New walking trail at Sage YMCA in Crystal Lake now open

A quarter-mile walking trail at the Sage YMCA in Crystal Lake opened Tuesday, making the Sage the first of 14 YMCA locations in metropolitan Chicago to install a trail like this.

Renovations on the trail started in May, after being put on hold as the YMCA focused on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, Sage YMCA Executive Director Lesley Franklin said.

"We really concentrated on other things and opening up the center, (and) all the safety issues that we had to abide by," Franklin said.

But now that the trail is open, Franklin said, it can be used by the YMCA for various programs and activities, such as corporate retreats or summer camp. Children from the summer camps decorated rocks that were also placed throughout the pathway.

"It helps us reinforce the importance of physical exercise, staying active," Franklin said. "And we encourage all community members, not just the YMCA members, to enjoy the trail."

Another addition to the trail is a nine-hole disc golf course that community members will be able to use as well, with the first hole at the end of the trail.

The other amenity Franklin said she would like to eventually add to the walking trail is a low-ropes course, for corporate retreats and team-building exercises.

The trail, which is located in part of the wooded area lining the eastern side of the Sage YMCA property, was funded through a $25,000 donation from the Alfred Bersted Foundation, a longtime donor, according to the news release.

The Alfred Bersted Foundation was established in 1972, according to a news release. It supports and promotes educational, human services and health care programming for underserved populations in DeKalb, DuPage, Kane and McHenry counties.

The foundation's donation covered expenses for the entire project, Franklin said.