Ketchikan Assembly to Consider Trails Master Plan

Proposed plan aims to expand and improve trail facilities across the borough.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 11:21pm

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An impressionistic, blurred photograph of a forested trail scene, with soft, warm colors and a dreamlike, atmospheric quality.The proposed trails master plan aims to enhance access to Ketchikan's natural areas and outdoor recreation opportunities.Ketchikan Today

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly will consider adopting a new trails master plan at their meeting tonight. If approved, the plan would guide efforts to expand and improve trail facilities throughout the borough, including connecting the popular Coast Guard Beach Trail, reestablishing the Rainbird Trail, and developing a 15-mile trail system on Gravina Island.

Why it matters

The trails master plan is an important step in enhancing outdoor recreation and access to natural areas in the Ketchikan region after the community's main trails coalition dissolved in 2024. Improving and expanding the trail network can promote tourism, support local quality of life, and provide greater opportunities for residents to experience the area's natural beauty.

The details

The draft trails plan was developed over the past two years with input from community surveys and open houses. It identifies key priorities like connecting the Coast Guard Beach Trail, reestablishing the Rainbird Trail after a 2024 landslide, and creating a new 15-mile trail system on Gravina Island that can be accessed by road. Borough public works director Morgan Barry noted that collaboration with state agencies like the Department of Natural Resources will be critical to executing many of the proposed trail projects, since some are located on land not owned by the borough.

  • The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly will consider adopting the trails master plan at their meeting tonight (April 6, 2026).
  • The draft plan has been in development since 2024, after the community's main trails coalition dissolved.
  • If adopted, some of the proposed trail projects could be completed within the next five years.

The players

Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly

The local governing body that will vote on whether to adopt the new trails master plan.

Morgan Barry

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough's public works director, who has overseen the development of the trails master plan.

Department of Natural Resources

A state agency that owns some of the land where proposed trail projects would be located, requiring collaboration with the borough.

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What they’re saying

“Something like Carlanna Lake, where the borough maintains the parking lot, we can't do much in the way of improvements because we don't have the agreements with DNR, and the parking lot is located on their land.”

— Morgan Barry, Public Works Director, Ketchikan Gateway Borough

“It's really important to be able to experience the different areas, both here on Revillagigedo Island and over on Gravina Island, and start considering how we can actually promote access to those areas and try and get the public to try and buy in or promote access to those areas.”

— Morgan Barry, Public Works Director, Ketchikan Gateway Borough

What’s next

If the trails master plan is adopted tonight, the borough plans to begin work on some of the proposed trail projects within the next five years, using a combination of borough funding and state/federal grants.

The takeaway

The Ketchikan trails master plan represents an important community effort to enhance outdoor recreation access and opportunities after the dissolution of the previous trails coalition. By collaborating with state agencies and pursuing grant funding, the borough aims to expand and improve its trail network to better serve both residents and visitors.