Forest Ridge Park

HadenStanziale

United States Army Corps of Engineers
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources

The City of Raleigh Parks and Recreation Department will host a mountain bike cycling workshop for Forest Ridge Park on Tuesday, June 5th from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm at Walnut Creek Wetland Center, Neuse River Room, located at 950 Peterson Street, Raleigh, NC 27610. The purpose of this meeting is to take comments and suggestions for three miles of proposed sustainable trails to be built using Recreational Trail Grant funds. In August of 2011, the City of Raleigh Parks and Recreation Department was awarded a Recreational Trails Grant in the amount of $75,000 to be used for the design and construction of mountain bike trails on the Forest Ridge Park site. The park site is owned by the Army Corps and managed by the State of North Carolina. The format of the workshop is informal and people are encouraged to come and go as they please and learn about what can and cannot be built on the federally owned park site.

Design Phase

Forest Ridge is a 586-acre peninsula on Falls Lake located between Falls Dam and Highway 98. It is owned by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and managed by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR). The City of Raleigh and these two agencies agreed to a multi-agency partnership to prepare a Master Plan for the site. Funds for Phase I development were approved by the public in the 2003 Parks and Recreation Bond Referendum.

On July 11, 2006, the City Council adopted the Master Plan for Forest Ridge Park. The major elements included in the plan are an adventure education center, ropes course, lakeside center, multi-use activity areas, an adventure education overnight lodge, mountain biking and hiking trails. Also included is a secondary park entrance to the south with parking, a picnic shelter, disc golf, and trails.

In December 2006, the City of Raleigh hired a design consultant to prepare construction documents for the first phase of improvements in the park. The Army Corps of Engineers granted approval for the City to move forward with Phase I design on July 7, 2008. In addition, documents were prepared to support the City's effort to sublease the property from NCDENR once permitted.

The Wake County Board of Adjustment approved the park as a permitted use on April 14, 2009.

A public workshop was held on June 4, 2009, at Campbell Lodge in Durant Park to receive public comment on the Phase I design plans.

The project was issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) by the US Army Corps of Engineers on January 27, 2012.

The City of Raleigh accepted a 2011-2012 Recreation Trail Program (RTP) grant in the amount of $75,000 from the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR) on November 15, 2011. These funds will be used to assist in the design and construction of the first phase of a single-track trail network at Forest Ridge Park.

Phase I improvements include a welcome center, picnic shelters, restrooms, playgrounds, trail to the point, high ropes course, and parking. In addition, a secondary south park entrance with a picnic shelter, restrooms, playground, and parking are planned.

In addition, RTP grant funding will allow the creation of mountain biking trails in the first phase of construction.