RATHDRUM, IDAHO – The City of Rathdrum Parks and Recreation Department recently opened bidding on its Rathdrum Mountain Trail Construction Project. The bidding is open through March 20, 2024, and the necessary requirements, procedures, and deadlines for the bidding process can be found on the city’s website.
The trail expansion has been funded by a recreational trails grant issued by the Idaho State Parks and Recreation Department. The city applied for the grant in late 2022, and received notice of the award in January 2024.
Rathdrum Parks and Recreation Director Eric Singer is excited to begin the expansion. “The grant pays for labor and materials of the trail construction, including bridges and trailhead signage,” stated Singer. “The ability to contract this project out by using grant funding alleviates stress on park and rec staff.” It will also allow for a quick completion. Singer, who is in his seventeenth year with the department, said there are currently seven full-time employees and keeping the trail construction in-house would have consumed much of the staff’s time and energy.
According to the city’s press release, “The grant will help pay for the costs to have three (3) new trails built in the spring/summer of 2024. The trails included in the grant are the Skyline Trail, Hi Frequency Trail, and the Monarch Trail. The three trails will add around 3.25 miles of new trail to the StormKing Trail system.”
Additionally, the three new trails will interconnect with the existing trails to create a loop system, giving hikers variety and eliminating the need to double-back on the trails. “We selected the three most technical trails to bid out,” Singer explained. “The completed system will contain 13 miles of trails.”
The city’s StormKing Trail system on Rathdrum Mountain is non-motorized, dog-friendly, and available for free to hikers and bikers. An incomplete, although useable, disc golf course is also located on Rathdrum Mountain. There is a site host during the peak summer season to assist those utilizing the trails and maintain the property. Approximately 10,000 visitors access the trails annually. The City of Rathdrum currently owns approximately 550 acres on the mountain.
Singer said his department is also immersed in planning the City Hall Campus off Lancaster on Radcliff Road. “We are applying for federal land and water grants,” stated Singer. “The city has no desire to raise taxes via a bond.” According to Singer, it is possible that some funding for the new city hall campus will come from selling property the city currently owns. The entire city hall operations, including the police department and parks and recreation department, will move to the new campus once completed. The city has already approved the new campus development plans, and it is expected to take anywhere from three to five years to complete.
Contact Eric Singer at 208-687-2399 or go to www.rathdrum.gov for more information about the StormKing Trail system or other park and rec related projects, events, and facilities.
