PA Wilds artisan designs maps for West Creek Recreation Trail, Elk County
- by Guest Contributor
- June 7, 2023
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Editor’s note: The information in this blog was originally from a press release from West Creek Recreational Trail Association.
Taking a hike, bike or even a cross-country ski journey in Elk County? New maps, created by a local PA Wilds artisan, at trailheads on the West Creek Recreational Trail in Elk County will offer travelers the ability to get to know the trail and how to best use it.
At a brief ceremony recently, members of the Board of Directors of the West Creek Recreational Trail Association installed a directional map at the St. Marys trailhead on West Creek Road. The map was designed by Mickayla Poland from PA Made, of St. Marys, and provides location and mileage information to help visitors to the Trail plan their trail experience.
A similar map will also be installed at the trailhead in Emporium. Mickayla also designed and produced leaflet maps that describe the trail and offer suggestions on its use. The leaflets will be available at tourist information locations around the area. The map project was supported by a grant from the Elk County Commissioners through the Elk County Community Foundation.
Photo: Members of the Board of Directors of the Trail Association, Roger Young, Jesse Cunningham, Jude Weis, Tom Wagner and Bob Kirschner, with Mickayla Poland, owner of PA Made. Directors not present were Cliff Clark, Dave Greene, Jeff Ream and Tina Johns Solak.
After the ceremony, the Board also viewed the newly-installed bridge across West Creek.
The bridge will improve access to the trail parking lot and help to alleviate flooding issues for neighboring properties. The bridge was designed by J Ream Engineering Consultants of Emporium and funded through grants from the Elk County Community Foundation, the Elk County Commissioners, Seneca Resources and the George A. and Margaret Mee Foundation. It was installed by Northpoint Contracting of Emporium.
The West Creek Trail is a publicly funded multi-use trail. It is open to the public for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling in the winter season and walking, hiking and bicycling during all seasons.
More information is on the West Creek Trail Facebook page.
About the artist, Mickayla Poland:
Mickayla’s love and appreciation of the outdoors have always been the core of who she is, and that flows into the core of her art. Starting by painting bull elk and other wildlife, her business became to grow rganically but quickly when she began designing outdoor, Pennsylvania, and PA Wilds inspired stickers, t-shirts, and more. She now owns and operates PA Made as a full-time artist and graphic designer. Mickayla likes to put my personal love and pride of Pennsylvania into my paintings and designs. Along with a love of conservation, Mickayla likes to shine a light on how special and unique Pennsylvania and the PA Wilds are. You can find her work at her PA Wilds Marketplace seller page, her PA Made website, and her storefront in Weedville.
