Here in Paducah, an annual spring tradition is lighting and admiring the Dogwood Trail, which starts on Jefferson Street and grows through Paducah’s west end. This year is the 58^th anniversary of the trail and it is on track to begin blooming this week. The 2022 Dogwood Bicycle Trail with BikeWorld took place this past Sunday, April 10, which has been a tradition for more than 30 years. The bike ride starts at BikeWorld and continues through several of the neighborhoods apart of the Dogwood Trail in the west end.

The Dogwood Trail was first started in 1964 by Dolly McNutt, who was chair of the Civic Beautification Board. She believed Knoxville’s lighted dogwoods were beautiful, so she convinced the board to help begin the tradition of a lighted dogwood trail in Paducah. The trail started at only two blocks long, but now reaches several miles. Then, in 2000, the Dogwood Trail was labeled as a Local Legacy by the Library of Congress. It was also featured in Luxury Travel Magazine in 2014 as one of the top Spring Flower Festivals across America, and again in Birds & Blooms in 2018 as one of the eight Must-See Flower Festivals.

The Dogwood Trail is a beautiful local tradition of Paducah, and brings life, color and happiness to the people and neighborhoods of our city. Make sure to set aside some time to take in the beauty of these trees blooming within the upcoming weeks.