CTHA has long had a goal of establishing a developed trail from Elko to the California Trail Center, along I-80. A 2018 Elko Daily Free Press article aaaashows the significant progress made at that time. Since then, progress has stalled and in the Spring of 2023, CTHA joined efforts with the Elko Trail System Initiative (ETSI) to direct Nevada Division of Transportation (NDOT) attention to path development. Approval for and construction of the trail is lengthy and costly due to its location on NDOT right-of-way.
An April 8, 2023 Elko Daily Free Press article summarizes near-town Elko County trail projects being advanced by ETSI, one of which is the Humboldt-Rubies Trail (HR Trail). The HR Trail connects Carlin to Lamoille Canyon. It creates continuity between bicycle-friendly trail segments already in existence and provides a framework for designing infill trail segments, one of which is the 3.3 miles from the Elko West Exit to the California Trail Interpretive Center. To facilitate this concept development, Elko County (an ETSI constituent) submitted a grant application to NDOT’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) for a detailed HR Trail feasibility study. If funded, this document will elevate the trail’s funding eligibility.
Helen Hankins has a vision for the trail, “The proposed trail follows the historic California Trail and would allow for an enhanced visitor experience. The alliance foresees an accessible trail with interpretive signage to highlight the unfamiliar encounters of the early western pioneers.”
