Sep 25, 2021
The Port Bay Improvement Association (PBIA) has talked with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) on the possibility of creating a Whistlewood Trail Extension off of West Port Bay Road. The existing Whistlewood Trail is part of Trail Works, Inc., trail advocates for Wayne County, a not-for-profit organization. The current Whistlewood trail is on the west side of Beaver Creek and is accessible from Dutch Street near Lake Ontario. The possible trail extension would be on State property between West Port Bay Road and the east side of Beaver Creek and would be accessed from West Port Bay Road. The new proposed trail follows a casual path that some area residents have used for many years.
The DEC has suggested a multi year process for marking and clearing the trail. Recently, with the approval from the DEC, Port Bay volunteers marked the trail with bright orange ribbon. The purpose of marking the trail is to ensure the safety of trail users and so that participants do not enter onto private property. The DEC has given the PBIA permission to replace these orange ribbons with bright orange or pink paint. This will again ensure the safety of all participants.
If the project were to move forward, the DEC would clear and help mark the new Whistlewood Trail Extension. Once the trail has been completely marked and cleared, the PBIA has committed to helping the DEC maintain the trail by organizing an annual work/cleanup day. A family hike day, and/or other events related to the trail are possible as well.
