The Northern Virginia Daily

Article date: March 18, 2008

Parks and picnics

Plans under way to transform Luray boat landing into recreation area

By: Jessica Coleman

The town and Warren County are collaborating to bring a new recreation area to residents.  Plans for a revamped Luray Avenue boat landing are in the works, to include better access to the Shenandoah River, spruced up landscaping, improved lighting, more parking facilities, a picnic area, and a new concrete boat ramp.

“We’re all excited about this coming to fruition after years of talking about it,” said Mayor James M. Eastham, who noted that the landing is part of the Where the Mountains Meet the River plan for trails that was created in the mid-1990s and then never implemented.

But more recently, Eastham said, there has been an increased awareness and excitement about the plan, particularly at the Luray Avenue boat landing.  Eastham, who owned about 16 acres around the site, said he donated the land to the county to create this recreation area. 

“Here we are, the canoe capitol of the state, but our river access has been rudimentary at best,” Eastham said.  “So this will provide nice access.”

The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has committed to providing a boat ramp and improving the gravel area leading to the Shenandoah River, said Town Manager Michael Graham.  And canoeists will also be able to use the site for river access.

The town has agreed to create a biking and walking trail leading from the police station on Main Street down Luray Avenue to the boat landing.  Graham said the town will also be working with the Front Royal/ Warren County Tree Stewards to improve the landscaping.   Additional lighting and a new picnic barbecue will be also be contributed by the town.  Graham said he hopes to have the town’s portion completed as soon as possible.

“We’re looking to start construction right away, once we get the proper county permits,” he said.  “We’re pushing to have this done by June 1.”

About $35,000 was built into the budget this year for trails and the boat landing project, he said.  He estimated the cost of the town’s portion to be about $20,000.

But the main expense will be labor, Graham added.  “There’s very little material cost.”

The county has dedicated resources to fund a parking lot that will allow boat trailers and cars to be parked at the site, Graham said.  County Administrator Douglas Stanley said he hopes to begin construction on the parking lot by this spring.  This is also part of the county’s parks and recreation master plan, he said.

Eventually, the county also plans to add a dog park, multipurpose fields and a trail along the river that would tie into the town’s trail system and would link up to the nature conservancy portion of the Avtex site.  Although Stanley said the county had planned to build the parking lot anyway, he is glad the two entities were able to work together to create a recreational area for residents.

“We’re glad to partner with the town and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to provide some public access to the river,” Stanley said.

Graham said he thinks the new boat landing park will be good for tourists and residents alike, creating a new appreciation for the natural resources the area has to offer.

“It’s driving awareness to the river,” Graham said.  “It’s a win win for everyone.”

Tourism Director Jennifer Keck said she thinks the new recreation area will be a welcome addition for the whole town, not just tourist.  Keck said she is planning an event, probably a river cleanup, to coincide with the opening of the park.

“[It] isn’t for the tourist, it’s for the community,” she said.  “But it’s obviously going to help tourism, too, by being another asset we have.”