Morrow Mountain State Park to Host Reopening Celebration After Major Construction

Morrow Mountain State Park will host a reopening event Sunday, May 19, 2-4 p.m., to celebrate the completion of a major construction project that upgraded the park's vacation cabins, pool house, concession stand, and hiking and bridle trails as well as added new camper cabins and a splash pad.
The main festivities will be set up at the lower picnic shelter area and the Quarry Trailhead parking area. A shuttle to the other areas of the park, including the campground and the summit, will be provided. Visitors can walk through the cabins and bathhouses. The event will also have a snow cone truck and speeches, which will include an update to the Hardaway archaeological site museum project.

"We know that many people are eager for the park to reopen most of its camping facilities as well as the pool, just in time for the summer," said State Parks Deputy Director of Operations Kathy Capps. "We hope visitors can stop by on Sunday as we host an 'open house' showcasing the improvements and additions."

The renovation of the vacation cabins includes new windows, new bathrooms, new furniture, and new appliances. Eight campsites were also converted to camper cabins that offer two bedrooms but no indoor living, dining, or bathroom areas. Two of the existing bathhouses at the park were renovated and a new bathhouse was also built.

At the pool, the children's wading pool was replaced with a new splash pad. The pool house, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, also got new plumbing, new counters, and a new ventilation fan. The pool area and splash pad will remain closed during the event, as the park is still awaiting a health inspection visit to greenlight the reopening of these facilities.

Another CCC-built structure is the concession stand located at the summit of Morrow Mountain. For decades, the concession stand has not been used, but it was renovated to add electricity and new counters. A new wheelchair-accessible walkway to the summit concession stand has also been built.

Though separate from the Connect NC Bond project, the park also worked on updating and adding to the park's hiking and bridle trail system. Now at 54 miles open to hiking and 33 miles open to equestrians, the project utilized sustainable trail design to reduce environmental impact and make the trails safer.

The Connect NC Bond project totaled $9.1 million, with funding supplemented by the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and the State Repair and Renovation Fund. The trail project totaled $500,000, with funding from PARTF and the federal Recreational Trails Program grant.

The lead engineer for the bond project was Huffman Architects in Raleigh, with Charlotte-based Miles-McClellan Construction as the lead contractor. YRU Construction, based in Idaho, assisted with the trail work.

About North Carolina State Parks
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 262,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina's state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 19 million visitors annually.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina - its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.

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