WEB EXTRA Trail debuts in big Arm

BIG ARM — Two months after the completion of the Big Arm trail, residents of Big Arm and visitors to the state park are enjoying the paved walk way.

“I’ve seen many people biking, walking their pets and enjoying the trail,” Alison Meslin, of the Big Arm Association, said.

It’s much nicer and safer than what was there before, she said.

The 8/10 of a mile long trail from Big Arm to Big Arm State Park is just the first part of the plan, Lake County Commissioner Paddy Trusler said.

Ultimately, Trusler said the goal is to connect Big Arm to Elmo with a 3.5 mile long walking trail.

“There’s one spot where it’s tough to have the trail because the road is so close to the lake,” Trusler said.

Projects are also dictated by money, he said. The county is hoping the money to fund the rest of the trail would come from CTEP money. The Community Transportation Enhancement Program is a state program that funds transportation related projects.

“We’re hoping the Tribe will want to donate some of their CTEP money for the project,” Trusler said. “We could make a really good trail system.”

Now, the county is still in the planning stages of the next part of the trail.

“We’re looking at preliminary designs,” Trusler said. “We would hope to begin construction in the spring, but that is really optimistic.”

The winter months will give the commissioners an opportunity for design and planning for this and other projects, Trusler said.

After Elmo, old Highway 93 runs to Dayton, so essentially walking trails would connect Big Arm and Dayton, Trusler said.

“It will be wonderful for serious walkers and bikers, but it will also connect the communities and that’s the best thing,” Meslin said.