This Land, Your Land

Bridle trails at Morrow Mountain State Park are to be closed for "several months" this year for rehabilitation and rerouting, the state parks system said today.

About two miles of trail in three segments among the 16-mile equestrian trail network will be re-routed because they are unstable and cannot be properly maintained, a news release says. The trail system will grow by nearly a mile in the process.

Also, two trailheads will be consolidated into a single access point for all equestrians.

Work could begin by mid-February and, once it is complete, the trails will remain closed for several weeks for the trails to compact and harden.

The release further explains that, once they're renovated, bridle trails at Morrow Mountain will begin to operate under an inclement weather policy that closes them during ran and snow and keeps them closed afterward until they can be checked for damage.

The inclement weather policy is already followed at several other state parks, the release says. Notice of opening and closings will be posted to the park's page on the state parks website, as well as to the site's "alerts" page (see here).

Update: The burn is to be conducted on 600 acres near the park’s northern boundary and adjoining Alcoa property, a news release posted Thursday says. Once a day is selected, the burn will begin in the late morning and will end by late afternoon.

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State Parks officials announced a prescribed burn at Morrow Mountain State Park that will close several sites and trails in the park's Fall Mountain area sometime between January 4 and 13.

On the day of the burn, the park will close the the boathouse and boat ramp areas, the group campground, the lower picnic area with Shelters B and C, the Kron House reconstruction site, and the Long Loop of the Bridle Trail, the Fall Mountain Trail, Three Rivers Trail and Quarry Trail.

The weather will determine the precise date of the burn, and closures won't be confirmed until the day they commence. Notice of the burn was on the park system's alert page as well as the Morrow Mountain page.

The alert advises checking the website or phoning the park at 704-982-4402 during the indicated week before going to the park.

The alert does not indicate the size of the burn nor how long the affected areas will remain closed.