Welcome To The Joplin Trails Coalition

The Joplin Trails Coalition is a group dedicated to creating and maintaining walking and biking trails in and around the Joplin / Carthage Missouri area. We currently have two trail projects: the Frisco Greenway Trail that runs through Joplin and Webb City, and the Ruby Jack Trail that goes from Carthage, MO to the Kansas State Line. Both of these trails are "Rails To Trails" projects, meaning they are former railroads that have been converted to multi-use trails. The trails are created and maintained via the hard work of several volunteers and generous donations from individuals and businesses throughout the community. We invite you to come and explore the trails in person and to get involved with the trails by joining the Joplin Trails Coalition, volunteering on trail work days, and by supporting our annual fund raiser - the Maple Leaf Bike Ride.

Joplin Trails Coalition Meeting - August 28, 2008

The next JTC meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm, Thursday, August 28 at Pizza By Stout in Joplin.


Frisco Greenway Trail Workday - July 26, 2008

The next frisco Greenway Trail volunteer workday is scheduled for 8:00am, Saturday, July 26. Plan to meet at the Webb City Trail Head. We will be doing cleanup and brush removal.


Ruby Jack Trail Workday - August 19, 2008

The next Ruby Jack Trail volunteer workday is scheduled for 8:00am, Saturday, August 19. Plan to meet at the Carthage Trail Head. We will be doing cleanup and brush removal.


JTC On MySpace

The Joplin Trails Coalition now has a presence on MySpace. Check out our MySpace page here.


Ruby Jack Trail Update

Thanks to the efforts of the many who have volunteered, a lot of progress has been made on the Ruby Jack Trail. The trail has been completely graded from the Carthage Trail Head to County Road 200. A cleanup effort has been started to get the trail ready to be graded from County Road 200 to Highway 43.

The good news: There are people using the trail on a regular basis now for walking and hiking. The bad news: The trail has been vandalized. Some very inconsiderate vandals caused some major and costly damage to the trail by running ATVs and dirt bikes over the freshly graded surface. Other vandalism has included dumping brush and blocking the Carthage trail head entrance. Not only are these incidents costly to repair, but they also pose a potential hazard / liability for pedestrians and bicyclists who wish to use the trail. If you witness any vandalism on the trail PLEASE contact the Jasper County Sheriff's office, the Carthage Police, and the Joplin Trails Coalition (contact@joplintrailscoalition.org) with any details you can provide that would help identify those responsible.




Oronogo Street Car Depot Restoration

The Oronogo Street Car Depot is an important part of history. While it is fallen into serious disrepair, it may be the only street car depot left standing today. There are ongoing efforts to transform the depot from a forgotten building to a trolley museum, community center and a meeting point for those hiking the new Ruby Jack Trail. Want to find out more about this historic site and how you can help restore it? Download Oronogo_Depot.doc, a Microsoft Word format document that contains all the details!


Frisco Greenway Trail Damage Update (5/30/2008)


The recent volunteer workdays resulted in most of the trail damage being repaired. Many thanks to all who came out and helped - you did an excellent! The damaged areas between Zora and Mount Hope Road are being addressed by the City of Joplin. Many thanks to them for their quick and timely response. Click on the pictures for full sized views of the damage.

Remember, there may be some downtime as the City of Joplin repairs the trail. Keep checking back here for updated information about trail conditions as it becomes available.


Ruby Jack Trail Now Open!

The Ruby Jack Trail is now officially open to the public! All 16 miles of the trail are currently open for hiking and mountain biking, but the trail is very rough and a lot of work needs to be done before it can be used by all types of bikes. Please be careful when hiking or biking on the trail. Remember, use of any motorized vehicle on the trail is expressly forbidden. Please report any use of motorized vehicles on the trail to the JTC (contact@joplintrailscoalition.org) or the Jasper County Sherrif's Dept.


2008 Maple Leaf Bike Ride

JTC's annual fund raising event, the Maple Leaf Bike Ride, is scheduled for October 11, 2008. As always, the ride will start and end at Kellogg Lake Pavillion in Carthage, MO. Ride lengths of 15, 30, 50, 70 and 100 miles will be offered. All riders will be entered in a drawing for a bicycle donated by Bicycle Specialists of Joplin, MO. All funds raised will go to the continuing development of the Ruby Jack Trail. For more information, visit the Maple Leaf Ride website at www.carthagemapleleafride.com.


Frisco Greenway Construction Detour

The portion of the Frisco Greenway Trail from Mount Hope Road to 14th Street in Webb City will be closed until further notice while work continues on the extension of 17th Street. Hopefully, the construction will be finished soon, allowing the trail to reopen. Keep checking the website as we will post details here as they become available.

The Joplin Trails Coalition would like to thank the businesses
who have sponsored the Maple Leaf Bike Ride.