Mozingo's new horse trail camp site almost ready

New campsites on the west side of Mozingo Lake designed especially for campers riding the park's Equestrian Trail are nearly complete and will soon be opened to the public.

Thirteen RV pads have been laid out near the trail's entrance and are equipped with electricity, restrooms and showers.

After almost a year of construction, the Mozingo Lake staff has only a few minor chores to finish before declaring the project competed.

Newly hired park Supervisor Grant Evans, who inherited the project in January, said all water and sewer infrastructure is complete and functioning.

"It's coming along really well," Evans said. "We've made a lot of progress recently, and we're almost ready to wrap it up."

Remaining tasks include installing horse tie-ups at individual sites and some cleaning.

The seven-mile trail, also on the west side of the lake, needs some work as well. Crews still need to install culverts at several creek crossings and trim back some overgrown trees.

This project has been in the works for almost two years, beginning with discussions and grant applications. Fully funded through a grant, Evans hopes the trail will prove popular with area horse folk.

"We hope to expand the trail a little bit every year," Evans said. "I don't know if it will ever go all the way around the lake because there are some difficult spots. But we hope to continue extending it."

Besides finishing up construction, there are also some other issues to resolve, including setting a pricing structure for the RV pads. Evans said the city, which owns and operates Mozingo, has not determined whether equestrian campers will be charged the same rates as those who camp on the other side of the water.

Another question is whether to require reservations or make the sites available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Evans said that he hopes to have the sites open in early August.