Friends of Morrow Mountain State Park

Attached were some pictures taken today. You can find them in our Photo Album.

Thank you so much for your interest in Morrow Mountain State Park and our recovery from the June 13 storm. At this time, Division of Parks and Recreation personnel have cleared much of the park roads and utilities of downed timber and dangerous trees. Most of the lower picnic area, the boathouse area, the pool, and loops A and B of the campground have been cleared of debris, though there are still multiple hazardous hanging limbs that will have to be addressed by tree surgeons. Park staff and volunteers have cleared the Campground to Pool Trail, Three Rivers Trail, Laurel Trail, parts of the Falls Mountain Trail, and are currently completing some very technical and dangerous snag removal on the Quarry Trail. The balance of the trails have been included in a bid package that has been shared with appropriate contractors. Depending on the bid price on each of the individual trails, we will determine whether the contractors will be performing the remaining trail work, or if we will clear other trails with park staff and volunteers.

Park staff are currently concentrating on clearing/repairing the campgrounds, cabin areas, septic systems, fresh water systems, the park office, museum, and other structures. In addition to extensive structural damage to Cabin 4 and damage to the roofs of the Museum and Park Office/Lodge; multiple park signs, gates, picnic tables, grills, lantern hooks, trash cans and trash can racks were destroyed or damaged by falling trees. Two septic fields were damaged by the storm and a water main was cut. We are currently surveying the under-road drainage culverts as we know that some were crushed or disrupted by upturned root balls. Due to the extremely wet weather, the working conditions are hazardous at best with slippery saturated soils, weakened tree rooting due to wet conditions, multiple hanging limbs, damaged leaning trees, etc. New trees are falling daily. As soon as we are able to make a significant portion of the park safe to open to the public, we will be advertising additional volunteer days through the Stanly News and Press, local radio stations, and other media outlets.