The Trails at Jakes Rocks keep growing.

An additional $100,000 has been allocated for the project from the Allegheny Regional Commission.

This funding is intended to connect the current trail system with a parking area near the Kinzua Dam.

Jim Decker, President and CEO of the Warren County Development Association, said the goal is to “construct a 2.25-mile trail segment which connects the trailhead parking lot at Jakes Rocks to the parking area adjacent to Bent Run on Route 59” across from the Dam.

Decker said conversations with the trail builder, Dirt Artisans, are underway “to determine the timing for this construction.”

According to Decker, this is the third grant awarded for the Trails at Jakes Rocks from the ARC and he explained that these funds will be “matched with funding from the Commonwealth’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Keystone program via a grant award made to Warren County.”

“The continued support provided by the Appalachian Regional Commission, Warren County, and the US Forest Service, Allegheny National Forest for the completion of the Trails at Jakes Rocks is greatly appreciated,” Decker said.

“The trail system continues to grow in reputation to an ever-increasing population of mountain bikers and hikers alike,” he continued. “As we projected during the development of this project by PKP (Pennsylvania Kinzua Pathways) members, as trail mileage grows so does the mileage users are willing to travel across the system and their length of stay locally grows as well.

“Outdoor recreation is a proven economic catalyst for communities across the nation and Warren is just beginning to truly recognize and embrace this sector and the possibilities assets such as the ANF and Trails at Jakes Rocks bring to the community.”