Local Volunteer Groups Team Up to Improve Dunning's Spring Park

The fire, the vote, the triumph — when it happens, Decorah News shows up. Support us being there. DECORAH — On any given weekend in Decorah, the parking lot across from Dunning's Spring features an array of vehicles with license plates from across Iowa and beyond. The main attraction at the park is the 200-foot waterfall that Tripadvisor ranks No. 1 on its list of "The 15 Best Things to Do in Decorah." The park also offers hiking trails, picnic space and scenic views. "Dunning's has become increasingly popular, but the main trail on the right side is problematic," said Nick Pearch, president of Decorah Human Powered Trails (DHPT), at the group's Feb. 10 meeting. He said he has helped parkgoers who got lost at the top of the park after realizing the trail they had taken up was too treacherous to descend. Several other members of the group, which builds, maintains, promotes and enhances area trails, shared similar stories of lost hikers or hikers who were physically unable to return the way they came. Members of Decorah's Rotary Club also attended the discussion and believed it would be a strong candidate for a Rotary District Grant, which matches funds provided by a club for a project that members also volunteer time and energy to complete. Rotary board members agreed the project could have a big impact on the community, and some recounted their own mishaps on the existing trail. In early spring, DHPT members identified a route for a new trail and presented it to Decorah Parks and Recreation for approval. At the end of the summer and into fall, members of the Luther College cross country team, DHPT and Rotary Club volunteers worked to clear the corridor of vegetation such as dead limbs, buckthorn and honeysuckle. Pine Creek Trail Builders then bench cut the trail into the side slope with a mini excavator to create a walking surface. This Saturday, DHPT and Rotary members will work on the final phase of the trail: clipping roots, raking and other tasks to make the trail smooth for walkers. Once complete, the gentler trail will be safer for users of all ages and offer more ways to access the park's views. Feed your curiosity! Subscribe to the free newsletter and indulge in all that's local. Your friends will be impressed.