SHARING THE TRAIL WITH HORSES

The Conway Trails Are Ready for You!

By Laurie Sachtleben

Thanks to terrific work by more than 20 volunteers on March 12, the trails at Conway Robinson State Forest, near Gainesville, are in great condition and just waiting for you to try – maybe even for your first "spring tuneup" ride.

Conway is a small park just south and west of the Manassas National Battlefield Park, about 35 minutes (with a trailer) from the town of Clifton. It has about five miles of wooded and mostly flat trails, and most are easy enough for green or unshod horses. The trails made it through our wet fall and winter in pretty good shape.

At the March 12 trail day, volunteers from CHS, BES (Battlefield Equestrian Society), local Boy Scout troops, MORE (Mid Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts, a mountain-biking group), and Friends of Conway Robinson picked up debris, lopped overhanging branches, and removed several fallen trees. About the only problem areas that remain are a few low, muddy spots and a rock outcrop on one of the new trails (see below).

The MORE folks, by the way, have been a wonderful asset to Conway. They've built several new loops of trail on the northern and western edges of the park. All are fine for horses, with the exception of a very short, very rocky stretch on the Little Bull Run Trail where riders are advised to dismount. But here's the good news: MORE has offered to help build a detour so equestrians can safely bypass the trouble spot. These folks really know the meaning of sharing the trail. Be sure to give them a friendly wave if you see them while you're riding!

MORE has produced an excellent map of Conway. Check it out at http://www.more-mtb.org/images/1105130645.pdf.

Three things to remember if you're planning to ride at Conway: