Project Description
Albemarle County, Virginia
Located, adjacent to the Shenandoah National Park in the mountainous northwest corner of the County, the 650-acre park was designed specifically for trail-based recreation while also celebrating the County’s mountainous natural history. The property is characterized by finger ridgelines, braided stream valleys, steep wooded hillsides, and rocky outcroppings. A mature oak/hickory forest occupies upland areas and dry ridges while poplars and maples dominate the fern and wildflower covered rich coves.
The sinuous, park access road and the timber shelters reference National Park Service design traditions. Vehicular parking areas were carefully fragmented and placed along the contours to minimize visual impact and site disturbance. An accessible trail meanders along a small rocky stream that was carefully preserved and protected. Pavement runoff is captured by robust rain gardens. Open spaces and roadside areas are covered by native grass and wildflower meadows to promote pollinators and wildlife diversity.