CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, N.Y. (WKBW) — The NYSDEC is moving ahead with the second phase of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar effort to make Zoar Valley safer and more accessible.
The work includes significant upgrades to Valentine Flats Trail, the main access point for emergency crews trying to reach the valley floor and Cattaraugus Creek.
Plans call for widening and hardening the trail to make it easier for first responders to get down to the water and back out. The improvements are also expected to accommodate utility terrain vehicles, helping emergency crews respond more efficiently.
For Marla Walker, the work has special meaning. Her 16-year-old daughter, Brooke, died in 2020 after slipping and falling while hiking at Zoar Valley.
Walker said she initially thought she might never return to the place, but quickly felt called to make safety improvements a mission.
She said the changes made over the past six years have made Zoar Valley safer, and she believes the next phase will make a significant difference.
"They couldn't get to Brooke," Walker said, referring to the challenges first responders faced during the rescue.
The trail is used by thousands of visitors each year, and the upgrades will also make the route safer for hikers as the terrain continues to change.
"There are many, many people that come here and they get down there and it's a little gnarly and it continues to change," Walker said. "The terrain continues to change and that's going to keep going so that they're going to make it safer for everybody."
WATCH: Zoar Valley begins next phase of safety upgrades, with major trail work planned
Work is also continuing on the Memorial Trail near the Valentine Flats parking area. The trail is being designed to meet federal accessibility standards, with improvements planned to slopes and water drainage, along with benches and resting areas.
The goal is to make the trail accessible to more visitors, including families with strollers and older people who may otherwise have difficulty navigating the area.
The benches will include the names of people who have lost their lives at Zoar Valley, including Brooke's. They will give families a place to remember loved ones while allowing visitors to stop and enjoy the scenery.
"It's a place to remember them, for the families to come," said DEC Region 9 Forester Patrick Marren.
Walker is also giving back as a volunteer steward through the BRW Project, named in Brooke's memory. Volunteers help pick up trash, clear trails and report problems while helping preserve the area's natural beauty.
The timing of the construction is also important because of potential northern long-eared bat habitat in the area. DEC officials say tree cutting will be limited to the winter months, when the bats are not expected to be occupying potential habitat, in order to comply with protections for the species.
This coming spring, the Valentine Flats Trail construction will go to bid. It's likely to take a couple of construction seasons, with completion expected in the summer of 2028.
