Andy Close
WARREN, Pa. – The Trails at Jakes Rocks has become a popular attraction for mountain bikers in the region, and on Wednesday ground was broken on a new trail to add to the over 30 miles already in place.
The new trail, made possible by a $15,000 donation from the American Water Charitable Foundation, will start off of Long House Scenic Dr. and connect the Laurel and Grouse trails.
“Pennsylvania American Water does a lot for our community,” said WCCBI Director of Operations and Tourism John Papalia. “We’re very blessed with everyone who gets involved. This will add to the connectivity of our trail system. I want to thank the American Water Charitable Foundation. American Water certainly recognizes the need to boost our economy and boost our outdoor recreation. We really appreciate everything they have done for our community.”
Laurel is one of the longer trails at the Trails at Jakes Rocks, Covering 2.3 miles, while Grouse is the shortest at 0.3 miles.
But that will change now, with completion expected by the end of the fall.
“What a beautiful place,” said Sean Graves, Director of Pennsylvania American Water who hails from the suburban Pittsburgh area. “We are excited to be a part of this. We’ve been trying to make it happen and we’re pleased to be a part of it. This is a perfect fit for us. We look at the communities we serve and see what fits our customers and the citizens of the community.
The trail system extends from Route 59 over to Kinzua Point and up and around the area of Long House Scenic drive all the way to the Warren-McKean County border. The trails were developed in partnership with the world-renowned trail development company, Trail Solutions, the sister company of the International Mountain Biking Association.
From the time ground broke on the trails in October of 2016 until now, the trails have continued to grow in both length and popularity.
“This is one of the most beautiful places on the planet as far as I’m concerned,” said City of Warren Mayor Dave Wortman. “This is a huge win all the way around. There are so many organizations that have a huge impact on the viability of the trail system. There’s a lot of time, effort, and physical maintenance that goes into the construction and maintaining the trails. I want to thank the mountain biking community. Without them, there’s no reason for this to exist and I think this is just fantastic. This trail system is amazing and it continues to grow.”
