In 1999, the Garrett County Commissioners requested that the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce initiate a recreational trails plan for the County. In turn, the Chamber of Commerce created and the County Commissioners appointed the Recreational Trails Task Force to review the opportunities for trail development. These early efforts resulted in the development of the Master Trail Plan for the county and on-going engagement of committed professionals around trail development in the county.
Other early accomplishments are:With these successes and an on-going need to support trail development and raise the profile of trails in the county, Task Force Members voted on June 18, 2008 that Garrett Trails be formally reorganized as the permanent home for the work of carrying out the Trails Master Plan and more generally trail development and promotion.