Area residents talked about possibilities for extending the Camden Regional Trail at a meeting Wednesday night. One option that got good reactions was to potentially extend the trail southwest toward the city of Russell.

MARSHALL — There’s a lot to like about the Camden Regional Trail, area residents said. But there could still be ways to improve or even expand the trail route, speakers at an open house event said Wednesday night.

Members of the public were invited to give their ideas for the future of the Camden Trail at the first of three feedback meetings being held in Lyon County. The open house-style meetings are part of the process of drafting a new master plain for the trail, said Lyon County Environmental Administrator Roger Schroeder.

Lyon County manages the Camden Regional Trail, which runs from the city of Marshall through the city of Lynd and into Camden State Park. Schroeder said the county is working with the Southwest Regional Development Commission to write the master plan.

“This is the last piece,” Schroeder said of the public feedback meetings. In addition to the open house in Marshall, meetings are planned in Russell and Lynd next week.

Schroeder said the Camden Regional Trail master plan would hopefully be complete by about February or March. The new plan could help the county apply for funding like infrastructure grants to improve the trail.

Members of the public attending Wednesday’s meeting included area residents and members of the Trail Travelers, a local cycling group that regularly uses the Camden Trail. They were invited to write down their ideas for how to improve the trail, and to share their priorities for the kind of amenities the trail needed. Some of the ideas people brought forward were the need for more signage marking the trail route, and more trail connections.

“We want it larger,” said Margaret Barker, one of the area residents at the feedback session. The Camden Trail was one of the few places to bike in the Marshall area, she said.

Members of the public said they liked that the current trail was separate from roads and highways, and provided a safe and scenic place for people to walk or bike. “I wish there was more miles,” said Marshall resident Larry Magrath. Magrath said having more shade near benches along the trail route would also be a good addition.

The possibility of extending the trail in the future was something that generated a lot of discussion. People at the meeting were asked to weigh in on a few different potential routes, including extending the trail north toward Cottonwood, southeast toward Walnut Grove, or southwest toward Russell. The Russell option was the main one getting traction at Wednesday’s meeting.

Chad Kulla, owner of the Bike Shop in Marshall, said the Camden Trail has attracted visitors from across Minnesota. It’s also a good resource for local cyclists, he said. “It definitely helps encourage a lot of people to get out,” Kulla said.

The next two feedback sessions on the Camden Trail will be held on Nov. 20. One open house meeting will be held at the Russell Community Center at 5 p.m., followed by an open house at the Lynd Community Center at 6:30.