Tech Valley News
Two Area Trails Earn National Designation
The Orange Heritage Trail and the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail are among 40 trails nationwide to be designated National Recreation Trails by Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne. The announcement coincides with the annual celebration of National Trails Day on June 2.
“The National Recreation Trail System connects Americans with the beauty of the great outdoors,” said Kempthorne.
The Orange Heritage Trail – at a distance of 11.5 miles – is popular with residents and visitors alike, offering biking and bird watching opportunities amidst historic landmarks, local farms and a wildlife sanctuary.
The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail passes through three municipalities in southern Tech Valley. The 12.2-mile trail and greenway offers year-round non-motorized recreation through active farms and orchards, woodlands, wetlands and the Huguenot Street National Historic Landmark District in New Paltz.
National Recreation Trails are components of the National Trails System and recognize already existing trails that connect people to resources and improve their quality of life. The program is jointly administered by the National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program and the U.S. Forest Service in conjunction with other federal and nonprofit partners, notably American Trails. Each of the trails inducted into the system will receive a certificate of designation and trail markers. They join a network that contains more than 11,000 miles of trails. More information is available at www.nps.gov/rtca. 
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