LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Even on a cool, gray day, Sloane Graff didn't stray from his afternoon routine. He wheeled his canoe down the wooden ramp at the Louisville Boathouse and launched it in the Ohio River. A pair of bald eagles chirped in the distance, as Graff cut through the calm water.
"Usually, I'll just row up to like the water tower and back," he said as he floated. "And sometimes, if the river's rough, I'll just stay in this slot."
He has paddled the Ohio River for years, and his love for the river oozes as he puts his feelings into words.
"I think it's essential," Graff said. "I mean, this river — I mean, it's the only reason Louisville's here."
Sloane Graff launches his canoe from the Louisville Boathouse. (WDRB Photo)
But, to Graff, it's a river with tourism and recreation value that's untapped and underutilized.
"Way underutilized," he said without hesitation. "There should be hundreds of people out here."
With that realization in mind, the National Park Service, David Wicks and others are trying to make the Ohio River more accessible and enjoyable to people. Wicks is the co-convenor of the Ohio River Recreation Trail, a group of local enthusiasts pushing for the trail.
On Monday, the park service announced it'll help Wicks and other stakeholders tap more of the Ohio River's potential by establishing a 274-mile water trail from Portsmouth, Ohio; through Cincinnati; to Madison, Indiana; through Louisville; and to West Point, Kentucky.
A map shows the trail's proposed route. (Source: Ohio River Recreation Trail)
NPS said in a news release, "Avid outdoor recreationalists and promoters of the river’s waterways want to increase recreation by marketing a trail experience that can further the knowledge and awareness of the outdoor recreation possibilities along the river."
The federal agency will serve as a consultant to governments in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.
David Wicks shows off his handmade kayak. (WDRB Photo)
Wicks said smaller infrastructure pieces pieces "that make it easier to enjoy the natural world around you" can be better investments than large projects.
"Not all economic development has to be a billion-dollar soccer stadium," he said.
Wicks envisions new campgrounds along the river, riverside bed and breakfasts that'll cater to paddlers, and a GPS-enabled digital guide that helps users experience the river and the towns, restaurants, and attractions along they way. He said some may choose to paddle the whole trail, but many others will explore just a portion.
Wicks said he envisions people being able to rent paddle or motor boats.
A view of the Ohio River from Louisville. (WDRB Photo)
Just like the river, the process to organize the trail infrastructure will be long and winding. Committees soon will be formed to develop a plan that Wicks hopes will be fulfilled by 2021.
"We all want to buy local food," he said. "Let's recreate local as well."
Wicks believes portions of the new trail also will be usable by hikers and cyclists. Additionally, the National Park Service announced it'll help build a trail from West Point to the Gulf of Mexico. That trail will follow the approximate route of famed naturalist John Muir, who took a "thousand-mile walk to the Gulf" in 1867.
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