STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Construction of a non-motorized trail between the Redfish Lake area and the town of Stanley will soon become a reality.

The Forest Service and Federal Highway Administration-Western Federal Lands Highway Program have signed an Interagency Agreement that commits funding for the design and construction of the trail.

“We have been working with the FHWA on the reconstruction of the Redfish Lake road, and we could not be more pleased to build on that success by executing the agreement for the Redfish-to-Stanley trail,” said Sawtooth National Forest Supervisor Kit Mullen.

A trail easement was acquired through private land for a third of the trail at its northern end near Stanley. The rest is on National Forest System lands.

The trail will be 4.4 miles with a compacted natural surface and a gentle grade that meets the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. It will be open to pedestrians, bicyclists and equestrians, offering people a way to get between Stanley and the lake without getting out on Highway 21.

Officials hope to begin construction in summer 2018.