Albion Achieves Trail Town Status

ALBION, Mich. – February 15, 2019 - The City of Albion has been designated a Trail Town by the North Country Trail Association (NCTA) in recognition of local efforts to promote trails and serve users of the North Country National Scenic Trail.

The North Country National Scenic Trail is supervised by the National Park Service. Stretching for 4,600 miles across seven states from New York to North Dakota, it is the longest National Scenic Trail in the nation. According to the NCTA, a Trail Town is a community along the North Country National Scenic Trail that "supports hikers with services, promotes the Trail to its citizens, and embraces the Trail as a resource to be protected and celebrated."

Albion's own celebration of its new Trail Town status will be held on Monday, September 2nd with the annual Labor Day community hike and “crossing of the bridge” over the Kalamazoo River. And on Sunday, September 15th, approximately 150 bike riders will pass through Albion as part of the inaugural ride of the 350-mile Great Lake to Lake Trail that stretches from South Haven to Port Huron, over 70% of which is now completed. The Albion River Trail is also part of the Calhoun County Trailway and Michigan’s Iron Belle Trail from Detroit to Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula.

According to Eric Worley, CEO of the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce and board member of the Calhoun County Trailway Alliance, “the Trail Town designation is part of an ongoing community effort to collaborate on trail-related opportunities, including services for trail users and ways to promote and market Albion's relationship with the trail.”

"The Trail Town designation will help draw attention to all the great things we're doing here in Albion, including the revitalization of our downtown" says Mayor Dave Atchison. "People love the trail and see it playing a role in our resurgence."

For more information on Albion's Trail Town activities, visit their NCTA Trail Town website atwww.northcountrytrail.org/trail/michigan-lower/albion-trail-town.

About the North Country Trail Association

The North Country Trail Association (NCTA) unites individuals, affiliated trail groups, local chapters, corporate sponsors and others linked in support of building and maintaining the North Country National Scenic Trail, and telling its story. A not-for-profit membership organization of volunteers along the seven-state trail and elsewhere, the NCTA partners with the National Park Service in bringing the North Country Trail to local communities. NCTA chapters support members as they "adopt" and maintain a section of trail, sponsor hikes and other social events in local trail communities, and plan and conduct major trail-building projects. For more information, visit www.northcountrytrail.org.