TRUCKEE, Calif. — Under sunny skies Wednesday afternoon, community members, local leaders and project partners gathered to celebrate the official opening of the newest segment of the Martis Valley Trail.

The completion of Segment 3F closes the final gap between Northstar’s Castle Peak parking lots and Northstar Village, further expanding the paved trail system that connects the Town of Truckee to one of the region’s most popular recreation destinations.

“Today is a day many people in this community have envisioned for a very long time,” said Eric Martin, director of public works for the Northstar Community Services District. “The opening of the Martis Valley Trail is much more than the completion of a new recreation amenity. It represents decades of vision, persistence, partnership and community investment.”

Residents and visitors have enjoyed the previously completed 4.6-mile section of the Martis Valley Trail since it opened in August 2022. The newly completed 1.23-mile segment improves connectivity while providing safer access for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling through the Martis Valley.

The trail’s origins date back more than three decades. Former Northstar Community Services District Board President Nancy Ives recalled first discussing the concept in the 1990s with her husband, Jerry, and then NCSD General Manager Paul Rouser. Together, they envisioned a multiuse trail that would connect Truckee through Martis Valley and eventually extend toward Brockway Summit and Lake Tahoe.

“The progress seemed to move at a snail’s pace. There were lots of roadblocks, but everybody kept at it,” Ives said. “All of us at NCSD are so proud to have been part of this monumental endeavor.”

Construction on the trail system began in September 2014 at the Town of Truckee boundary. More than a decade later, the project has resulted in nearly six miles of multiuse trail, representing approximately $19 million in investment and countless hours of planning, coordination and construction. The newly completed segment is a milestone achievement for Placer County and the Northstar Community Services District.

Designed to serve a wide range of users, the Martis Valley Trail supports recreation, active transportation and environmental stewardship. The trail is intended to benefit families, commuters, recreational cyclists and visitors while advancing regional goals for sustainable mobility.

Additional project partners included the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, the Truckee Donner Land Trust and Northstar California Resort.