Sisters Trails Alliance and Partners Awarded $158,000 State Trails Grant for STAR Project

Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) has been awarded a $158,000 Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) for the Sisters Trail Additions & Realignments (STAR) project. The grant, funded through the Federal Highway Administration and passed through OPRD, covers about 80 percent of the project’s $200,000 total cost. STA and its partners are providing the remaining $42,000 through matching funds and volunteer labor.

The STAR project, approved by the Sisters Ranger District on the Deschutes National Forest in fall 2025, is the first major trail expansion in the district in more than 15 years. With 18 separate trail actions, the STAR plan calls for nearly 17 miles of new trail, the formalization of 30 miles of existing routes, and the realignment of about 12 miles of trail to improve wildlife habitat and the user experience across the system. This RTP grant will fund construction, realignment, and improvement of approximately 53 miles of that plan, along with new maps, signage, and trailhead kiosks. The project is scheduled for completion by August, 2028.

“The complexity of this project may surprise some if only viewing it at face value as ‘just a trails project’,” said Sisters Ranger District Recreation Staff Officer, Emily Long. “However, designing and implementing this extent of trails across multiple user types, varying landscapes, with all resource values considered, is no easy feat. The years of work leading up to this point and which continues now is something to applaud. It’s incredible to have so many different partners not only at the table and engaged, but collaborating and coordinating efforts to make this project a success. What an honor to receive such financial support from the RTP program, as well as donations to and from our partners to bring this project across the finish line. The Sisters Ranger District and Deschutes National Forest are bolstered by the STAR partners, and many others outside of this project, now more than ever. This project and the work of our partners will have lasting benefits for our local communities and visitors alike.”

STAR is a genuinely collaborative effort, planned and built by a coalition of volunteer-powered nonprofit trail organizations working alongside the U.S. Forest Service. Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) will oversee the RTP grant management and lead five trail actions across the district. The Sisters Tie, Sisters-Crossroads, and Elk Ranch Trail reroutes will move users off forest roads and onto new singletrack, improving user safety and experience, and connecting neighborhoods to downtown Sisters. The Whychus-MetWin reroute will separate motorized and non-motorized users and remove user created trails to protect natural resources. STA will also lead the construction of a connector trail between the Brush Creek and Cabot Lake trailheads that will complete a highly desirable 13-mile scenic loop for hikers and backpackers.

“Planning for these projects has been an exciting, collaborative process with trail users, our partner groups, and the Forest Service,” said Stephanie Presley, Executive Director of Sisters Trails Alliance. “This grant helps us keep that momentum going. We’re so grateful to OPRD for investing in the STAR project, and to the Forest Service for making this kind of coordinated, multi-organization effort possible.”

Two of the trail projects will expand hiking opportunities in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. Save Our East Cascade Trails (SECT) will resurrect the Brush Creek Trail, closed since the B&B complex fire, to help meet the demand from the ever-increasing population of outdoor enthusiasts who live in and visit Central Oregon. Friends of the Central Cascades Wilderness (FCCW) will move the Glacier View Trail away from fragile alpine meadows and riparian zones along Canyon Creek, protecting habitat while retaining the trail’s impressive views of Three Fingered Jack and its glacial topography.

“FCCW is thrilled to partner on the STAR project to expand access to these incredible wilderness areas,” said Jenn Masse, Board Vice President. “Working alongside the Forest Service and fellow volunteer organizations gives us the chance to build a truly cohesive vision for how we care for this land together. We’re deeply grateful to STA for spearheading this effort and for the opportunity to be part of it.”

New mountain biking trails will offer rider experiences not currently available in Sisters Country. Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) is leading the design and construction of three trail builds, including a technical, terrain-driven route linking the Three Creek Lake area to the Peterson Ridge Trails and easing pressure on the increasingly crowded Metolius-Windigo Trail. A rebuild of the Cache Mountain Trail will offer a technical downhill run in the recreation corridor around Suttle Lake, and a new flow-style trail within the Peterson Ridge Trail System will provide bikers with a fun roller coaster ride over enhanced rock features.

Oregon Equestrian Trails (OET) will lead improvements and construction on eight trails radiating out from Sisters Cow Camp and Whispering Pine Horse Camp. By linking existing forest roads with less than five miles of new singletrack, OET will create nearly 30 miles of new loop riding opportunities, enough to fill a long weekend of camping or give day riders multiple trails to choose from.

“Oregon Equestrian Trails is happy to have the opportunity to collaborate with other trail groups on this exciting project to enhance the Sisters-area trail network,” said Pat Marquis, Central Oregon Chapter Project Lead. “There’s something for every type of trail user in this project, benefiting both locals and visitors to Sisters.”

The Recreational Trails Program is funded by the Federal Highway Administration and administered in Oregon by OPRD. More information on the program is available at oregon.gov/oprd/GRA/Pages/GRA-rtp.aspx.

For more information about the STAR project, visit sisterstrails.org/news. To volunteer for the trail system expansion efforts, contact manager@sisterstrails.org.

This story is based on submitted information and has not been verified by our news team.