Midland Trail Park start of quality of life transformation
It is with great joy that we announce the Grand Opening of the Midland Trail Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The first of its kind in Midland, the park will sport 8 miles of multi-use trail (2 more on the way), a skills area for advanced cyclists, an 18-hole disc golf course, a unique biosphere and the best water feature that you will find in all West Texas. Four legged friends are welcome. Come out and see some of the best bird watching in the area, while relaxing under some of Midland’s largest trees.
Harris Field and the Midland Trail Park is yet another example of how Midland shines through our public/private partnerships. The West Texas Trail Alliance, Permian Basin Bicycling Association and various local philanthropists and donors have worked together to make the park a reality. This new facility will cost the taxpayers no money and will be a great step to improving all our collective quality of life. We invite you all to head out and experience it for yourselves.
We also want to share with you that the Midland Trail Park is the beginning of a new vision for the health and quality of life for all Midlanders. As part of the vision of the current Midland City Council, the city is planning to add hike and bike paths along our draw system as we expand it for more drainage capacity. This will happen gradually, in small stages, as we repair, replace and expand the draws throughout Midland. You will see the first phase of this plan develop in southeast Midland, heading south along the Scharbauer Draw from Reyes-Mashburn-Nelms Park.
Ultimately, we envision that the Midland Trail Park will eventually connect to Scharbauer Draw, over time creating what could be a first-rate hike and bike trail. Such a trail could connect the new park with a newly improved Hogan Park, a downtown cultural and entertainment district, which are currently in the works, and eventually to the “Wildcatter Trail,” which will run from UTPB in Odessa to the Sports complex in Midland.
This initial development of the Midland Trail Park project would not have been possible without the leadership of Stephen Mitchell, who has worked countless hours through rain, wind and dust to make sure the trails are just perfect. Stephen and the Permian Basin Bicycle Association were responsible for raising more than $150,000 for construction of the facilities. Anyone interested in coming to the park will be expected to pay a $35 annual fee per family to the Permian Basin Bicycle Association and will go to toward the ongoing maintenance of the park. Payment can be made at Midland Trail Park or at their website, https://pbbatx.com/.
We would also like to thank our private and corporate sponsors for their help in making this dream a reality. A special thanks to Cary and Jill Brown, Bob and Elizabeth Davenport, Diamondback Energy, Jones Bros Dirt and Paving, SM Energy, VIM Racing, JD King Construction, Plains Pipeline and LOA Land Development.
Access to the park is located at 3215 Farm to Market 307 (Greenwood Highway) with the entrance located adjacent to the west of Harris Field Fire training center.
