A new boardwalk and Story Trail at Little Susitna Rotary Park in Houston have turned a muddy, under-used stretch of trail into a year-round and inclusive place to walk, read, and explore. The project was built by the Rotary Club of Susitna with grant support from the Mat-Su Trails & Parks Foundation (MSTPF) and the City of Houston, which owns and maintains the park.
The Problem
A low section of the park’s trail loop floods during spring, summer, and fall rain events, cutting the route in half for much of the year and making it impassable without waterproof boots or other gear.
What Was Built
The project added an 80-foot, 6-foot-wide boardwalk through the wettest part of the trail. It lets visitors walk through the woods on a stable, dry surface while protecting the wetland ground underneath and opens the trail to people with limited mobility who couldn’t use it before.
The park’s Story Trail, featuring the “Josh the Otter” children’s water safety book, lets families read the story one page at a time as they walk the loop. The trail pairs outdoor exercise and time in nature with reading and water-safety education.
The boardwalk was built using Grizzly Wood, a construction-grade lumber made by Alaska Plastic Recovery from recycled plastics. The recycled plastic lumber is designed for wet conditions without rotting, warping, or splintering. Grizzly Wood was also recently used for a trail-connecting bridge at Meadow Lakes Community Park.
The boardwalk has already passed its first test. When the Little Susitna River rose earlier this summer, water covered the boardwalk for two days. When the water receded, the structure showed no damage and the geoweb-reinforced trail beneath it did not lose any gravel.
Built By The Community
The Little Susitna Rotary Park has grown in phases, including a pavilion and non-motorized boat launch, a “Kids Don’t Float” life jacket loaner board, trail clearing and mapping, accessibility improvements, and the Story Trail. Volunteers from Houston, local service groups, and partner organizations have helped build the boardwalk, install signage, and prepare the trail.
Impact
Based on park visitation and the site’s location directly along the Parks Highway, the boardwalk and Story Trail are projected to see roughly 1,500 to 2,500 users per year, including locals from Houston and neighboring communities like Big Lake, Willow, and Wasilla, as well as travelers passing through.
Access to free, low-barrier outdoor recreation is especially valuable for local families. What was once a muddy obstacle is now a path that opens the park to more of the community than ever before.
Read more about this project here!
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