Donor-backed project expands city recreation trail

The Sioux Falls recreation trail is 1 mile longer thanks in part to private donations.

The Big Sioux River Trail Corridor project expanded the recreation trail from Lien Park on North Cliff Avenue east to Bahnson Avenue.

The 1-mile expansion officially opened today and adds a multiuse trail along the north side of the Big Sioux River.

It includes winding concrete and asphalt pavement, plus an elevated boardwalk, the first of its kind in the city’s recreation trail system.

“What a majestic piece of trail,” said Brett Kollars, assistant director of the Parks & Recreation Department.

“It’s unbelievable when you first see them,” he said of images of the trail. “You almost think they’re artificially generated. They are not. This is true.”

The unique experience connects riders from downtown to Great Bear Ski Valley along the trail and then a “sharrow” on Rice Street.

“You feel like you’re teleported,” Kollars said. “It’s an amazing section of trail … additions like this aren’t possible without the philanthropic support.”

The distance of the Big Sioux River Trail Corridor is roughly 2.25 miles long, including the new addition.

Of the $2.7 million project, $1.3 million was given through private donations from the Jeff and Tammie Broin family and the Gene Ashby family.

The Ashby family gift honors their loved ones and a deep connection to cycling. Gene Ashby initiated the project in the memory of his wife and son.

“Our family has been cycling for more than 50 years, for pleasure and health reasons,” Ashby said. “After Chris died, we did a memorial ride from Luverne (in Minnesota) to Sioux Falls and added to the Luverne trail in his honor. Now, we have added to the Sioux Falls trail in honor of my late wife, Barb. We hope this section will be enjoyed by many Sioux Falls residents.”

The Broins have invested in many quality-of-life projects across Sioux Falls.

“We were excited to help extend the recreation trail, opening up more beautiful places for people to enjoy and experience all that Sioux Falls has to offer for generations to come,” Jeff Broin said. “The Ashby family and the (Sioux Falls Area) Community Foundation also helped bring this vision to life.”

The connection supports the city’s master plan to extend the recreation trail to Veterans Parkway.

“This place is majestic, and this would not be possible without our donors,” said Jennifer Kirby, who leads the Sioux Falls Parks & Recreation Foundation.

“This would not be here without them.”

Donations from the Broin and Ashby families were gifted through the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation, a local nonprofit that, in partnership with donors, seeks to enrich the quality of life in the area through philanthropy.

“The new section of the recreation trail is truly amazing,” said Mary Kolsrud, chief philanthropy officer with the Community Foundation. “This is a beautiful example of how philanthropy can help improve our community and offer more opportunities for all of us.”

The Big Sioux River Trail Corridor is accessible from Bahnson Avenue from the east and Lien Park from the west.

The best way to access the trail is to start at Falls Park by the farmers market shelter, head north and then take the lower crossing at the fork before the spillway.

While the connection via sharrow to Great Bear is available only to bicyclists, the long-term vision is to add a pedestrian connection to the ski valley and park.

The project expands the city’s recreation trail system to more than 45 miles. The recreation trail is open year-round and daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., except for Falls Park and the Downtown River Greenway, which close at midnight. The recreation trail is accessible from 11 main park access points. To learn more about safety rules and tips while using the recreation trail, visit siouxfalls.gov/trailsafety.