Holmes County Trail secures endowment fund

The Holmes County Rails to Trails Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was established in 1996 to acquire, develop and maintain a scenic, paved, multi-use trail along a former railroad corridor.

Thirty years later the Holmes County Trail is an important part of the community — offering opportunities for recreation, connection and transportation from Fredericksburg to Brinkhaven. It is heavily used not only by pedestrians and cyclists, but also by horse-drawn buggies. In an effort to ensure the trail’s future for generations to come, an endowed fund has been established at the Holmes County Education & Community Foundation called the Holmes County Rails to Trails Coalition Fund.

This new endowment will provide lasting support for the trail’s year-round maintenance and continued development. The top funding priorities for the trail in 2026 are for the construction of the final stretch of the Holmes County Trail (approximately 4 miles from Killbuck to the state Route 520 intersection), day-to-day maintenance of the now 26-mile trail and upcoming repair projects (just north of Millersburg to Killbuck and Fredericksburg to Holmesville).

“Holmes County is a wonderful place to live, work and visit," said Holley Johnson, executive director of the Holmes County Education & Community Foundation. "The Holmes County Trail is such an important asset to our community in bringing tourists to the area to enjoy outdoor recreation and by providing a safe and essential mode of transportation for our community. We’re excited to welcome the Holmes County Rails to Trails Coalition as a partner agency with our foundation — joining six other local organizations who understand the importance of building endowed funds to sustain their work for years to come.”

Jen Halverson, director of the Holmes County Rails to Trails Coalition, is excited to partner with the foundation, understanding it will continue to support the mission of completing and maintaining the Holmes County Trail. This partnership will provide an additional avenue for the community to support the trail.

"As this fund continues to grow, we hope it will create continued long-term support for the Holmes County Trail,” Halverson said.

If interested in giving to the Holmes County Rails to Trails Coalition Fund, visit the Holmes County Education & Community Foundation website at www.hcef.net/giving or send a check to Holmes County Education & Community Foundation, Attn: Holmes County Rails to Trails Coalition Fund, 114 N. Clay St., Millersburg, OH 44654.