Cambridge Celebrates New Great Guernsey Trailhead with Ribbon Cutting

CAMBRIDGE, OH – Every great journey begins with a single step, and Cambridge is taking its next one with the opening of the new Turner Avenue trailhead.

Community leaders gathered Monday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the latest milestone for the Great Guernsey Trail.

The new trailhead is part of a larger project aimed at extending the 10-mile walking trail into downtown Cambridge, creating more opportunities for recreation, tourism and economic growth.

Ron Gombeda, executive director of the Guernsey County Community Development Corporation, said the trail offers visitors a unique experience as it connects rural landscapes with the downtown area.

“You’ll see a lot of different types of habitat. You’re going to see wetlands, forests, all types of different animals. So, you go from the rural experience right into the urban experience of downtown Cambridge,” Gombeda said.

The expansion is expected to benefit more than just outdoor enthusiasts. Local leaders hope the connection to downtown will encourage visitors to explore nearby shops, restaurants and other businesses.

Jennifer Vincent, president of the Cambridge Area Chamber of Commerce, said the trail has already become a popular destination for visitors.

“The trail has already been a spot in our community that people come to visit. But by extending it downtown, this opens up so many more opportunities,” Vincent said. “With the extension of the trail, they’re going to pass businesses, restaurants, and it’s just more opportunity for our businesses to have new visitors come into our town.”

Plans for the area also include additional gathering spaces that could create new opportunities for community events.

Cambridge Mayor Tom Orr said the project has brought new energy to the community, with plans for a sizable gazebo and space to accommodate special events, food trailers and road races.

“We’ll be able to have special events here with electricity and food trailers and different things like that. We don’t have to block our streets quite as much. It’s going to give us a lot of options,” Orr said.

While Monday’s ribbon cutting marked another milestone, community leaders say the vision for the Great Guernsey Trail continues to grow.

And for Cambridge, there’s still plenty of ground to cover.