Orange County to Host Ribbon Cutting and Open House for Mountain Track Park on September 23
By: Orange County Communications Department
Mark your calendars for September 23, and come join us at Mountain Track Park for a ribbon cutting and open house event. The event will begin at 2:00 p.m. with a ribbon cutting, but will continue with staff onsite through 6:00 p.m. to showcase the new facility’s features and amenities. The property at Mountain Track has been County-owned for decades, and was identified for potential park uses several times. The current effort began in 2021, with early reviews by engineers and state agencies. The project was put out for bid in the spring of 2024, with site work beginning in March 2025. We are excited to be closing in on opening it for use! Mountain Track Park’s uneven and scenic terrain helped naturally inform the kinds of amenities that would make the best use of the property. In central Virginia, hiking is popular among a wide range of ages and user groups, but until now had been absent from any Orange County Parks & Recreation facilities. Despite this, patrons often utilize the access roads at Booster Park and walk the perimeter of Barboursville Community Park to be active and stay healthy. Mountain Track Park will address this need with dedicated wooded walking trails. In addition to passive use, these paths will help blaze new programming opportunities. A geocaching site is planned to be in place by the ribbon cutting; while other new activities being considered include guided nature walks, birdwatching, fitness challenges, and more. At the park opening, there will be approximately ¾ of a mile of ready-to-use trails, separated into two primary interconnected loops. These trails are designed to be enjoyable and provide moderate exercise. They are straightforward to follow and easy to walk (by hiking trail standards), although there are some elevation changes to get hearts pumping. Planners are excited about the possibility of future expansion, and are considering lengthier, more challenging trails for later phases.
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OCI September 2025
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