September 1974: Meeting of recreational trail users led by Dorothy Moore. Out of that meeting came the concept of Perry Lake Trail and the Kansas Trails Council.

The Kansas Trails Council fielded its first team of pathfinders on a bitterly cold day in January, 1976---that’s when the Perry Lake Trail was born! From the beginning the Kansas City Outdoor Club has played a major role in mustering volunteers to do the hard manual labor of scouting, designing, clearing, marking and maintaining a hiking trail.

The first two sections, stretching from Slough Creek Park through Longview Park to Old Military Trail Area were dedicated as a National Recreational Trail in April, 1978.

In 1983, the pathfinders came back to Perry Lake, determined to add another fourteen miles, and determined, also, to develop a network of organizations and individuals to take care of the trail. Six years later they put the final blue blaze and the entire 28-mile loop was marked and ready for hiking.

2/28/1991: Richard Douthit signs on as Trail Coordinator at Perry.

3/27/1992: Steve Hassler and Kevin Otterman sign on as Trailwatchers at Perry.

10/17/1992: Trailbuilding workshop at Longview Park, led by Richard Douthit. Cleared the spur trail to access a Hiker’s Campground with seven campsites. Each site provided a table and a rock fire ring, and was separated from other sites by at least 20-30’

10/18/1992: Volunteers camped the weekend at Old Military Trail for the trailbuilding workshop above. The Trailhead at Old Military Trail was relocated from an erosion area to an area about 20’ east at the corner of the parking lot.

1993: Coordinator: Richard Douthit; Trailwatcher Section1: Jim Jackson; Trailwatcher Section 2: Kevin Otterman; Trailwatcher Section3: Steve Hassler; Trailwatcher Section 4: Don Morford; Project Manager: Frank Funk; Park Manager: Dennis Archer.

November 1993: Jim Jackson led a work crew which began on top of the hill at Devil’s Gap Trailhead and made a loop down to the picnic grounds.

February 1994: Dorothy Moore is announced as the Coordinator for Perry Lake Trail, replacing Richard Douthit. The trailwatchers consist of: Jim Jackson, Section1; Kevin Otterman, Section 2, Steve Hassler, Section 3; John Haynes, Section 4.

February 1996: Natural Resources Specialist Bunnie Watkins starts at Perry and takes an active role with the trail.

March 1997: Dave Brackey signs on as Trailwatcher for Section 1.

11/1/97: Sierra Club Maintenance Outing. Small crew devoted manpower to finishing the OMT bridge. 

1/31/98: Sierra Club Maintenance Outing. Sierra club crew worked on the reroute of Section 2 near the current site of Richard Douthit park bench.

November 2004: KCOC volunteer crew, led by Kevin Otterman, installs Dorothy Moore Memorial Park Bench on Section 2 at Solitude Point.

6/18/2005: National Trails Day event. Dave Brackey, Bunnie Watkins and Kevin Otterman install the Richard Douthit Memorial Park Bench on Section 2 along the main lake.

3/4/2006: Sierra Club/KCOC Maintenance Outings. Reroute of Section 4 near Ferguson Road completed. Old route abandoned.

March 2006: Trailhead Kiosk at Old Military Trail area installed by Troop 351 Shawnee. Eagle Scout project for Josh Wood.