Thomasville's Cherokee Park, one of the largest parks owned and maintained by the City of Thomasville, has many beautiful features, including a playground, walking trail, and rose garden, but did you know it also contains a Fit Trail? A local Eagle Scout recently completed the installation of a 10-station Fit Trail, adding another amenity to this park for the community to enjoy.
The idea of a Fit Trail originated a few years ago when Brookwood student Christopher Watt was researching service project ideas to become an Eagle Scout. He came up with the idea of a Fit Trail, installing five exercise stations around Cherokee Lake. "The stations are constructed of wood and include simple exercises like sit-ups, stretches, and pull-ups," said Mike Owens, Parks/Recreation & Golf Manager for the City of Thomasville. "This system provides another opportunity for exercise at our parks."
Years later, Simon Hilson, a rising Senior at Brookwood School, was looking for a service project to complete and remembered Watt's original project. Hilson discovered that the Fit Trail system actually consisted of ten stations instead of just five. He contacted the City of Thomasville for permission to add five more stations and started his installation project earlier this year. In addition to installation, Hilson cleaned and repaired the existing stations and updated signage to ensure the flow of the stations was in sync with the natural flow of traffic for the Cherokee Lake walking path.
The project was completed in April 2022 and helped Hilson meet his requirements to become an Eagle Scout.
"I appreciate our Parks and Recreation Department's relationships with local organizations like the Boy Scouts," stated Owens. "They've completed projects at additional parks throughout Thomasville, so it's great to have organizations willing to better our parks for the community.”
Located at 330 Covington Avenue, Cherokee Park is comprised of 54.8 acres and owned by the City of Thomasville. For more information about any of Thomasville’s parks, contact (229) 227-4073.