Post Falls decommissioning 'social' trails at Kiwanis Park

POST FALLS — City staff are working to decommission "social" trails and redirect traffic to established paths in Kiwanis Park in Post Falls.

"Over the last several years, we've noticed a number of social trails and how well-established those are in the park," Post Falls Parks and Recreation parks manager Bryan Myers said Wednesday. "They are not part of the official trail network."

Social trails are shortcuts and detour trails that park users create as they veer from mapped pathways. Myers said the work at Kiwanis Park involves a Trail Life USA member who has focused on establishing the trail network as part of a Freedom Award project. A trail kiosk and map has been erected since the work has been completed.

Logs are now being used as barricades on the unofficial trails, and a mix of grass and wildflower seed has been put down so vegetation can return.

No trees have been cut down at Kiwanis Park, Myers said. Dead trees and logs have been collected from throughout the Post Falls parks system specifically for the Kiwanis Park trail project, he said.

"We have received a number of calls and staff while working on site have interacted with a number of people," Myers said. "We posted information to Facebook. It's been mixed reviews there as well."

Another reason not to use social trails is that sometimes conflict can occur at the intersections of the official and unofficial paths, especially as the park sees an increase in foot, bicycle and e-bike traffic.

"That's when you increase the chances of having a negative interaction with a different user type," Myers said. "One, we just want to be sure we’re providing an environment that’s sustainable, and two, the users that are here can expect a reliable, safe network where they’re not going to interact with somebody moving rapidly at a 90-degree angle."

Kiwanis Park is at 4176 E. Weatherby Ave., Post Falls.

    A signboard is posted to let people know Trail revision is underway at Kiwanis Park.