HD54 - A Feasibility Study for the Establishment of a Horse Trail Connecting the Virginia Horse Center and the Homestead Hotel


Executive Summary:
House Joint Resolution 525 (Appendix I.) charged the Department of Conservation and Recreation with conducting a study to determine the feasibility of creating a horse trail joining the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington and The Homestead in Hot Springs. The Virginia Horse Center to The Homestead Horse Trail is an idea that has been gathering momentum for several years. The exciting success of the new Virginia Horse Center has demonstrated the amount of enthusiasm there is in Virginia for equestrian activities. Trail riding is a popular activity enjoyed by many horse owners. A popular competitive event is horse endurance rides that use trails like the one being proposed. Completion of this trail could bring competitors from across the country and around the world. The positive publicity and economic benefits to be derived from these events are significant.

The beautiful scenery and large blocks of publicly owned land in this corridor makes the setting for this horse trail very practical and attractive. The Jefferson and George Washington National Forest, Douthat State Park, and Goshen Wildlife Management Area provide large contiguous blocks of public lands through which to route the horse trail. Major components of the proposed trail have been identified on these public lands. Where private lands must be crossed, easements or rights-of-way will need to be acquired.

Two different types of trails are proposed by this study. The first is a horseback riding trail and the second is a wagon/carriage driving trail. The riding trail is almost 75 miles long. The driving trail is nearly 55 miles long. Two alternatives for the first segment of the riding trail have been identified. Opportunities for loops and side trips are plentiful. The potential for completing both trails is high.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation held four planning meetings with the Feasibility Study Steering Committee and one public input meeting to develop the findings of this report. The result of this analysis is that it is both feasible and desirable to develop a horse trail that connects the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington with the Homestead Hotel in Hot Springs. If developed and managed properly, this trail will become a popular resource for recreational trail riding as well as for competitive events. The high quality facilities at the Horse Center will be complimented by the addition of these trails. The resulting package will place the Commonwealth in the position of being able to compete on a national and international level to host equestrian competitive events such as the Pan Am Games and the Olympics.

FINDINGS

• It is both feasible and desirable to develop a horse trail that will connect the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington with The Homestead in Hot Springs.

• The trail should go through Douthat State Park.

• A route across approximately fifteen miles of private land between the Horse Center and Goshen Pass will have to be identified and developed. The route as temporarily identified lies on the shoulder of lightly traveled state roads in this eastern section. Two alternatives have been identified for the riding route in this section.

• Campgrounds and parking areas will need to be developed.

• Economic benefits will accrue to localities as private enterprises evolve to meet the need for lodging, food, and support services for trail riders.

• A 501-C-3 non-profit corporation should be formed to provide overall coordination, fund raising, recruiting of volunteers, publicity, programming, and operation of the trail. It is understood that it will take several years for the corporation to attain competency in all of these areas. A government agency will serve as the agency partner to assist in the interim.

• The Department of Conservation and Recreation should serve as the agency partner for the non-profit trail organization. The role of agency partner will require the addition of 5 new personnel to Douthat State Park’s staffing level. They will be charged with providing administration, development, engineering, environmental reviews, construction supervision, training, and law enforcement for the both the riding and driving trail. Douthat State Park will also need to provide administrative and support facilities for the horse trail staff.

• The trail should be developed in four phases.

1. First Phase should be an Environmental Impact Study and is estimated to cost $200,000. This study is required because so much of the trail will be located on federal lands.

2. Second Phase should be development of the majority of the trail on public lands and those private lands where leases have been conditionally approved. Necessary campgrounds and support facilities on public lands are included in this phase. This phase also includes the driving trail. This phase is estimated to cost $1,460,000.

3. Third Phase would involve development of the trail across private lands on the eastern end of the trail. Building community support for this corridor should begin now. This phase is estimated to cost $757,500.

4. The Forth Phase will develop the spur trails from Douthat to Clifton Forge and Covington. This phase is estimated to cost $ 200,000.

• In addition to the costs of construction, annual costs for staffing and operating the trail will be approximately $400,000, for DCR, and another $275,000, for the non-profit corporation. Annual maintenance costs are estimated at $50,000-$100,000 depending on weather, use levels, and amount of volunteer support available.

• The costs estimated above reflect a combination of two types of development costs. Where it is practical to expect that volunteers would do the work, costs are low. Where it is expected that the project will be undertaken by contractors, the estimates reflect 1999 costs. The combined figures are low because of the contributions expected from the volunteers who have already come forward with offers to help.

• The timetable for each phase of development is as follows:

Phase 1: 1.5 years
Phase 2: 2.5 years
Phase 3: 2.0 years
Phase 4: 2.0 years

Some of these phases and the time associated with them can run concurrently.