Fontenelle Forest is working to reopen trails safely after unprecedented wind storm

The wind storm that swept through Omaha on Friday, July 9, was one of the worst in recent history. With over 2,100 acres and 24 miles of trails, it will take some time for Fontenelle Forest to ensure all the trails are safe to reopen for public use. Forest staff members have been working diligently since Saturday morning to clear trees and debris from the boardwalk and other trails. However, trees and branches that were made unstable in Friday’s storm may continue to fall for days or weeks to come. Staff have not been able to access the Wetlands and Neale Woods properties due to down trees and power lines blocking access roads leading to those properties. Until they can assess those properties for damage they will remain closed.

WOWT recently surveyed the storm damage and spoke to our Land Stewardship team about the long process of assessing damage and clearing debris to safely reopen trails. Watch the video here: https://www.wowt.com/2021/07/13/fontenelle-forest-working-reopen-after-weekends-storm.

Some trails have reopened this morning (Tuesday, July 13), including the Boardwalk. There are partial closures of the Boardwalk on Loop 1 and Loop 2, however the rest of the Boardwalk is now accessible.

Members and guests can get the most recent storm updates and trail information on our homepage at FontenelleForest.org or via our Facebook page. We will continue to provide daily updates as more trails are opened.

PLEASE NOTE: While we have cleared the trees off these trails, please keep in mind that there could still be hazards. Look up, look down, look all around, and be aware that more branches and trees could fall at any time. We appreciate your patience and ask that you continue to respect all trail closures for your safety and the safety of our staff.

Some photos of the recent storm damage on the Boardwalk: