The Portneuf Greenway continues to grow and while their future plans call for expanding on the east bench of Pocatello, a new hub is forming along the Portneuf River.
Undeveloped riverfront with easy access thanks to paved trail, this once hidden scenic oasis is now becoming a popular destination along the Portneuf Greenway but the parking lot is in need of an upgrade.
“We want to pave it so that it will maintain and keep that parking area nice,” said Tamara Code, Executive Director of the Portneuf Greenway Foundation. “Because everyone that uses the Abraszewski Trail has to park there because it’s not connected to the rest of the greenway and so it is used on a daily basis.”
All that stands in the way of this section of trail being connected to the larger section that runs all the way down to Sacajawea Park is a narrow strip of land. The greenway is currently working to secure the right of way but in the meantime the parking lot will continue to serve as a critical entry point for the trails along the Simplot/Swanson reach.
The new parking lot not only will be an enhancement for cars but it could also serve as a staging area for races.
“It would be a really great place to run because it is very scenic there,” said Code. “There are shade trees so that if you are doing it in the hot summer it will keep cool. And going down to the river on the Simplot Trail and then back up, yeah that would be a really nice area for a 5K.
As for the funding of the new parking lot, Tamara says it will come from a combination of a grant, greenway memberships, and corporate donations. It’s the formula they’ve used to pave every inch of their trail system.
