Park Management at Lake Lurleen State Park granted approval today (Feb. 13) to proceed with construction of a new multi-use loop trail. The new loop will be located in the area of the Park that now contains the “hikers only” Ridge Trail. (The Ridge Trail is a poorly designed trail with many sections that are severely eroded due to “fall-line” conditions.) The Ridge Trail will be closed during construction.
The new “Ridge Loop” is designed as a trail to accommodate mountain bikers of all ability levels and will be particularly suited to entry level riders. This new trail will basically follow contour lines as it gently gains/loses elevation. The new loop connects to the Tashka Trail near the North Trailhead. While an exact distance has not yet been verified the total loop distance is estimated to be 4 miles.
A Ditch Witch SK-650 mini-dozer will be used to build this trail using local trail volunteers. This awesome piece of equipment is being provided by PARA of Tuscaloosa County. (This machine and a large assortment of trail building hand tools were purchased via an ADECA grant.) Currently seven (7) trail care volunteers have been trained by PARA on using the Ditch Witch unit.
Construction will start this Friday, Feb. 17. The goal is to complete this addition to the Lake Lurleen State Park trail system by the end of May 2012.
It will take monetary donations to purchase diesel fuel for the mini-dozer and lumber for two bridges (to span short “boggy” sections of trail corridor) and LOTS of volunteer labor to see the new “Ridge Loop” completed. We hope everyone will offer their help in making this new trail a reality.
– Blake Gill, DCBC mountain biking coordinator
