Long-awaited 'Dog Park Trails' in Davenport officially opens to the public

What was once the center of debate for neighbors in Davenport, is now officially ready to use. 

It’s a story Local 4 News has been following since last May. 

Dan Hankner was one of the few neighbors who first came up with the idea last spring. 

At the time, their plans had been put on hold after receiving pushback from neighbors. 

But today, they’re ready to open the trail to the public.

“We’ve come a long ways to get here, and we’ve had a ton of help,” said Hankner.

When we first shared Hankner’s story, the mountain biker wasn’t sure this would happen at all.  

“It’s going to kind of grow into abandonment if we can’t get in here and work on it, he told Local 4 News in an interview last May. 

But even though they were stopped in their tracks, it wasn’t the end of the road. Instead, Hankner and others in the area gained support from hundreds of neighbors, gained the city’s approval, and have spent months cleaning up the wooded area.  

They also received backing from the local FORC chapter, or Friends of Off-Road Cycling. 

“To come together and have the support of everybody, it’s pretty remarkable,” said Hankner. 

On Monday, you could finally see a clear path through the area. 

And Hankner says one of the best parts about it is that it’s entirely a community effort. 

“It’s not under the banner of a business or public works or anything like that but it is volunteer so it’s cool to see a project of just people helping out and making it happen,” he said,

Giving Hankner a clear view of what’s to come for what has been officially named the “Dog Park Trails.” 

“There’s a lot more work ahead of us, but we are there, and we can start using it,” he said. “So we’re excited for that.”  

Hankner says with the help of his neighbors, they’ll keep moving forward. 

He added that although the trail is officially open for use, it will likely take about three years to complete. They plan to add more features, including a bridge that would extend the trail from about a mile and a half to three miles. 

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