On Sept. 19, Lancaster Conservancy celebrated the opening of the Lloyd Clark Trail at Clark Nature Preserve, 400 House Rock Road, Pequea, with a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony. The opening was attended by representatives of organizations that Lancaster Conservancy partnered with to complete the project, and a guided hike of the new trail followed the ceremony.

As a universal access trail, the Lloyd Clark Trail is designed to accommodate community members who have limited mobility and use wheelchairs, walkers or similar devices. The 1-mile trail also offers an accessible way for families with young children and strollers to access the natural beauty of the area, taking hikers through the wooded meadow to a scenic view of the Susquehanna River.

"We feel like access to nature for everyone is a really important component of (the Conservancy)," said Lancaster Conservancy president Fritz Schroeder. "We realize that to truly achieve our long-term goals of acquiring land for education and preservation, we need to break down all barriers of access."

The Lloyd Clark Trail project began more than three years ago after Fred Clark of Clark Associates approached the Conservancy with a desire to honor his father and the founder of the company, Lloyd Clark. Lloyd was passionate about giving veterans and individuals who have limited mobility access to nature, and the Clark Associates Charitable Foundation has supported local land preservation through Lancaster Conservancy's Protect & Restore Campaign. "The catalyst of the project goes back to the Clark family and their vision," said Schroeder. "They were all-in on making it a reality, and they would like to see us continue that vision." Schroeder added that the Lloyd Clark Trail has seen immediate use by community members.

Universal access trails offer a more accommodating alternative to typical hiking routes by incorporating a wide, flat path made with compacted stone. The stone path has little incline, making it easily navigable for hikers of all mobilities. The Lloyd Clark Trail is the third of six universal access trails Lancaster Conservancy plans to install throughout York and Lancaster counties. The organization placed the first two trails in Mill Creek Falls Nature Preserve in Airville and Welsh Mountain Nature Preserve in East Earl, and it plans to establish universal access trails at Climbers Run Nature Center and Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve.

In addition to the Clark Associates Charitable Foundation, the project received funding assistance from the Pennsylvania Recreational Trails Program, the Federal Highway Administration, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' (DCNR) Bureau of Recreation and Conservation and the National Park Service.

For more information, visit http://www.lancasterconservancy.org.