Blue River Rail Trail

Specific Need

Last year we reported the completion of our riverbank stabilization project near the covered bridge.  In the year since it’s completion, it seems to be holding up extremely well.  There is no further riverbank erosion.  The site of the project remains one of the most beautiful spots on the trail where one can enjoy the sounds and views of the rapids in the shade of the bridge.

Our major improvement to the trail in the last year was the installation of a precast concrete restroom at the Hull trailhead.  This trailhead is located at about the halfway point of the Blue River Rail Trail, about 6 miles north of town.  This is an extremely durable, high quality product and will be expected to last many years.

As always, maintenance of the trail is an ongoing project.  New surface rock was added to several areas and the portion of trail between Harvest Road and Frontier Road (Hull) was widened.  The tornado in June resulted in dozens of downed trees that had to be moved and damage to the chain link fence adjacent to the Union Pacific yards that was repaired.  Also, a new sign was placed on the west side of the Backroads Bicycle building.

We are continuously striving to not only maintain, but also improve the trail.  Our plans for this year include construction of a picnic shelter at the Hull trailhead.  We also plan to install a water line to the restroom/picnic shelter site with a water fountain/bottle filler.

One of our longer term goals is the construction of a pump track at the Jayhawk trailhead.  This is a circular loop of rollers and berms that we think children would really enjoy!

The Board of Directors of the Blue River Rail Trail would love to see the completion of the trail through the 7th Street corridor from Highway 36 north to Calhoun Street.  Not only would this enhance the beauty of our city, but we feel it would significantly increase both utilization of the trail and traffic to the downtown area with its associated benefits to those businesses and other attractions.  We stand in support of the City of Marysville in its efforts to obtain grant funding for this project while respecting the needs of the businesses effected along the corridor.

Our trail continues to be visited and enjoyed by many, both from Marshall County and elsewhere.  Many of these travel from out of county, and even out of state just to ride the trail!  In 2022 we had 15,990 users counted on the trail!  

Please consider supporting this tremendous community asset at the Marysville Community Foundation Match Day.

Profile

Come and enjoy a quiet run, a leisurely walk with a friend or family time as you ride down the trail on your bikes and search for wildlife in this natural playground. The crushed limestone on the trail provides a smooth surface for walking, jogging, biking and cross-country skiing. An abundance of wildlife, plant life, and bird species live along the trail promise to make your visit a truly memorable experience.

 The Blue River Rail Trail stretches 13.5 miles from downtown Marysville, Kansas to the Nebraska border. At the state line it connects to the Chief Standing Bear Trail and the extensive Great Plains Trails Network.