Updates and Travel Information about the Prairie Spirit Trail

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Iola Extension to Open Early Summer 2012

Posted on 2011-11-18 06:54:18.

The 1 mile extension to the Prairie Spirit Trail within the Iola city limits is projected to be completed and opened by early summer 2012 according to the city administrators. The extension will take the trail from its current end point in Cofachique...

PST gets name check in Bicycling Magazine

Posted on 2011-09-23 05:43:01.

Spotted by Bill R.

It's small, but it's a nice positive mention. Check the current issue on page 92. The horned owl is a tip off. Public relations-wise, it's been a good year for the PST....

Allen County Arsonist Caught

Posted on 2011-09-20 06:56:18.

The Iola Register reports that a 19 year-old volunteer firefighter from Carlyle has been arrested and charged with 21 counts of arson including the fire which damaged a bridge on the Prairie Spirit Trail. Included in the article is the information th...

Pictures from the Bridge fire and Detour map

Posted on 2011-09-01 15:39:45.

Trent has sent us a picture of the bridge fire and map of the recommended detour. Link for the detour is below....

Small Trail Closure in Iola

Posted on 2011-09-01 10:48:38.

From Trail Manager Trent McCown

There was a bridge fire in Iola on 08-31-11 that damaged the bridge just south of Oregon Rd within the city limits of Iola. A short section of trail is closed and we are routing visitors around the close...

Website calls Prairie Spirit Trail a "Top Car-Free Place to Bicycle"

Posted on 2011-08-30 06:41:55.

The website Metaefficient listed the Prairie Spirit Trail as on of the top car-free places to bicycle in the Midwest. Prominently mentioned along with Missouri's Katy Trail and Nebraska's Cowboy Trail, the PST is praised for its variety of ...

PST is the Trail of the Month.

Posted on 2011-08-10 06:55:07.

The Rails-To-Trails Conservancy has declared the Prairie Spirit Trail it's August 2011 Trail of the Month. The article is linked to below. The link back to this site has given us a nice boost in traffic....

Bike Rentals available in Garnett.

Posted on 2011-07-07 12:25:01.

From Susan Wettstein at Prairiespirittrail.org

GREAT NEWS! Garnett has a new bike repair and rental shop opening! KDS Auto Detailing is located right along the trail at 506 South Main and beginning July 15 they will be adding bike repa...

More News on PST Extension to Humbolt

Posted on 2011-06-07 13:14:42.

Allen County Thrive and the Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy, jointly announced this week that the 51-mile Prairie Spirit Trail will be extended south 6.5 miles from Iola. This addition will follow the regulations of the National Trails Act and will...

FISH TROT FOR KIDS in Garnett. Saturday, May 21 – 5 pm

Posted on 2011-05-04 10:02:08.

From Friends of the Prairie Spirit Trail:

GARNETT: See you on Saturday, May 21st as the Friends of the Prairie Spirit Trail once again host Fish Trot for Kids. Partners in the event are the Garnett Recreation Department and the Kansa...

Trail to be extended to Humboldt?

Posted on 2011-05-04 07:14:14.

From Kansas Cyclist

Efforts are underway to extend the 51-mile Prairie Spirit Trail from Iola to Humboldt. Sunflower Rail-Trails Conservancy assumed railbanking custodianship of the 6.5-mile out-of-service rail corridor in January. A s...

Prairie Spirit Trail extension progressing in Iola

Posted on 2011-04-08 10:50:39.

From Iola Radio Newsroom, dated March 24, 2011

At yesterday's county commissioner meeting, an agreement was approved that will extend Prairie Spirit Trail through Iola. The state has agreed to reimburse the city for 80 percent of ...

Time for some Spring Cleaning on the Trail

Posted on 2011-04-08 06:11:00.

Thrive Allen County is hosting a Prairie Spirit Trail Clean-Up on April 30th starting at 9am and continuing until 1pm. Those that wish to participate should meet at Union Tire on West Street in Iola. They recommend that you bring "gloves, hand tools...

Restrooms to open, cyclists relieved.

Posted on 2011-03-30 15:54:09.

According to the Prairie Spirit Trail Manager, Trent McCown, all of the restrroms should be open on the trail by the 16th of April this year. Opening seems to be high on the list that includes mowing and patching many parts of the trail. Help them ou...

Trail Talk with Trent

Posted on 2011-03-28 16:57:45.

The days are getting longer! Well, that could be taken several ways so I will rephrase and say we are getting more hours of daylight every day. Although snow is not out of the picture, we are starting to see some warm days and it will not be long unt...

Bike49 to hit the Prairie Spirit Trail

Posted on 2011-03-22 08:57:14.

According to Kansas Cyclist:

Bike49, an organization that is on a bike tour that hits the 49 continental states of the United States, will be hitting the Prairie Spirit Trail soon. After a trip through a recent snowstorm on the Katy Tr...

Join the 15th Anniversary Party!

Posted on 2011-03-20 08:16:07.

From KOFO Local News

GARNETT — The 15th annual trail celebration dinner hosted by the Friends of the Prairie Spirit Trail will be 6 p.m. March 30 at the Community Building in Garnett’s North Lake Park. Tickets are $7 and are available ...

Friends of the Prairie Spirit needs donations for silent auction

Posted on 2011-02-13 20:37:49.

From PrairieSpiritTrail.Org

"There is a lot to celebrate this year and the Friends of the Prairie Spirit Trail are gearing up for it.

Opened March 30, 1996, the Prairie Spirit Trail turns 15 years old in 2011. With the s...

Welda Tunnel to be open Friday, October 8th!

Posted on 2010-10-07 12:45:42.

Kansas Department of Transportation has announced that the Prairie Spirit Trail tunnel under Highway 169 at Welda will re-open on Friday, October 8th. This opening eliminated the need for either the 3 miles detour or the short ride on the heavily tra...

Friends of the Prairie Spirit looking for support services for bikers.

Posted on 2010-08-31 13:10:49.

Susan Wettstein has posted on the Friends of the Prairie Spirit website that they are looking for a variety of services for riders of the Prairie Spirit Trail. They have had numerous contacts from people looking for Bike Rental, Bicycle Repair and Sh...

Bikers' Notice.

Posted on 2010-08-16 13:11:40.

Randy at Kansas Cyclist has made me aware that the city of Iola has some city statutes that will be of interest to those of us who are pedaling through town. The relevant sections of the municipal code are:

ARTICLE V. BICYCLES*
...

Prairie Spirit Trail destined to grow!

Posted on 2010-08-10 13:16:18.

The city of Iola has announced that it has received $413,000 grant from the federal Department of Transportation to extend the Prairie Spirit Trail. This grant will pay for over 80% of the construction costs and will be available in 2011-12.
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KC Bicycle Meetup Group Announces Group Ride.

Posted on 2010-07-27 13:17:19.

From their announcement at Meetup.com.

"Check out the longest rails-to-trails project in Kansas! The trail is 51 miles long, so we can bike 51 miles from Ottawa to Iola, camp overnight in a tent at the RV Park in Iola, then bike back! ...

Detour between Welda and Colony.

Posted on 2010-07-26 13:19:01.

From the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks website: "Work has started on a bridge replacement project south of Welda in Anderson County on Highway 169, just north of 900 Road. The Kansas Department of Transportation is removing a highway bridge...

See you on the trail.