Kamiak may get new trail

By Olivia Harnack

Gazette Reporter

Palouse – A proposal to build a new trail connecting to the existing Kamiak Park network is in the works at the Whitman County Parks and Recreation Department.

Several trails already stretch across Kamiak Park and interconnect. All these trails can be found on the north side and ridge of the butte.

"The county has a fair amount of land on the south side, where there is not a trail currently," Parks Superintendent Dave Mahan said. "We would like to be cautious of sensitive areas where there are sensitive plants. We hiked it and did some exploring up there.

"We also did the hike with Park Board members to get their input."

Parks officials are working with a family owned business, Twin Oaks, which builds hiking trails.

"We were able to work out a deal to get them to come out and have them look at what our proposal, plans and goals were for the new trail," Mahan said. "We all felt that it would be smart to get an outside opinion on what we were trying to accomplish."

Staff is currently working on route options and designs.

"No real decisions have been made, yet," Mahan said. "I am thinking we will probably hire Twin Oaks to build the more technical portions of it [the trail]."

Plans to build an addition started March 2021, when Mahan, Laura Bloomfield and a few others hiked the south side of Kamiak.

"Laura brought the maps with us and as we were walking along, we had come to realize that the county has a lot more land on that side of the butte than what we could ever imagine it to have," he said.

The department received a $20,000 private donation in 2021 to improve recreation here, but the donor did not have a specific project in mind.

"They basically told us to do whatever we'd like. We put the money into the designated donation fund," Mahan said. "It is reserved for only county park projects. There was an increasing need for trails, parks, paths and places to go in the county."

Parks officials predict the new trail to bring new experiences to the casual hiker.

"It's a different view and I think it would add a nice opportunity for a person to choose what sights they want to see," Mahan said. "We want to give the trail users the best experience."

A budget for the project has not been set; however, funding would come from the donation fund.

"We will be utilizing the donation to pay for everything up to this point," he said. "We will all be paid for by donated funds."

The department is awaiting a preliminary plan from Twin Oaks with a review and potential expense report.

"We are hoping to form some sort of a timeline for construction soon and we are hoping to stay under $20,000," he said.

Kamiak trail reportedly had another trail built 10 years ago. Construction on that addition took a few years.

"I can envision something like this taking a couple years. It is more important that we get this right and that we are doing the right thing," he said. "We want to make sure it is well built so the least amount of maintenance is required."

Conditions on the butte are expected to prolong the process of construction on any new trail.

"There are only a couple months of the year that are really good to build a trail, which are spring and fall," Mahan said. "So, there is a narrow window where we would be able to go out and do this work."

Author Bio

Olivia Harnack, Editorial Reporter

Olivia Harnack is a Journalist at the Whitman County Gazette. Olivia is enrolled at University of Idaho and is majoring in digital film studies. She serves in the United States Army National Guard and is proud to serve Whitman County.

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