WHITEFISH — Many people and pets gathered on Sunday afternoon for the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the newest section of the Whitefish Trail, the Rainbow Connection.
"It's about a mile and a half of new trail, and this is the last part of new trail to be built in the Beaver Lakes area," said Whitefish Legacy Partners Program Director Jedd Sankar-Gorton.
The Rainbow Connection links Murray Lake to Rainbow Lake, which has been a goal for Whitefish Legacy Partners.
Watch to learn more about the new Rainbow Connection:
"We are excited to bring Murray Lake more into the Whitefish trail system. Previously, though it is a part of the conservation easement area, we did not have a trail to Murray Lake," Sankar-Gorton said.
Built on state trust lands, the Whitefish Legacy Partners manages the trail, leading to an important partnership.
"On this section, there was forestry over the last 15 years that actually, in this case, gives us some pretty amazing views because the trees left there, the logs that are left, there's some pretty cool openings between them. I think it's a good example of the DNRC and Whitefish Trail Partnership," Sankar-Gorton said.
Whitefish Legacy Partners is also looking for help to fund the new section of the trail through several donation options: for $25,000, a bench at the high point of the trail overlooking the valley below can be named after its sponsor. In-ground survey markers and custom t-shirts also raise funds directly for the project.
"Funding is getting a little tougher, whether it's grants or private foundations. With this project, we are doing more work with our private donors where there are more donor recognition opportunities," Sankar-Gorton said.
Now that the project has been completed, everyone can enjoy the beautiful views on the trail.
"It's good that I think that we can all kind of use the forest the way we want to and still generate revenue and enjoy it for what it is," said DNRC Stillwater Unit manager Dave Ring.
