Mountain Track Park Update By: Orange County Communications Department
Orange County’s newest recreational facility is coming along on Mountain Track Road. Mountain Track Park, as it will be known, has roots going back decades. The parcel was acquired in 1969, and envisioned as one of Orange County’s future parks. Park planning began in 2021, as engineers and state agencies reviewed the parcel and plans. Last year, certain elements of the park, such as earth moving and parking lot construction, were put out for bid, and work related to those pieces is now underway. The new facility will be conveniently located across from the current Mountain Track Road Collection Site, allowing future patrons to combine the errand-running of taking out household trash with a fun, family trip to a scenic, wooded wooded park. Indeed, the wooded nature of the park will distinguish Mountain Track from Orange County Parks & Recreation’s other facilities, such as Booster, Barboursville, and Unionville parks.
Several amenities are planned for the location, which will be added in phases. Features will include a picnic shelter, playground, disc golf course, and walking/hiking trails. The shelter will help support our residents by increasing the availability of affordable party and event rental space in Orange County. The shelters operated by Parks & Recreation at Barboursville and Unionville community parks are quite popular; both receive heavy use in the warmer months. Demand has been so high, in fact, that almost every Saturday was reserved at both locations this May!
In addition to providing passive recreation, the playground will go hand-in-hand with the shelter, helping make the space more exciting and useful for families hoping to host birthday parties and similar events intended for kids. It is planned to be a modest, appropriately-sized playground.
Another element of Mountain Track Park will be a technical-style disc golf course. As highlighted in the July 2024 Insight’s celebration of the fifth anniversary of disc golf in Orange County, this course will be very distinct from the Orange County Disc Golf Course (OCDGC) in the way it’s played. The OCDGC is well-known for its open, clean layout which is inviting for families and beginners to the sport. Its success has lead to Parks & Rec. hosting several tournaments every year, most of which have enjoyed full
rosters with waiting lists. Since 2022, more than 4,000 rounds have been recorded on UDisc (a popular score-keeping app)!
Perhaps most exciting will be the inclusion of wooded walking trails. Such trails will be a welcome addition to the amenities offered by Orange County Parks & Recreation. Trails provide both passive recreation as well as new programming opportunities (guided nature walks, birdwatching, fitness challenges, etc.). Trails are planned to begin with smaller loops and expand to longer paths over time.
Mountain Track Park is expected to host a grand opening in late summer 2025. As work continues, stay tuned to the Insight and the Orange County Parks & Recreation Facebook page for project updates!
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