On an unusually bearable summer morning Friday, a handful of walkers and joggers were scattered throughout Binkley Woods Park in Warrenton.

In recent years, the park and walking trail have been a popular spot for a wide variety of ages looking to exercise or to enjoy the park setting.

Now they have an improved trail to enjoy.

“It’s looking real good,” said Patrick Randolph, city of Warrenton recreation director.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Friday to celebrate the recent completion to lengthen and pave the Spector Lake walking trail.

The 8-foot-wide paved trail was lengthened to three-quarters of a mile to make a continuous path around the 4-acre Spector Lake. Excluding the stretch around the lake, the trail is a half-mile long.

Combined, the multiple trails are around 1.2 miles long. Also deteriorating areas were fixed and the trail was made more accessible for visitors using baby strollers or wheelchairs.

Binkley Woods Park and Spector Lake are located on Morgan Street south of the city pool.

Though Randolph said the park has been a hidden gem and unknown to some of the city’s residents, usage has increased considerably over the years.

“This park alone for the last four years with the improvements the grounds/maintenance staff has made with the grass and cleanup of the park, we see more and more people using this park every day,” he said. “It used to be in the morning or a specific time, now it’s through the entire day. You can come out here in the morning, afternoon or evening and it’s being used quite a bit. Now with the improvements to the trail, we will see it even more.”

Around 30 representatives of the city, the park board, the Warren County Health Department and Warrenton Chamber of Commerce attended last week’s gathering. Mayor Greg Costello applauded Public Works Director Rob Hamlin and his department for the work they performed on the trail and commended Grounds/Maintenance Director Brad Busekrus for the upkeep of the park.

He also saluted the park board whose members first raised the idea of upgrading the trail.

“I thought this was really good (project) because I used to walk around (the lake) and I would have wet tennis shoes on the first lap,” Costello said. “It really improves the park.”

Warren County Health Department Administrator Ruth Walters said the improvements will coincide with the wellness luncheons to be hosted at the park beginning next month. The Walking for Fitness program, a joint partnership between the health department and city’s recreation department, also will benefit from the trail upgrades.

“We are excited this September to start here with our walking program,” Walters said. “I think it benefits the whole community. We are working toward a healthier Warren County. We are excited about this.”

Since the park board began discussions on upgrading the trail in September 2008, the project had been delayed somewhat because silt run-off from a neighboring property had to be removed from Spector Lake last summer. Also, work had to be postponed at different points this summer due to rain until being completed July 30.

“When the guys were out here working, they were commenting how many people use this park,” Hamlin said.