (Read More)     Whitewater Country Loop 2009 State Trail Highlights – Nine Whitewater Country Loop Trail members attended the annual Parks & Trails Day on the Hill on March 3rd. We met Beth Coleman the new Parks and Trails Director and updated her on our 50 (Read More)       Whitewater Country Loop Trail Construction in 2009 – The Great River Ridge Trail segment is on tract to be paved from Elgin to Olmsted County Road 9 this year with trail work conducted from Cty Rd 9 south to State highway 14. The Chester (Read More)