On May 31, 2025, a significant milestone was celebrated in Belle as nearly 75 community members, local leaders, and longtime trail advocates gathered for the official groundbreaking of the Missouri Rock Island Trail State Park.
Held behind Zumwalt’s Feed Mill and followed by a reception in the former MFA Building, the event marked Belle’s entry into a growing network of communities transforming former rail lines into thriving public trails. State Rep. Bruce Sassmann called it “a historic day” and spoke of the trail’s future as part of a 450-mile loop connecting with the Katy Trail.
The ceremony honored local leaders and early supporters, including current and former aldermen and members of the Friends of the Rock Island Trail (FoRIT). Emotions ran high as longtime advocates reflected on the years of persistence it took to make the trail a reality. Former MoRIT Director Greg Harris celebrated the project as “the fourth longest rail-trail in the U.S., connected to the longest rail-trail.”
Trail supporters envision Belle becoming a central destination for cyclists and tourists, bringing economic and community revitalization in the same spirit as other trail towns across the country.
Read the full article from the Maries County Advocate here…
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