Local trail group hopes roundtable discussion yields compromise

By Denise Lana,

Decorah’s Van Peenen Park (Photo by Samantha Ludeking)

An ongoing conflict between horseback riders, mountain bikers and various trail users of Decorah’s Van Peenen Park has been festering for nearly two decades, with related issues periodically finding their way to city meetings. A debate regarding which particular trails in the park are suitable for horseback riding has led to friction between the Decorah Human Powered Trails group and the Winneshiek County Saddle Club. Attempts at a compromise between the two groups earlier this summer proved less than fruitful, and a special round table session will be held Wednesday, Oct. 30 at city hall, with the goal of moving toward a solution. Coverage of that meeting will be published in next week’s Decorah Leader.

In 1976, area residents Barbara Van Peenen and her husband Hubert J. Van Peenen gifted 120 acres of their land — located north of Ice Cave and Dunning Springs trails — to the city, with the intention it be turned into a park. According to a letter from Hubert Van Peenen to the then chairman of the Decorah Park Commission, the land gift was contingent upon the condition “that the land be left in a state of nature as a wildlife preserve with facilities only for walking, horseback riding, backpacking, including simple camping, not requiring a developed site.” Van Peenen’s intent was for the land to be added to the adjacent park areas to encourage nature study. 

The DHPT was formed in 2003, catering to all forms of human powered trail goers — such as hikers, bikers, walkers, runners, skiers and others. The group partnered with the Decorah Parks and Recreation Department and, according to DHPT Vice President Jesse Reyerson, who said the group began putting trails in Van Peenen in 2006, after receiving approval from the parks and rec board. 

“Rick Edwards was there when we originally started,” Reyerson said. “He kind of said — but it wasn’t in these words — you can do whatever you want but you have to maintain it — something like that. We had to present a five-year plan of the trails we were going to use up there and where we were going to build stuff.”

Reyerson says the group isn’t asking for horses and horseback riding to be entirely removed from the trails. The park has 8 miles of trails, five of which the group heads agree are horse-friendly. The remaining 3 miles of trails are off camber, and members of DHPT feel those segments should be off limits to horseback riders due to their narrow width, which they feel might be easily damaged or destroyed by horses.

“Those trails are built into the hillside and some shoring is required to keep them in place,” said Reyerson. “It’s not an issue of ‘these are our trails and the horse folks can’t have them.’ There are safety reasons — a horse will cause damage and wreck the trails for runners and hikers who use the trails, not just mountain bikers.” 

This year, DHPT dedicated 450 hours to building trails, according to DHPT President Nick Pearch. Volunteer groups from around the area, including the Rotary Club, Boy Scouts of America and cross-country groups from various schools, have also volunteered their help in maintaining the trails. Pearch said approximately 3 miles of trails in Van Peenen Park would not be accessible by foot or other human means were it not for the DHPT’s efforts.

“Just think of how many volunteer hours of work are up there,” Pearch said. “That’s why we want to protect the trails from horseback traffic — it’s not that we don’t like horseback groups. We just don’t want to see trails ruined and disrespect all the hard work of all these volunteers.”

The so-called pines in Van Peenen — a grove of pine trees on a flat section of land — is much more suited for horseback riding, according to Pearch, who said “the trails are really wide and safe enough for a horse to cross with a hiker or a biker.” Reyerson indicated the trails group previously cleaned up trails in the pines area and made an assigned trail route more clear. Pearch said designated trails can help preserve public land.

“A trail is a sacrificial corridor through the woods for people to experience nature safely and effectively,” Pearch said. “If we were to have zero trails in Van Peenen, and 20 people were to go out and explore the park, they would go wherever they wanted and there would be 20 paths through the park. Versus a well-built trail that is maintained, there would be less habitat and wildlife wrecked. A trail is sustainable, it gets people out and keeps them safe and on an efficient route and helps wildlife and nature at the same time.”

But DHPT doesn’t maintain trails suitable for use by all-terrain vehicles and horses, due to the need for more substantial support.

“We maintain human powered trails only,” Reyerson said. “There is a big difference between a 300-pound person on a bike versus a 1,200 horse with a rider.” 

Overall, Pearch hopes this week’s meeting will help all the groups put aside divisions and share the trails. 

“DHPT supports horses,” Pearch said. “We want the horse riders to use 5 of the 8 miles of Van Peenen – including the pines. We support horses being on the legacy trails the group says they built, as well as all the trails that are 5 feet or wider. We want to ask the park board they be allowed on those trails.”  

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