The Fort Ward to Blakely Harbor trail got an official grand opening this week.

Everyone agreed: it was a fine day for a hike.

About 45 islanders laced up their hiking boots to attend the official opening of the new Fort Ward to Blakely Harbor trail on Thursday.

“Everyone talks about public and private partnerships, and there were so many people involved in this project,” Mayor Darlene Kordonowy said. “The Fort Ward to Blakely Harbor Trail is a testament to the cooperation within our community.”

The trail was first mulled in 1999 when the Park District acquired Blakely Harbor. The vision was to link that land with the other major south-end park, Fort Ward State Park.

That vision is now complete with a path that begins at the north end of the state park’s upper entrance, and winds 1.25 miles to a dirt parking area off of Country Club Road. From there, hikers can cross the street and head into Blakely Harbor Park. The wooded trail includes damp mosses, tangled trees and even a pond near the Blakely end of the trail.

Help came from island developer Kelly Samson, who independently constructed a trail on his south-end properties before the land was parceled and sold.

“If you build a trail on the raw land, then if becomes a feature for future residents,” Samson said. “It’s really difficult if there are already developments to try and build after the fact. That’s why it’s so tough for our Park District. It’s a tough thing to ask a homeowner to build a trail through their property.”

Samson’s efforts gave the trail system more validity when the Park District applied for grants, said Perry Barrett, the district’s senior planner.

“We can’t say enough how instrumental Kelly was in this connection,” Barrett said. “Now there are 4.5 miles of trails that have been created in this area since this was started in 1999.”

Once Samson laid the first trails, permission to complete the network had to come from Kitsap County Sewer District 7 – across whose land the trail also runs – and Washington State Parks.

“Working with the state parks was probably the hardest part of the project,” said trails committee member Ken DeWitt. “We had to work with people in Olympia. They have a huge bureaucratic system, so that’s what took the longest to coordinate.”

Rex Derr, director of Washington State Parks, attended the ceremony Thursday and hiked the trail with his dog.

“I’m absolutely tickled by this trail,” Derr said. “It is a prime example of what we are trying to do all over the state with our centennial preparations.”

State Parks will commemorate 100 years in 2013 and has set three objectives: higher quality in parks, greater capacity and stronger connections with communities.

“This is a prime example of all three and I am absolutely delighted that it’s done,” Derr said. “There was a lot of good will to make this park and it will generate more connectivity with the community.”

The trail was cut by a group of dedicated state and local park volunteers. Technical support was also provided by the international mount biking association.

“There was a lot of technical work, lots of wet areas and hills to go across,” DeWitt said. “The lion’s share of the credit goes to the trails committee. They’ve been working on this every month, to cut the trail through all the way to Fort Ward State Park.”

Now the Park District will work on ways to connect the trail network to Pritchard Park at Bill Point.

M’Lee Barlow, the long-time onsite ranger at Fort Ward State Park, was pleased at the progress made with trails and parks on Bainbridge.

“Well I told myself I was going to leave when I didn’t appreciate the view any longer,” she said. “It’s been 17 years, and I still haven’t got to that point.”

“I arrived here with the vision of participating in the community. And year by year the community has continued to give back to parks and trails. It’s so great to see people out here getting involved.”

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Take a hike

To find the new Fort Ward to Blakely Harbor trail, start at Fort Ward State Park’s upper parking lot and take the north trail head. The trail branches off to the left after 50 yards, and winds down through the woods 1.25 miles. Along the way, the trail crosses one gravel road but picks up again a few yards away; look for the sign ahead and to your right. The trail ends at the pullout off Country Club Road, across the road from the Blakely Harbor Park meadow.