Ribbon Cutting Held for New Trails at Brushy Lake Park

The Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce sponsored a ribbon cutting on Friday for the new Brushy Lake Trails at Sallisaw's Brushy Lake Park. Austin Carrigan, Sallisaw Parks Department employee, headed up the building of the trails along with a group of volunteers, most of whom are local cycling enthusiasts. The first trail is a mile-long loop with plans to add an additional 3-4 miles of trails. The trail was designed for mountain biking as well as hiking. "A lot of planning and hard work went into the construction of the trails. City Manager Bill Baker and Parks Superintendent Lee Risley were very supportive of the project. It is a beautiful addition to the park," stated Debby Keith, City of Sallisaw Grants Administrator.

The City of Sallisaw assumed control of the former Brushy Lake State Park in August 2011 after the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department announced their plan to close the park along with six other state parks due to budget cuts. The 90-acre park was already owned by the city but the State of Oklahoma had been leasing it.

The trails add to an already popular vacation spot. According to the City of Sallisaw, the facilities at the park include eight day-use picnic areas with tables and grills, group shelters with electricity, 23 concrete camping sites including RV sites, playgrounds and a lighted boat ramp, as well as boat and fishing docks. Electric service, water service and comfort stations with showers are available.

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