COVINGTON, Ky. — Devou Park is adding three more miles to its already extensive trail system in Northern Kentucky, according to a press release from the city of Covington.
Covington commissioners voted to approve a contract with Dirt Artisans Trail Building company to construct the trails, which the city says will be used by runners, hikers and mountain bikers.
Devou Park, which contains over 700 acres in Covington, will have 15 full miles of trails when the 3-mile expansion is completed, according to the press release.
The trail expansion will be funded by outside funds, including $52,000 from the Devou Park Advisory Committee and $98,000 from NKY-based R.C. Durr Foundation.
This expansion was part of the 2008 Devou Park Master Plan, according to the city of Covington. The three new miles will include "an array of new trails or extensions," reads the press release.
The expansion will include an eastern entrance connector from Western Avenue, providing hikers and residents alike with safer access to the park. It will also expand the John Volz trails near the Drees Pavilion, tying the trail into the paved path through the park.
It will also improve access to Battery Bates, a Civil War-era military earthworks fortification; a collaboration with the Behringer-Crawford Museum seeks to add new signage and benches to the trail nearby.
A new, more than 1-mile-long trail on Devou Park's west side will parallel Sleepy Hollow Road and connect the existing Back Bowl Mountain Bike Trail to the Incinerator trailhead.
The expansion work will also include "light improvements and modifications" to existing trails, the press release says.
But don't expect to take to those trails right away — the city said it's important park visitors say off trails while they're still under construction.
"It will be a long build because it's a long trail system that they're building for us," said Ben Oldiges, Covington Parks and Recreations manager. "There's a lot that goes into trail-building — more than some might anticipate — and, when done correctly, it's non-intrusive. With that in mind, it will be important to be respectful of the construction of the trails for everyone's safety."
Work is expected to begin this year and be completed by the end of 2024, according to the press release.
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