The upgrades add sustainability and safer access to the Overland Trail in Harris Hill State Forest.

The trail previously had numerous “fall line” sections that were unsafe for bikers and cross country skiers. The trail also had bridges that had fallen into disrepair, which forced the state DEC to close stretches of the trail.

The recent upgrades to the Overland Trail add switchbacks to eliminate the “fall line” sections and bench-cuts for sustainability and efficient drainage. The trail is far easier to navigate and provides trail users with stunning views of ravines and streams in Harris Hill State Forest.

Jacob Bodway, the trail coordinator for the Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Development, said the upgrades are further proof that the Chautauqua County Overland Trails are vital to the health and well-being of county residents and visitors.

Segments of the Earl Cardot Eastside Overland Trail are pictured.

“The Overland Trails are such an amazing asset to our county, and the upgrades to the Earl Cardot Eastside Overland Trail add sustainability to a trail that was in rough shape. The county is on board with promoting our incredible greenways and waterways, but it is equally important that our trails are inviting and are worth visiting. These upgrades accomplish that and more,” Bodway said.

The improvements to the Earl Cardot Eastside Overland Trail in Harris Hill State Forest are part of the larger Chautauqua County Overland Trails Revitalization Project, which aims to add sustainability and modern trail design to the overland trails. According to Thom Wright, co-owner of Trail Construction Associates, the trail-building firm in charge of trail construction, the upgrades to the Overland Trail fulfill a decades-old vision.

“The Eastside Overland Trail in Harris Hill State Forest was my ‘go-to’ trail to mountain bike way back in 2005,” Wright said. “Getting the chance to play a part in renovating the trail has been incredibly rewarding.”

Bodway said sustainability is at the core of his efforts on the overland trails, with work on out-slopes, grade-reversals, culverts and more efficient drainage adding another 30 years of life to the trails.

“I am so thankful for Chautauqua County’s and the local foundation’s trust in my vision to completely upgrade the Chautauqua County Overland Trails,” he said. “I believe that the economic and social growth of our county is tied to recreation, and the Overland Trails are a big part of how this growth can happen.

Segments of the Earl Cardot Eastside Overland Trail are pictured.

To fund this phase of the Overland Project, Bodway secured nearly $40,000 of funding from local foundations and another $50,000 of ARPA funds through the Parks Commission and the Chautauqua County Legislature. Pending future funding, phase IV of the project will focus on the Fred J. Cusimano Westside Overland Trail in Panama and Brokenstraw state forests.