It took longer than originally planned but the Posse Grounds Fitness Trail has finally opened.

As a way to christen the new Sedona Parks and Recreation endeavor, the community is invited to a free workshop from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20, to learn about the trail’s benefits.

The trail features four new shaded fitness stations, each with multiple pieces of exercise equipment. Each station also includes signage with instructions and directions to find instructional videos online.

The four new stations include a larger, multi-use station — 25-feet-by-25feet — that holds multiple pieces of fitness equipment. Each of the other three stations is home to a single piece of equipment.

Personal trainer James Fischer will be teaching the proper way to use the equipment at the workshop.

Parks and Recreation Manager Rachel Murdoch said the equipment has been in for two months but it was just in the last week that things were completed. After the installation of equipment staff still had to paint additional amenities. They also had to add landscape rock around the concrete pads and get all YouTube instructional videos uploaded.

“For one, we have to hold this workshop to fulfill a part of our grant agreement,” she said. “We said that we would do this. However, we also want to use it as an opportunity to introduce people to the fitness trail and how to use the equipment. It’s awesome that James will be there because he is a pro at exercise and can give people workout examples as well.”

The city received a grant in 2015 to cover the majority of the cost of the upgrades but Murdoch said there was a delay in issuing of the funds from the state. The Parks and Recreation Department worked with Arizona State Parks to secure a grant to pay for the new equipment and shade structures.

Parks and Recreation had requested just under $80,000 through the state’s recreation trails program and received $75,375. The city contributed $14,150 with more than $4,000 of that coming via in-kind services such as removing the old equipment.

The fitness park had consisted of six outdated exercise stations along the popular walking trail located in Posse Grounds Park. The trail generally runs from the tennis courts to the multi-use field parking lot.

“I love the finished product,” Murdoch said. “I am so happy to see people out using the equipment and we have been getting compliments as well. I love that we were able to shade the stations which I think is just essential in Arizona. I am very pleased that this upgrade took place — it was much needed.”

Murdoch said improvements to the trail did not rise to the level of importance to be placed within parks and recreation’s capital improvement project list. However, she said it was important enough in order to seek a grant.

“The trail, as it is now, doesn’t catch your attention,” Murdoch said in 2015 after they received the grant. “It’s not very fancy. It doesn’t stop you and make you ask, ‘Wow, what is that?’ Plus, it’s not very inviting, especially because it’s uncovered and you’re basically in a giant sandbox. So, we’re taking something old and unused and making it viable.”