Parks show Rockingham County's focus on eco-tourism -
By Lisa O'Donnell | Journal Reporter
Here's a little piece of Tarheel trivia that I didn't realize until just a few days ago -- Rockingham County is one of the few counties in North Carolina that is home to two state parks.
Both parks are in their infancy, so there's a good chance you haven't heard of Mayo River State Park in the western end of the county or Haw River State Park, which straddles the Rockingham-Guilford County border.
Fittingly, these parks celebrate two of the county's four rivers (the Dan and the Smith are the others). Those rivers are the cornerstone of a movement within the county to re-fashion itself from a textile center to an eco-tourism hotspot.
The two new parks are also among a wave of parks that have opened as a result of the state's New Parks for a New Century initiative. The others are Elk Knob in Boone, Carver's Creek near Fayetteville and Chimney Rock near Rutherfordton.
The initiative represented a new way of thinking about state parks, said Charlie Peek, a spokesman for the park division.
"Often, there was land that was threatened in some way and citizens would step in and a state park would be just the perfect thing. That's how Mount Mitchell started and so many parks after that," Peek said. "But beginning around 2000, we decided we'd like to be proactive because land was disappearing at such a high rate."
Park officials identified land that was scenic, had high recreation potential, protected valuable natural resources and served a part of the state where there were few state parks. The state identified 47 areas.
The Mayo and Haw rivers certainly fit the state's criteria. If you look at a map showing where state parks are located, the Rockingham-Guilford area is a sort of dead zone for parks. Of course, there is Hanging Rock to the west, but there is nothing to the east and south.
Once the Haw and Mayo sites were identified, the state set about acquiring parcels of land, a process that takes years. In the case of the Haw, the state bought a chunk of land offered to them by the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, which had operated a retreat center there with cabins, a conference center and a few trails.
An old community park in Mayodan that was once owned by textile giant Washington Mills serves as the starting point for the Mayo River State Park.
Visitors who want to come to these parks should adjust their expectations accordingly. You won't be walking into a park with all the amenities in place and a network of well-established trails.
Take the Mayo River Park. Officially, it opened April 1. The distinctive brown signs are in place, and it's listed on the state parks division's Web site.
True, the park is open for visitors, but what we get to see is more of a work in progress. There's a charming office and shelter with lots of stone, a few picnic areas overlooking a pond and a restroom facility that is darn-near sparkling. But the only trail ready for hiking in this 2,000-acre park is a half-mile loop that skirts the pond and parallels a stream. People who live nearby will enjoy a quiet place to unwind for a short amble, but it will be some time before the pieces are in place to make this a true destination spot.
The state is still in the process of acquiring land, and until that is done, there won't be a master plan for the public to view and weigh in on, Peek said.
"We can't say we'll have a master plan three years from now, because we may have better potential for land than we thought," Peek said. "We don't set target dates. Everything starts with the land."
The showcase of the park will be the Mayo River, a beautiful Piedmont river that cuts through farmland and woods.
Most likely, there will be a few river-access sites and places for paddlers to camp.
The Haw River park has a different theme -- environmental education.
The park, which is near the headwaters of the Haw, started with about 300 acres. The size of the park grew by 700 acres when the state bought land from a development company that wanted to put a residential golf course next to the park. The park is in an area of northern Guilford-southern Rockingham that has become a desirable outpost for suburbanites, so the land acquisition by the state was crucial.
The park includes a network of short trails that aren't particularly well marked, but there is no danger of wandering into the backcountry in this pocket park. I stumbled upon a wetlands dotted with crested dwarf irises and May apples. Songbirds and woodpeckers provided a soothing soundtrack.
The Haw is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Mayo is open everyday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. through May, and until 9 p.m. through the summer.
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