Report 6: The West Millbrook Trail of the Raleigh Greenway
Background:
For those visiting Raleigh or are new residents of Raleigh not be aware of the wonderful park system and the “Capitol Area Greenway.”
The “Capitol Area Greenway” is a project in process. Started in March 1974 by the city council of Raleigh it has a master plan to make sure that there is open space for residents throughout the city. It is being built one trail, park and community area at a time.
Today the city boasts of at least 46 miles of trails connecting many of the 3000 acres of park land. Over the next few years I plan to follow all of these trails and share my impressions.
After a good start with the master plan, the parks and trails were damaged badly in 1996 by Hurricane Fran. Although a lot of clearing and rebuilding had to occur the years immediately after the storm the city is well underway on its project to create links between the various greenways. Though many of the trails are not yet connected, those that are create wonderful off road access to many parts of the city, especially for bikers and runners.
The West Millbrook – Report 6
The West Millbrook Trail is one of those components of an otherwise great system that makes you shake your head in amazement; true astonishing amazement.
After meandering through the beautiful neighborhood along Morning Dove Dr. Passing green lawns, gorgeously kept flower beds and attractive stands of green lush trees I arrived at what is either the start or end point of the Greenway’s shortest trail. You have to pass a number of stop signs and a dead end sign to reach the objective. At least I did.
I have a reputation for being a bit slow on the uptake, and in this quest I was especially slow. Expecting the trail to follow a stream bed, as most greenway trails do, I missed the trail on the Mourning Dove side several times.
Hoping to find it from the Strickland Road side, I went where the map showed the parking for this trail. It was a middle school parking lot, with no obvious trail head.
I thought I might be mistaken but I am a very persistent old dude, so I went back to Mourning Dove and drove very slowly. A number of nice folks passed me with the obvious looks of “Sears needs to have a product recall on old folks licenses”.
I stopped at a path that had potential. It turned out to be a path between two neighborhoods. It was paved and of the right length. But it was not a part of the greenway.
I stopped at a stream that crosses under Mourning Dove but the stream had no trail, though I went to both sides of the road and checked to see if there might be an overgrown trail to follow. No such luck. I think I got some suspicious looks from the Community Watch people.
Next I proceeded to the absolute end of the street. The true dead end of Mourning Dove; the very end, with no more road to be followed. I knew it had to be near; there wasn’t any place left for it.
Sure enough at the corner of Mourning Dove Road and Heathfield Drive there was a clue; a brick staircase with a narrow bicycle ramp running up the side. There it was, the trail end or beginning depending on your interpretation of the situation.
I might not have noticed it as it coincides with the end of some brick work in front of several buildings. Fortunately for me, a rabbit was sitting there in front of the well hidden entry/exit. The rabbit hopped up the stairs to the Greenway; a little like the rabbit which led Alice in her adventures.
I was ready to go. I parked by tiny car and pulled out my trusty camera. A third of a mile of wondrous pathway lay ahead. I of course got a shot of the rabbit, before it disappeared into some foliage.
I walked up the concrete entry to the stairs. Up I went with my usual too fast pace, up the eight or so stairs beside the concrete bike ramp. The stairs were nicely built with brick, probably by experience craftsmen. On the sides of the stairs were a brick pillars on each side. This is not something you expect on a Greenway.
On the left side, after the pillar, there is a wooden fence the separates the pathway from someone’s yard. The fence is high enough to provide the folks there some privacy.
On the right side there is a short length of low brick wall followed by a length of brick posts. The first sets of posts have wooden beams to fence off the neighboring property. The remaining sets of posts have a simple heavy chain between brick posts to provide separation.
The trail is made up of cement slabs with those gravel type stones set in them; with a set of bricks separating the slabs every ten to twelve feet.
At the end of this pathway there is a sudden lack of trail. Here you are behind the middle school on Strickland. The trail sort of stops dead in its tracks, as you must.
To your left there is what looks like it may be a dirt trail. You can follow it for a few hundred feet, and then the potential trail ends.
To your right there is a less likely looking dirt trail, but it to ends with no potential for forgiveness.
The trail is supposed to be .3 tens of a mile and it may be. The paved portion is no where near that length. Where it is intended to go, right or left is not made clear by any signs. The most likely scenario is that the trail goes left (west) and connects to the tar path running along the side to the school parking lot.
It is unclear how this trail got into the Greenway system. A lot of money has clearly been spent on it by someone. In most areas this would be called an alley.
Though disappointing, this trail does have some merits. It connects the end of Raleigh Bicycle Trail number 14 to Strickland Road (if you cut through the school lot). It connects a densely populated neighborhood around Mourning Dove Road with a quick and easy access to the school along a relatively safe pathway.
Along Mourning Dove and the surrounding streets there are miles of well maintained sidewalks, so for the walker or stroller, the shortness of the Greenway trail is of no immediate consequence. The neighborhoods in this area are dotted with attractive houses on green lots with an abundance of trees. All over the neighbors can be seen neat well tended gardens and bushes. It may not be Greenway, but for those who love a pleasant stroll, walk, hike or bike ride, it can easily be as pleasant.
For nature lovers who must see a wild animal, I did see a wild rabbit. In fact it helped me locate one end of this well hidden trail. I also saw grey squirrels, cardinals, robins and some small birds I did not recognize.
Trees along this stretch of the Greenway came is several flavors. One I particularly like seeing is Cedar. Some folks don’t seem to care for these trees with the dark green foliage, but it always reminds me of summers at the lake where my grandfather built a cedar cabin. Cedar is great for keeping the insects at bay. It used to be used the way we use pressure treated wood today and it didn’t contain any nasty chemicals.
English Ivy filled the center of the pathway on one side. It was busy creeping up the side of a Long Leaf Pine if my identification is correct. There are maples, oaks, mulberry, dogwood, evergreens and hawthorn all in the length of little more than a football field. For those that like to see things and try to understand them, even a small trail like this can be a very interesting place.
This trail itself is suitable as either a cutover between streets or a small place to wonder at the magic of the world that has been created for us. The neighborhoods surrounding this little island of the Greenway system is worth a trip for the walkers, strollers, hikers and bike enthusiast who enjoys seeing the beauty that makes this city such a terrific place to live.
