Enterprise South Park

Today I got a grand tour of Enterprise South park from Lee Greene. He's the Park Superintendent for Hamilton County Parks and Recreation. Lee was more than gracious and he's just as excited about getting the park opened as I am to get on some new local trail to run (and that's pretty darn excited).

When you enter the park from Volkswagen Drive there is a beautiful Visitor Center on the right. This will serve as a place to welcome and inform visitors of what the park has to offer. The park sits on about 2800 acres of what was once the Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant. Although most of the ammunition bunkers have been removed, there are still 103 left on the property.  These will be numbered and plotted to be used as markers in case someone got lost, or just to serve as a point of interest.(i.e. meet me at the picnic area near bunker number....). Some of the bunkers serve as historical exhibits. We opened one just to take a peek. He warned me that snakes sometimes crawl out, so I stepped back a step or 10. No snakes came out, but Jiminy and all his other cricket homies were having a house party in there. There are some boxes marked "explosives" trying to recreate what may have been what it looked like inside. I can sleep at night now that  "entered a bunker" can be marked off my bucket list. :) Seriously, it's pretty cool especially if you grew up around here wondering what the heck was on the other side of the miles long fence on Bonny Oaks Drive.

There are many miles of woodland walking trails, roads for leisure riding/walking, mountain biking, trail running, and there is an ADA accessible trail as well. There are picnic areas scattered around, one is by a small lake. There are restrooms along the roadside. There is still much to look forward to in the future, as SORBA and the equine "powers that be" seek to build even more mountain bike trails and some horse trails on the property.  I had assumed the land was rather flat, but I was mistaken. The terrain is very rolling, and will make for a great workout.

Besides the beauty of the trails and trees there are more deer out there than you can shake a stick at. No wonder poachers have impeded the park opening....it's like a stocked deer farm in there. Around every corner there they were, like little hostesses waiting to say hello. They smile for the camera and then bound off just far enough to leave some space...then turn around just to see if you're still paying attention. Lee has been on the property enough to know the deer as families. He mentioned 3 brothers that he's watched grow up this year and how all family ties are severed now that it's mating season. I saw my first buck in pursuit today as well as well as my first bunker. Strange combination of firsts....

Opening date is close...it's not official yet, but should be the weekend before Christmas or the beginning of the year. Well done Hamilton County Parks and Recreation...there should be miles of smiles to be had on this beautiful property that has been sitting dormant for so very long....

~Wendy Oates