The recently refurbished Trail Center at Vade Mecum is open to the public, providing a spacious parking lot for horse trailers and cars along with a new access point to Hanging Rock State Park.
"It's just another opportunity for people that are outdoor enthusiasts to have a place to go to hike or ride," said Phil Barber, president of the Sauratown Trails Association.
That organization combined forces with the Friends of Sauratown Mountain and the state park to revitalize the trail center, each dedicating funds and elbow grease to the project.
The trail center project cost about $15,000 divided equally by the three organizations.
Work included clearing vines and brush from the parking lot and building, regrading the parking lot and spreading fresh gravel, all of which was completed by volunteers.
The trail, which leads to Tory's Den and loops back, needed some maintenance too, including fixing a bridge over a culvert to make it accessible for horses.
"It was a big project, but it's a beautiful facility now," said said Henry Wilson, trail crew leader for FSM and the local Mountains-to-Sea Trail, who led the volunteer work crews.
"It's just turned out to be a great place for hikers and horseback riders to have a good parking area and a good, clean trail to ride on," said Barber.
The parking lot and trail are open regular park hours.
The trail center is the first driveway north of the Vade Mecum entrance on Moore Springs Road. The Vade Mecum area is currently closed with renovations set to begin this year.
The completed trail center project has many benefits for both horse riders and hikers.
The fixed-up trail about doubles the amount of trail available to equestrians to about 10 miles.
"It's a much better experience for the equine people," Wilson said.
The hike from the trail center parking lot to the Tory's Den parking lot is about 4.5 miles round trip with an elevation of about 600 feet. Wilson said for most people it would be considered a moderate hike.
"It's definitely not completely flat, but we're not climbing Kilimanjaro here either," Wilson said.
The trail center also helps with the parking situation.
Previous to the opening of trail center parking lot, the only parking available for horse trailers was at the Tory's Den parking lot, and the few spots available there fill up quickly.
On busy days, parking can be tough at the other frequented lots even for those without a horse trailer. The trail center parking lot doubles as an overflow lot, giving hikers a new access point for the park.
Hikers parking at the trail center are asked to park along the side of the lot so that trailers can easily maneuver the parking area.
The trail center was active years ago when the Sauratown Mountain Trail, an approximately 22.5 mile trail that connects Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain state parks, was first established in the 1980s.
R.M. Collins, a former King Elementary School principal, initiated the Sauratown Mountain Trail.
"He had this vision of tying the two parks together with a horse trail," Wilson said. Collins worked to obtain landowner agreements to establish the trail and worked to clear it.
As those agreements change over time, as well as the Vade Mecum property changing owners and uses, the trail center has been idle for several years.
The three organizations gathered on April 24 to rededicate the trail center. The celebration started at 8:30 a.m. with a members hike from the trail center to Tory's Den along the R.M. Collins trail.
Back at the trail center, speakers included Wilson, Hanging Rock State Park Superintendent Robin Riddlebarger and James Booth, who helped build the initial trial along side Collins. The group then shared a meal.
"You could feel the sense of community and the love and pride we share for Hanging Rock State Park and the Sauratown Trail," said Donna Alexander, of Friends of Sauratown Mountains. "It was really special."
Alexander said hearing Booth share stories of clearing the trail with Collins, strapping chainsaws to horses and heading out in the morning after working third shift, was a highlight.
"It was just great that the people that are really wanting to promote outdoor venues have all come together and joined forces to do that," Barber said.
The goal is to eventually connect the R.M. Collins trail through the Vade Mecum property to the Sauratown Mountain Trail, which would eliminate any highway hiking.
"We're just so thankful that the three groups could get together and work on a project and it turned out so well," Barber said.
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