ERLANGER, Ky. — A 1,000-acre park project is underway in Erlanger that aims to connect communities, as well as bring in and retain new northern Kentuckians.
Eons Adventure Park will feature a dog park, walking and biking trails and more.
Jessica Fette, Erlanger mayor, said the idea of a new adventure-themed park has been in the works for years. Thanks to enough private and public funding, including from the National Park Service and several community partners coming on board, phase one of Eons Adventure Park will become reality.
Peter Glenn, city administrator; Chris Manning, co-founder of Human Nature Inc. and Brian Bozeman, board president at Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance, all played significant roles in the process.
“This is a game-changer for our region," Fette said. "We truly view Eons as a catalyst for economic development, workforce development, improving health standards in northern Kentucky, so we see this as far more than just a park."
"This is for so much more than just an amenity. It’s to anchor future generations to this area.”
Fette got into mountain biking after a visit to Bentonville, Arkansas, which she said has had a transformative effect from investing in its own mountain bike trails.
Similar trails will be a prominent feature of the new park in Erlanger. Fette said parties involved in creating the park took an important lesson away from Bentonville.
“Mountain bike trails are the key to workforce development,” she said. “There’s a tremendous amount of economic development happening already, and what we need to work on is increasing our population. We need to make sure that we’re keeping people in this area.”
Work on a new dog park is already underway. The project will also transform a portion of Old Erlanger Road, which has been abandoned for more than a decade.
“The road has slipped pretty good off into the creek," Fette said.
That portion of the park will be called “the Spine.” Other planned features include a canopy trail and valley overlook, leading up to what will be the crown pavilion.
“This has a huge potential of interconnectivity between Kentucky and Ohio,” Fette said.
Fette said public feedback has been strong, and she’s hopeful the parties involved can help the park live up to its name.
“This land has been there for eons, and it’s our responsibility to preserve and protect this land for eons to come,” she said.
The goal is to have the dog park up and running, and the “Spine” of the walking trail, complete by June 30, 2025. The city of Erlanger is continuing to work to secure grants to fund the project.