Trail Board Taking Hikes To Explore Options

A number of planned hikes will ultimately help the Tennessee Central Trail board determine which way to expand the trail.

Vice Chairman Brad Sells said board members will hike from the Cookeville trail head to Cane Creek next week to explore the possibility of expanding West.

“Connectivity is a big part of what we are trying to do,” Sells said. “If you could start in Algood and ride your bike to Cane Creek that would be a great excursion.”

Sells said that portion of the trail would be similar to the existing four mile trail from Cookeville to Algood.

Board members considered an eastern expansion earlier this week when they hiked about four miles from the top of Brotherton Mountain to Algood.

“We are hoping that we could expand the trail, making a single track mountain bike trail up the hill,” Sells said. “This would be not as refined as the other four miles of trail, mostly because we don’t have a lot of funding available.”

Sells said there’s about 400 feet of elevation from Algood to the top of the hill.

Sells said the board will face many challenges regardless of what project they decide to take on.

“Our biggest obstacle with the western expansion is getting across Willow Avenue,” Sells said. “Expanding East will require getting the landowners excited and willing to grant easements for the trail.”

Sells said the board will figure out how much it will cost to go in each direction and eventually make a proposal to the cities.