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 Mayo River State Park,
North Carolina
DRBA volunteers were
instrumental in the establishment of a new state park along the Mayo
River in Rockingham County. The park study area extends to the
Virginia state line, and DRBA has asked Virginia to consider
studying the feasibility of establishing a state park in Henry
County that would link to the Mayo River parklands in North
Carolina.
For details visit Mayo
River State Park's Web site |
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Smith River Trail System/Gravely Nature Preserve
Henry County, VA,
 The Dan River Basin Association was awarded funds from The Harvest
Foundation to develop the Gravely Nature Preserve in southern Henry
County between Martinsville and Ridgeway. The 75-acre Preserve will be a
major part of the Smith River Trails
system, which will include multiuse
trails, riverside parks, and boating access points at intervals along
the entire river through Henry County and into North Carolina where the
Smith converges with the Dan River. These funds are supporting the
design and construction of nature trails and a trailhead including the
necessary park facilities, as well as the publication of a brochure
about the natural and cultural features of the preserve.
The
Gravely Nature Preserve is completely forested, primarily with mature
hardwoods, and the north facing slopes are covered with mature stands of
rhododendron and laurel. The key topographic feature is a steep hogback
ridge that rises about 200 feet above the river. The property also
contains the Burgess family cemetery, two century-old tobacco barns, and
remnants of old logging roads that can be used for trail development.
The parcel
was acquired in 1981 by Richard P. Gravely, a local businessman,
naturalist, and amateur archaeologist, whose will stipulated that it be
maintained and preserved as “a wildlife habitat and nature conservancy.”
After his death, the Gravely family gave the property to the Virginia
Museum of Natural History Foundation but reserved the right to restrict
its use according to the provisions of his will.
 Accordingly,
conservation easements held by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation since
1993 restrict the property’s use to nature study and limit construction
to a 3.6-acre section adjacent to the intersection with Old Mill Road .
Henry
County purchased the property from the Virginia Museum of Natural
History Foundation in July 2006 with the understanding that the Dan
River Basin Association would help develop the property as a nature
preserve open to the public for recreational and educational purposes.
Henry County has further agreed to support the Gravely Nature Preserve
through in-kind assistance in its construction and long-term maintenance
of the preserve. |
