Friends of Rock Island Trail State Park Launches “Explore” — An Interactive Gateway to Missouri’s Rock Island Trail
OWENSVILLE, MO (June 29, 2026) On the eve of the Rock Island Trail State Park’s 3-year founding, the Friends of Rock Island Trail State Park (FoRIT) announced the release of Explore, a new enhancement to its interactive Rock Island Trail interactive digital presentation.
Explore serves as an add in to the updated “Rock Island Trail by FoRIT” interactive presentation which in whole provides a one-stop gateway for discovering the places, history, and future of Missouri’s Rock Island Trail State Park. Whether users are planning a visit, researching local history, or learning about trail communities, together these tools provides a wealth of information in one convenient location.
“One of our goals has always been to connect people not only with the trail itself, but with the remarkable communities, history, and opportunities that surround it,” said Rick Mihalevich, President of Friends of Rock Island Trail State Park.
The new Explore section includes:
- Rock Island Trail Videos highlighting communities, events, and trail development.
- Rock Island Heritage Trail videos and heritage articles that showcase the corridor’s rich railroad history.
- Interactive mapping tools that allow users to further explore trail communities, trailheads, historic locations, and other destinations.
AI Tools combined with a custom knowledge base:
- AI-powered assistant developed to answer questions about Friends of Rock Island Trail State Park, trail development, community initiatives, events, and frequently asked questions.
- Rocky–FoRIT (ChatGPT-GPT) (Beta) (Must have ChatGPT Account)
By combining videos, historical resources, interactive maps, and artificial intelligence, Explore creates an engaging learning experience while showcasing the growing momentum behind Rock Island Trail State Park.
Visitors can access the interactive Rock Island Trail presentation and the new Explore features by visiting https://rockislandtrail.org/trail-communities/ Scroll down to Rock Island Trail State Park Interactive Presentation.
About Friends of Rock Island Trail State Park
Friends of Rock Island Trail State Park (FoRIT) is a Missouri nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advocating, promoting, preserving, and supporting the development of Rock Island Trail State Park.
Media Contact
Rick Mihalevich
President
Friends of Rock Island Trail State Park
P.O. Box 183
Owensville, MO 65066
573.690.3545
Website: www.rockislandtrail.org
Email: info@rockislandtrail.org
Facebook: Friends of Rock Island Trail State Park
Donations: Friends of Rock Island Trail State Park is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Tax-deductible contributions help support trail advocacy, community projects, educational programs, tourism promotion, and the continued development of Rock Island Trail State Park. Donations may be made online at www.rockislandtrail.org/donate.
Disclaimer/Rights
This news release was developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) as a drafting and editing tool. All content has been reviewed, edited, and approved by the author and/or Friends of Rock Island Trail State Park prior to publication.
Editors, publishers, media organizations, and partner organizations are granted permission to use, edit, excerpt, reproduce, or republish this release, in whole or in part, for editorial, news, or informational purposes, provided the meaning and context of the information are not materially altered.