About us

Our mission

Walk St. Helena, a grass-roots nonprofit, is working to create a vibrant walking community in Upper Napa Valley. We promote and sponsor community walks and are working to open and maintain a series of existing and new walking trails and routes, partnering with the City of St. Helena and other organizations to create safe, scenic places to walk for visitors and residents of all ages.

Our board

Sandra Archibald
Linda George Brown
David Knudsen

Walking plan

An Ad Hoc Subcommittee worked closely with the City of St. Helena, residents, and other interested organizations to create this plan: Walking Routes, Trails, and Publicly Accessible Open Space

The St. Helena City Council approved the plan unanimously after a public hearing and review of this presentation: Walking Plan Presentation

Next steps

Work closely with the City of St. Helena to implement the plan
Raise individual donations, foundation support, and grants to support the plan
Recruit volunteers to participate in plan execution
Begin to open and maintain walks and routes as detailed in the Walking Plan

History

2019

City of St. Helena's Parks & Recreation Commission establishes walking sub-committee

Sub-committee begins meetings with community members and City of St. Helena staff
2020

Sub-committee presents its work to date to City Council: Meeting Minutes (item 11.1)
2021

Sub-committee updates Parks & Recreation Commission and begins work on formal report
2022

Sub-committee finishes report

Metropolitan Planning Group assesses report and determines no California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) evaluation is required

Parks & Recreation Commission unanimously approves Walking Routes, Trails, and Publicly Accessible Open Space plan: Meeting Minutes (item 3.4)
2023

Sub-committee meets with Mayor, Vice Mayor, all city council members, and with all senior city staff, taking tours of walking locations

Staff prepares downtown walking sign designs with Blue Zones Project
2024

Sub-committee and interested residents present informally to council: Meeting Minutes (item 6)

City council has study session on spray fields
2025

Walk St. Helena, a 501(c)(3), formed

Walk St. Helena updates the Walking Plan and begins outreach
2026

Walk St. Helena distributes information postcards and engages with residents and visitors

Walk St. Helena begins applying for grants and to foundations for support

St. Helena City Council unanimously approves the Walking Plan: Meeting Minutes (item 13.4)

City Manager, staff, and Walk St. Helena begin implementation activities in a public/private partnership