New Initiative to Enhance Northern Kentucky’s Bike Trails

The NKY Trail Fund has been established at Horizon Community Funds in partnership with Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance (CORA) and Tri-State Trails to support trail development in Northern Kentucky.

“This fund will have a remarkable impact on our community’s vibrancy,” said Nancy Grayson, President and CEO of Horizon Community Funds. “The connectivity it will enable will help Northern Kentucky thrive on many different levels.”

CORA was founded in 1996 by a group of dedicated riders with the purpose of building and advocating for more miles of off-road trails and has successfully built or leveraged over 115 miles of multi-use natural surface trails. CORA has worked to change the discussion about trails in the community by building sustainable and connected trail systems. CORA’s has become highly respected not just for the work done in the woods, but for the countless hours spent enabling land managers in developing trail access for all in our region.

“The NKY Trail Fund represents a pivotal step in our mission to enhance Northern Kentucky through sustainable trail development,” stated Jason Reser, Trail Development Director of CORA. “With this fund, we can significantly improve recreational access and connectivity, fostering greater community engagement, wellness, and environmental stewardship. We’re excited to partner with Horizon and leverage resources to enrich our trails and green spaces, ultimately creating a healthier, more vibrant place to live, work, and play.”

The mission of Tri-State Trails is to connect people and places with a regional trail and bikeway network that enhances vibrancy and equity in our community. The nonprofit was organized in 2012 to craft a connected vision for the fragmented regional trail network. Since inception, their partners have built more than 138 miles of multi-use trails and 55 miles of on-road bikeways. Tri-State Trails has grown to become the leading advocacy organization for active transportation issues in Greater Cincinnati.

“Regional multi-use trails present a unique opportunity to connect communities in Northern Kentucky with safe paths for walking and bicycling,” said Wade Johnston, Executive Director of Tri-State Trails.  “Oftentimes, one of the most challenging aspects of building trails is raising the required local match funds needed to access federal and state grants for construction. Establishing the Trail Fund at Horizon Community Funds will create a new tool in the toolbox for local governments to leverage the generosity of donors in Northern Kentucky to overcome that barrier and build more trails.”“Across the country, communities are reinventing themselves with a new narrative around outdoor recreation and trails,” commented Brian Bozeman, CORA Board President. “Now, more than ever, our workforce is choosing lifestyle and community vibrancy over career location when deciding where to live. It is no longer a question of ‘will trails attract tourism and talent?’, as cities across the country are proving out this concept day after day. Our NKY community is poised to grab the talent that is looking for that vibrant outdoor community and focusing on outdoor recreation and trails is one sure fire way to do that.”

Donors can contribute to this fund at horizonfunds.org/fund/nky-trails-fund.

Fund partnerships with Horizon Community Funds provide a flexible way for donors to support their preferred nonprofit organization or charitable effort. Donors can make an endowed gift to support the mission of the nonprofit organization for generations to come or they can opt to make a non-endowed gift which provides funding for needs as they arise in Northern Kentucky. Horizon Community Funds offers donors and fund holders a deep connection to Northern Kentucky, including its nonprofits and needs.