With more than 16 miles of bicycle and pedestrian trails, The Loop has quickly become one of the most popular recreation destinations in the region.
The Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, region, that is.
Fond du Lac resident John McDowell, 66, has for the past seven years spent winters in Tucson.
He’s been an avid cyclist for years, once even riding a bike from Virginia Beach to Oregon.
But he said riding Pima County’s Loop trail system inspired him to promote a similar system in Fond du Lac, a town of about 40,000 on the shores of Lake Winnebago.
“You have got yourself a treasure in Tucson,” McDowell said.
The Loop in Pima County is a system of bicycle and pedestrian trails that almost completely encircle the region.
The trails run along the river and wash banks of the region. If stretched end to end, the trial would run more than 50 miles.
Initial construction of The Loop began almost by accident.
Following the catastrophic 1983 floods, the county began conducting bank reinforcements along the washes and rivers.
That work left access roads, almost like linear parks running parallel to the washes throughout the region.
At some point it was realized that an urban trail system was taking shape throughout the region.
Work to build The Loop later became deliberate, but it’s taken many years to get near completion.
A few gaps in the system remain to be filled, including a stretch along the Pantano Wash between Tanque Verde Road and Glenn Street
Sections between Irvington and Valencia roads west of Houghton Road, and between La Cañada Road and La Cholla Boulevard along the Cañada del Oro Wash were recently completed.
McDowell said he and others in Fond du Lac were so enthused by The Loop they wanted something similar in their community.
He said a series of trails already existed in Fond du Lac, several miles of which were created as result of a highway plan.
But what was lacking was connectivity, linkages between existing trails to create a cohesive system.
McDowell said he and other Fond du Lac Loop volunteers have worked with local and state governments and businesses in that community to get the links built. They’ve “borrowed” the name from Pima County.
An area hospital, he said, donated $500,000. Sections of trails have been sponsored as well.
Today, all but a few sections of the Fond du Lac Loop have been built. It’s a popular area attraction for runners, walkers, dog walkers and bicyclists.
Although just a fraction of the size of Pima County’s Loop, Fond du Lac does have something we don’t have here.
Fond du Lac’s Loop is a popular destination for snowshoeing.
Pima County plans a dedication of the latest Loop section along the Santa Cruz River at Drexel Road on Saturday, March 12, from 9 to 11 a.m.
The first 100 children to arrive at the event will receive free bicycle helmets and bicycle bells.
The $1.1 million project was funded through a past bond approval.
