Improving the Red Rock Trails is a layup for the county
Many years ago, the Campbell County Commissioners purchased a 640-acre piece of land on the north end of town. And for a long time, it just sat there.
In 2019, David Bauer and the Energy Addicts took some initiative and built a trails system on the property. They called it the Red Rock Trails. The commissioners at the time felt like he was moving too quickly, and so they slowed things down to the speed of government. Eventually, the movement lost its momentum, but the trails remained.
Today, it’s become a decent trails system, despite having relatively little maintenance compared to other trails in the region. I’ve been out there several times.
Hikers, cyclists, runners, cows, they can all coexist on this land. The closest I’ve gotten to an animal on these trails is a Boston Terrier with no collar that wanted to race me (he beat me in a 5-yard sprint, but he ran out of energy after that).
The Campbell County Recreation Foundation wants to ensure that this land remains wild and free and create more trails on the property. They came to the commissioners last weekend asked for a written agreement and a long-term lease for the land. They want to be the stewards of this property, they want to raise money to improve the trails out there.
And unlike past meetings regarding this land, the commissioners seemed open to the idea.
This is a layup for the county, in my opinion. Campbell County has been lacking when it comes to trails.
I follow a handful of runners from the Black Hills area on the fitness app Strava, and I’m always jealous when I see them post about their weekly trail runs in Rapid City. They have the Hanson-Larsen Memorial Park right in the middle of town, and they’re a short drive away from miles and miles of other trails.
Newcastle has a couple of nice trails systems nearby. Spearfish, Sundance, Sturgis, these are all towns that have a fraction of Gillette’s population, yet they all have very nice trails.
I understand the commissioners are worried about what happens 10 to 20 years down the road, but that’s why you get attorneys involved. Gillette has the resources and the dedicated community to make the Red Rock Trails a great place.
The board of the foundation is made up of people appointed by the parks and recreation board, whose members are appointed by the commissioners. So if future commissions are worried about the direction of the trails, they have this course of action.
Most trails systems aren’t big economic drivers, but they help improve the quality of life.
If we want to “Make America Healthy Again,” it’s not going to take raw milk and essential oils. We need to go outside. If you want to stay inside and doomscroll and watch AI videos posted by your favorite politicians, you’re free to do so, I guess. But if you have the time, check out the Red Rock Trails.
It’s peaceful. You’re right on the edge of town, yet you’re away from all of the noise and the chaos.
I hope it stays that way. And if the commissioners do the right thing, it will stay that way.