Southern Boone YMCA Opens New Walking Trail in Ashland

Ashland now has a free public trail to walk or bike, after the Southern Boone YMCA finished a new outdoor loop this month on the west side of town. It’s the first finished piece of a six-year plan that also includes new soccer and football fields.

The asphalt loop runs 0.63 miles, eight feet wide, along the west side of the YMCA grounds in Southern Boone. It’s open to anyone, not just YMCA members, according to the Boone County Journal.

What’s actually out there?

Fifteen benches line the path, each one sponsored by a community member or family who helped pay for the project. “Those donors had a big part in helping raise money for this, and those benches will be here long after I’m gone,” Area YMCA Branch Director Kip Batye told the Journal.

The rules are straightforward: no alcohol, drugs or smoking, no motorized vehicles (e-bikes and scooters included), and leash your dog. Ashland’s own e-bike ordinance also restricts some electric bikes on city paths, so riders should check before bringing one out. Signage with the full rules is going up at the trailhead.

How did six years of planning get here?

The YMCA started planning the trail and an adjoining set of outdoor fields back in 2019. The whole project, trail and fields together, cost about $460,000, paid for through donations and member support rather than tax dollars. The soccer and football fields are already built; Batye said the Y hopes to start playing on them once the grass fills in next spring.

What’s next for the Ashland Y?

The YMCA is still taking donations to plant trees along the trail next spring, and Batye said bigger additions — indoor and outdoor pools, pickleball and basketball courts, updates to the locker rooms and playground — are on the wish list if funding and community interest line up. For now, Batye said the point is simpler than any of that. “There’s nothing better than looking out here and seeing mom and dad and brother walking on the trail,” he said.

Southern Boone voters weighed in on other local priorities on this fall’s Boone County ballot; the trail itself was funded entirely outside that process, through donations and YMCA member support. The Y is asking anyone with feedback, good or bad, to reach out directly. “We love positive feedback — but really, we love negative feedback,” Batye said.