The Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region’s tagline Together, we flourish. is an appropriate theme of the Loop the Locks trail network.  June 5, 2024, marked the official ribbon cutting celebration of this regionally connecting loop system. Individually, the communities of Appleton, Combined Locks, Kaukauna, Kimberly, and Little Chute have expanded trails during the past six years with the culminating result of “Loop the Locks.” Together, we are truly flourishing by providing a regionally connecting network that brings these five communities together with a central seven-mile loop and an ancillary 15+ miles of connecting loops.  

Before view, in 2018

The Village of Kimberly is a proud recipient of funds within the Community Foundation fostering two unique segments of trail development within Loop the Locks. In 2018, the village received $14,600 in grants from the Foundation, which supported trail connections and native plantings within the heart of the Cedars Development, providing a key connection of east and west sides of the development.  

Fish in the Sea mural, by Hallie Dix

In 2021, the village completed the Papermill Run segment adding a 10-foot-wide concrete trail from Third Street to Papermill Run along Railroad Street.  This new section allows trail users to enjoy views of the Fox River on the former NewPage mill site that have not been accessible to the general public for more than 100 years. This project received $100,000 of support from a fund within the Community Foundation.

In 2023, the village received $5,000 in support from the Imagine Fox Cities belonging program, in partnership with the Community Foundation, to commission a mural along the easternmost segment of Kimberly’s trail network on the pillar supports of the Washington Street bridge connecting Kimberly and Little Chute.

In total, the village has constructed an estimated 1.8 miles of concrete trail supporting Loop the Locks since 2018. This is thanks to support from the Community Foundation and many other local partners. 

This is a time to celebrate as people are becoming more familiar with all of the amazing trails that connect with the loop within Telulah Park in Appleton to the Newberry Trail system, Sunset Park in Kimberly, Heesakker Park in Little Chute, Hydro Park in Kaukauna to the Konkapot trail system, and Memorial Park in Combined Locks. Whether you are interested in a one quarter mile paved loop in Kimberly’s Memorial Park or a 15+ mile adventure throughout the greater Heart of the Valley – the expanded network of Loop the Locks has a little something for everyone in highlighting some of the most peaceful and beautiful locations in the region. The Village of Kimberly is a proud contributor to the Loop the Locks network where truly, together, we flourish!  

What does a Community Foundation do? Glad you asked! Learn more here.