Ben Braman, Pathfinders Push Perry County Park Trail Expansion with $100K Grant

Ben Braman has shepherded a volunteer effort at Perry County Park in Hazard that used a $100,000 Recreational Trail Program grant and county in-kind matching to expand a planned 3.1-mile system into roughly six miles of natural-surface trails on county-owned mountain property adjacent to the park. The Perry Park Trail System is listed on the county site at 6.25 miles, with routes described as moderate to strenuous and a trailhead accessed off KY 550 across the bridge toward Perry County Central High School.

Braman serves as chair of Pathfinders of Perry County and as Trails Coordinator, a role described elsewhere as Director of Trails and Outdoor Recreation for Perry County. He began work after relocating to the area in 2016 when his wife joined the Appalachian Regional Healthcare system, and what started as solo trail‑cutting grew into organized crews: “At first it was just me blazing with a machete,” Braman joked, recalling the early days that led to summer volunteer crews testing steps in 2019.

Perry County Fiscal Court wrote the RTP grant applications and provided permission for volunteers to work on county property, while the RTP award required the county to match the $100,000 grant with in-kind labor, materials and professional services to build the initial trails. County Judge Executive Scott Alexander announced a USBR 76 Bike Route stopover at Perry County Park with free seasonal pool admission, a free shower, a primitive campsite area or outdoor shelter with an in-place grill, and free cell phone charging, and the park sits within a quarter mile of two home-cooked restaurants, three fast-food outlets and a small shopping mall.

Community contributions were central: Pathfinders organized volunteer crews and donations, residents provided meals, and youth played a lead role in daily trail work. Perry County JROTC cadets have logged more than 2,000 hours on the trails, including emergency response work during a catastrophic flood event in 2022, demonstrating the trail teams’ role in both recreation and local disaster response.

Hazard–Perry County earned the state’s 20th Kentucky Trail Town designation, a recognition local leaders say will bolster adventure tourism and link trail users with downtown goods and services. Braman frames the development as part of a broader connectivity push: a rails-to-trails concept would run from downtown Hazard six miles outward to connect the technical college, subdivisions and businesses to recreation, and additional trail projects are planned in Leatherwood, Viper and at Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park in partnership with Buckhorn Children and Family Services.

Braman ties the trail work to place‑based health and economic goals: “It’s a labor of love,” he said. “I’ve lived in a lot of different communities. Southeast Kentucky gets a bad rap. But there are a tremendous amount of people working to change that. This community really is behind it. And the kids are behind it.” He added a regional pitch, noting land access opportunities and proximity to Red River Gorge as assets to expand visitation and protect private landowners while opening trails to the public.