Cody Yellowstone Encourages Residents to Sign Petition in Support of Powell Rail Trail
Outdoor recreation has been a fast-growing segment of the tourism industry in Wyoming.
CODY, Wyo., Jan. 18, 2024 – The Park County Travel Council – also known as Cody Yellowstone – is encouraging locals and visitors alike to sign a petition to create a multi-use pathway alongside the existing railway running between Powell and Garland.
The trail will be part of the Great American Rail-Trail Route promoted by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. It will feature a safety barrier and will be used by pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorized modes of transportation. Rail trails are often alongside active railways or to replace abandoned tracks. The gentle grades, engineered rights of way and structures like bridges and tunnels that minimize interruptions make such trails popular.
Rails-to-Trails seeks to connect Washington, D.C. to the state of Washington. The trail currently covers some 2,000 miles and is 50 percent complete. The Powell Rail Trail will fill one of the gaps and encourage other regions to participate.
“We support this initiative 100 percent and hope it is just part of a larger trail system throughout the Bighorn Basin,” said Ryan Hauck, executive director of Cody Yellowstone, the marketing arm for the region that includes the towns of Cody, Powell and Meeteetse, a large swath of the Shoshone National Forest and about half of Yellowstone National Park. “Outdoor recreation has grown significantly, and we don’t see it slowing down.”
Advocates for the trail cite improved safety, economic benefits, community connection and health and wellness benefits that accompany this type of trail.
The first step is to demonstrate support by signing a petition encouraging the City of Powell and Park County to invest in the project. Supporters can sign online.
###
Home of the Great American Adventure, Cody Yellowstone is comprised of the northwestern Wyoming towns of Cody, Powell and Meeteetse as well as areas inside of Yellowstone National Park and the valley east of the entrance. The region is known for rodeos, authentic guest and dude ranches, world-class museums and recreational adventures that reflect the adventurous spirit of the visionaries and explorers who brought the remote region to the world’s attention.
Related hashtags:
#CodyYellowstone
#WildWatch
#CodyWyoming
#CenteroftheWest
#BuffaloBill
#Yellowstone
#ThatsWY
#OutsideYellowstone
Media contact:
Mesereau Travel Public Relations
720-284-1512
