FSO HIKE AT MAYO PARK

January 2, 2016

FSO HIKE AT MAYO PARK

January 2, 2016
Time: 10:00 AM
1013 Neal's Store Rd., Roxboro, NC
(GPS 36.479996, -78.876064)

This event is free and open to the public. 

The Dan River Basin Association’s first outing of 2016 will be a two-mile hike on Saturday, January 2, at Mayo Park, 1013 Neal's Store Rd, Roxboro, NC (GPS 36.479996, -78.876064). DRBA members and guests will hike the wooded Red Tail Hawk Trail on one of the park’s two peninsulas reaching into Mayo Reservoir.

Mayo Park, located ten miles from Roxboro and three miles from the Virginia line, is named, like the Mayo River, for Major William Mayo, a member of William Byrd’s 1728 survey party, “a Virginia official, land speculator and surveyor.” According to The Dan River Book, the name, spelled “Maho” on the sign where NC 49 crosses the Mayo Creek, is still pronounced “Maho” by many local persons.

Beginning at 10:00 at the Amphitheater parking lot, the trail is slightly hilly, which will make a hiking stick helpful. According to DRBA member Pat Anderson, “The trail is completely wooded and goes along the lake.” Evergreens evident during the short days of winter include holly, ferns, and mountain laurel, which Anderson says make the trail “a very pleasant place to hike.”

Furthermore, says DRBA board member Paul Johnson, “Since the trail is wooded and surrounded by shallow arms reaching into the water, it is shielded from the winds blowing across the wide expanse of the main lake.”

Hikers will have the option of lunching at a picnic shelter about halfway through the trip or, if the weather is inclement, retreating to their cars.

Mayo Park was begun in 1996 and has continued to develop, maintaining more than six miles of trails, along with boat landings, cabins, tent sites, boat rentals, rest rooms, and other amenities.

Participants are asked to meet at 10:00 at the Amphitheater parking lot, wear hiking boots, dress warmly in layers, be prepared for wind or rain, and bring hiking stick, lunch and water. Hikers will be asked to sign a waiver form.

To reach the Amphitheater parking lot from South Boston, Virginia, take US 501 South to Mayo, Virginia. Turn left on VA 96 to Virgilina and right on NC 49 South. From NC 49 South pass Dixon’s Store and turn right on Neal’s Store Road (SR #1515). The Amphitheater parking lot is the last left before the large parking area at the Boat Launch (operated by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission).

From Roxboro, take NC 49 North 8 miles to Neal’s Store Road (SR 1515). Allow extra time, as it may be necessary to follow detours around road construction.

Outings and meetings of the Dan River Basin Association are open to the public without charge.

For more information, contact Wayne Kirkpatrick, wynbtyk@embarqmail.com, or 540.570.3511.