Redwood Area Chamber & Tourism is kicking off a community-led program to map walking routes in the Redwood Falls and Lower Sioux communities. Fourteen community volunteers have received maps and instructional materials in order to map their favorite walks, and more are encouraged to join the initiative.

With help from an Empowering Small Minnesota Communities Grant from the University of Minnesota Extension, a series of walking routes on existing sidewalks, streets, and trails ranging from 1 mile to 6.5 miles will be listed on the Redwood Area Chamber & Tourism website both as maps and as turn-by-turn directions. Target date for project completion and “go live” is May 2026.

“These routes will be an easy and fun way for both our citizens and visitors to experience and learn more about our beautiful communities. Ramsey Park provides natural and sometimes challenging trail hikes. We plan to map walks that will provide specific walks utilizing those trails. In addition to our largest park, our entire city and the Lower Sioux Community have beautiful and interesting areas to explore. We want to expand and enhance what our citizens know about our neighborhoods and what amenities the communities offer. We also want visitors to expand their knowledge of the Redwood Area, with the goal of piquing their interest enough to want to return, or even make this their home,” commented Anne Johnson, Executive Director of Redwood Area Chamber.

Volunteers who are mapping walking routes are being called Trailblazers. Robin Stegner is serving as Trailblazer Mentor. “I encourage anyone who would like to map a walking route to contact Redwood Area Chamber for more information and to get involved,” she said. “I’m happy to explain the project and provide a mapping kit to all potential Trailblazers, too. This can be a wonderful family activity. For most volunteers, the project will be complete by summer’s end.”

Throughout the winter, the University of Minnesota Extension team will format the maps and directions into a file that will reside on the Chamber’s website. From there, interested walkers will be able to choose a walking routes from their informative descriptions and either print the maps and directions or simply follow them on their smart phones.

For more information, contact Redwood Area Chamber & Tourism at 507-637-2828.