Second phase of Carson Trail completed

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Dedication ceremony to be held tonight at Front Royal Golf Club location

By Kaitlin Mayhew -- kmayhew@nvdaily.com

FRONT ROYAL-- The second phase of construction of the William E. Carson Trail in Warren County is now complete, and a dedication ceremony will take place this evening.

The trail is located at the Front Royal Golf Club, which is on land that was deeded to the people of Front Royal and Warren County by Agnes H. and William E. Carson in 1938.

The original goal for the 63 acres was to turn it into a public park, according to a Warren County news release. Carson was the first director of the Virginia Conservation and Development Commission, one of the key figures behind Shenandoah National Park and who helped found state parks throughout the state.

On Aug. 6, 1938, the Front Royal Recreational Park was opened to the public. The Carson Trail is being constructed on the property in four phases. Phase two is the only one of these that has been completed.

Phase two includes the basic trail construction that runs from the Front Royal Golf Club to the Rockland Park property line. It was funded through a combination of grant funding from the Department of Forestry and volunteer work by the Warren County Parks and Recreation staff.

The length of this leg of the trail is nine-tenths of a mile.

The county already has funding commitments to complete phases one and four, said Brandy Rosser, grants and special projects coordinator for Warren County.

Phase one will include improvements to Country Club Road and adding a pedestrian lane parallel to the road. This leg will be six-tenths of a mile and funded through Virginia Department of Transportation's Recreational Access Program.

According to Rosser, VDOT staff has already focused on the site and improvements are under way. The tentative date for completion of phase one is Sept. 1.

Phase four will include improvements to Fishnet Boulevard, with a parallel pedestrian lane that will reach six-tenths of a mile. It will also be funded by VDOT.

"The County is working to resolve any remaining utility and right of way issues along the road," Rosser says. "We are hopeful that construction can begin in the spring of 2012 and that improvements will be done within the next 12 months."

Phase three will include a portion of the trail that runs throughout Rockland Park and will also be six-tenths of a mile long. This phase has no funding at this time. The county is currently pursuing grant money for its construction, Rosser said.

The dedication ceremony and ribbon-cutting will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the entrance to the trail next to the Front Royal Golf Club boat landing.