Hiking, biking trail valuable community asset

One concrete approach on East H Street and another on East Fifth are about all McCook has to show for its walking trail project, but they will be connected as soon as property easement details are worked out.

That 3,302 feet along Kelley Creek is only the first installment of many.

The project is ambitious, some $3.8 million, but it will be spread out over 13 miles and 15 or 20 years and a number of grants and governmental entities.

When it is completed, the trail will loop in, around and outside McCook for a dozen miles, six inches of concrete eight feet wide, with a 20-foot right-of-way and ambulance and handicap accessible.

A new sidewalk to Wal-Mart will complement the project, giving residents a convenient way to combine exercise with errands.

The walking trail project has had its critics, but we feel the long-term benefits can far outweigh the costs.

One only has visit Kearney or Lincoln to see the potential for hike-bike trails.

In Kearney, for example, one can start in Cottonmill Park, with its boat rentals, disc-golf course and swimming, hike or bike eastward along a canal through the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus. From there, it's south to Yanney Park with its observation tower and kids water park. Continuing east, it's flat pedaling or walking until one reaches the Archway Monument.

Eventually, one will be able to hike, bike or jog all the way to Fort Kearny.

A number of area towns already understand the benefits of walking trails, Cambridge and Culbertson among them -- Culbertson currently raising funds to rebuilt a bridge washed out this spring.

McCook, of course, doesn't have the population Kearney does, nor the interstate highway or archway, but we have plenty to recommend us. Kelley Park has its swimming pool, playground and disc golf course and shelters, and Barnett Park has shelters, playground and hiking trail along the river.

A walking trail making more of our recreational opportunities easily accessible is a natural.