Tesoro Viejo opens 14 miles of trails in Madera County

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Tesoro Viejo officially opened up 14 miles of trails.

These will connect the new community in Madera County with the San Joaquin River.

And the outdoor space is open to everyone.

People have already started taking advantage of the new trails.

Brent McCaffrey with Tesoro Viejo says having this outdoor space in their communities is important for people in the Central Valley.

"I think we are all craving to be outdoors. We are all craving a little bit for healthiness, a healthy lifestyle and to connect with nature and at the same time connect with your neighbors," he says.

Kim Bordagaray with The American Heart Association thinks it's great to have a development where they promote getting outdoors.

"Cardiovascular disease claims more people's lives than any other disease and staying physically active is the number one way to reduce your risk factors and walking is the simplest way of getting and staying active," she says.

So McCaffrey hopes people will utilize these trails.

Eventually, they will connect through to the Friant Road area, but that is a few years down the road.

For parents with kids on the Hillside Cross County Team, they are just happy to see these trails were created.

"I love that she runs the trails, it keeps them away from the traffic, the cars, it's a safe place. We don't have to worry about them, you know, going off the sidewalk getting into the street, so I love it," says Sarah Vonah, a parent.

And of course, they plan on taking advantage of the new space as well, especially since the American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes a week of activity for adults.

"It's awesome. I'm looking forward to dropping the kids off at school and being able to walk the trails with the other moms and just being able to be outside," says Alden Washam, another parent.