The South Mountain Woodland Path opened at The Shelter House in Emmaus April 15. The 575-foot path was constructed by Emmaus High School sophomore and Troop 71 Life Scout Patrick Hunter as a part of his Eagle Scout project.

The Shelter House, 601 S. Fourth St., is a two-story Colonial-style cabin built in 1734, making it one of the oldest inhabited buildings in the Lehigh Valley.

The trail is a sensory path, meaning it is designed for the visually impaired.

In the mission statement on his GoFundMe page, Hunter’s goal was to “clear tripping hazards, line the pathway area with shredded black mulch and install pressure treated 4-by-4 posts with the associated rope guides between each post.”

Braille signs are placed along the path which include information about the environment and a brief history of the property. As a result, both the impaired and able-bodied can enjoy the forest scenery of The Shelter House.

Patrick’s family, The Shelter House Society Board members and his fellow Scouts attended the ceremony, including Troop 71 Scoutmaster Christopher Kershner and Assistant Scoutmaster David Lease.

During the ceremony, Patrick thanked everyone involved. He then presented a donation check of $257.53 to The Shelter House President and Chairman of the Board Jane Maulfair.

Patrick got the idea when his younger brother, Ryan was completing a school project that required him to trace and map Lehigh Valley’s historic landscapes. The Shelter House curator and current resident Dean Bortz approached Patrick and asked if he would consider making a walking trail on the grounds, a task Patrick accepted. Patrick designed and crafted the trail, with the help of his father, Matt and the leaders and Scouts of Troop 71, contributing 200 man hours over a period of three months.

Patrick’s mother, Pamela said she was “ecstatic on how it turned out.” Unfortunately, Patrick’s father Matt could not attend the opening ceremony due to being away on a business trip. Matt Hunter later told The Press how happy he was with the results.

“Amazing! The scope and complexity of the project and the benefit to the sighted and the unsighted visitors to the Shelter House cannot be understated.”

Patrick himself was pleased with the turnout. “It really paid off…whatever you can do for them (the impaired), its super helpful.”

Patrick still has to complete two merit badges – family life and personal management and be evaluated and approved by Boy Scout’s Board of Review. If approved, he would be a second-generation Eagle Scout. In the future, he hopes to make varsity in basketball and or volleyball and go on to attend college, majoring in secondary education and history.