TRAIL CREW MANAGER: TROY WARNKEN
Most of the trails Greater Cincinnati riders and hikers love most have Troy Warnken's fingerprints on them. Today, the Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance (CORA) announced that Warnken, a 25-year CORA member, past president, and recipient of the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award, has joined the staff as Trail Crew Manager.
Warnken was the lead trail architect for the Mt. Airy mountain bike system and has designed trails at Mitchell Memorial Forest, Terrell Park in Milford, and England Idlewild, among others. Previously as the Trail Coordinator at Cincinnati Nature Center, he managed over twenty miles of trail across 1,700 acres. Trails under his care have been named CityBeat's "Best Hiking Trails in the Region" every year of his tenure.
"Troy has been shaping the trails we all ride and hike for longer than most of our members have known CORA existed," said Jason Reser, Executive Director of CORA. "Having him on staff means the craft and institutional memory that built places like Mt. Airy now sits right at the center of how we build everything that comes next."
For Warnken, joining the CORA staff highlights his passion for trails and developing strong teams.
"I've been doing this work for twenty-five years because the trails and the people building them matter to me," Warnken said. "Stepping into this role means I get to spend more time at it, bringing more volunteers along with me."
As Trail Crew Manager, Warnken will oversee new construction and maintenance, lead safety training, and grow CORA's volunteer steward program across the region. His hire aligns with CORA’s strategic plan, providing 375 miles of connected natural surface trails across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky by 2030. This plan includes the two-state braided trail network along the Little Miami corridor and the Northern Kentucky Regional Trails Plan.
Warnken holds a Bachelor of Science in Geography with an emphasis in GIS (Geographic Information System) from the University of Cincinnati, where he graduated cum laude. He is certified to manage invasive plants and has spent the past decade integrating GIS mapping into trail planning and maintenance. These are tools he plans to bring to CORA's volunteer program.