zaroba
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2011
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- 70
- Reaction score
- 15
- Location
- USA
- Can others edit my Photos
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This park isn't technically abandoned. It is a *huge* local park with many different parking areas and miles of trails but the national park service has decided to stop maintaining the grounds at this location, except for the main hiking trail that goes past it.
I kinda like this area of the park, it really shows how nature will take over areas no longer in use and gives it a bit of post-humanity feel. Its rare to see other visitors here due to the lack of side trails and the main trail that goes past is far easier to access from the other larger parking lots. It's not possible to directly see this area from the main trail either so I have to wonder how many people that are unfamiliar with the park walk past without knowing about the area. I don't exactly know when the park service decided to stop maintaining this area, but I know 10 years ago it was still well maintained.
On the flip side, I also don't visit this area often because it is bright, bright, bright. Not much cover from the sun in the wide open overgrown streets, fields, and parking lots. The trails that used to exist winding through the woods are all gone, reclaimed by nature so the choices are the bright formerly manicured grounds or the gravel main trail (which I don't really like).
At the only parking lot that still gets used, right inside the park gate. A lone bench sits against a circle filled with weeds and bushes. It used to have wildflowers in it and a few trails through it, there were a few benches in there as well.
Right inside the circle are a few little covered benches, sorta like mini-gazebos. Last year I went inside the circle to take a picture from the front of one but ended up picking burrs off my legs and clothing for 15 mins, so didn't bother this time.
One of the main driveways into the park from the lot.
Near the entrance, another old bench sits waiting to help out a weary walker.
The road leads past the old nature center.
Up the road a bit past the nature center is one of the old parking lots
It was like a large ring.
The center of the ring used to be mowed but it is now just filled with tall grass and weeds. Could see grasshoppers by the dozen hopping away as I walked by, along with dozens of sparrows, finches, and blue jays flying around.
The road continues back past the nature center and old lot...
...and leads to an old Auditorium...
...and an old bathroom, which has been "temporarily closed for repairs" for many years.
If there is an auditorium then there must be parking, right?
I wonder what is down this asphalt paved tunnel threw the weeds and trees?
Looks like I found an old parking lot, wildly over grown.
At the other end of the old lot is another road back to the main road
Another spot off the park road, the ground was all stones and gravel, so think it used to be a parking lot but has been completely reclaimed by nature.
An old picnic table in the process of being consumed by nature. Likely used to be the start of a trail.
Rows of benches set up like seating for small events.
I kinda like this area of the park, it really shows how nature will take over areas no longer in use and gives it a bit of post-humanity feel. Its rare to see other visitors here due to the lack of side trails and the main trail that goes past is far easier to access from the other larger parking lots. It's not possible to directly see this area from the main trail either so I have to wonder how many people that are unfamiliar with the park walk past without knowing about the area. I don't exactly know when the park service decided to stop maintaining this area, but I know 10 years ago it was still well maintained.
On the flip side, I also don't visit this area often because it is bright, bright, bright. Not much cover from the sun in the wide open overgrown streets, fields, and parking lots. The trails that used to exist winding through the woods are all gone, reclaimed by nature so the choices are the bright formerly manicured grounds or the gravel main trail (which I don't really like).
At the only parking lot that still gets used, right inside the park gate. A lone bench sits against a circle filled with weeds and bushes. It used to have wildflowers in it and a few trails through it, there were a few benches in there as well.
Right inside the circle are a few little covered benches, sorta like mini-gazebos. Last year I went inside the circle to take a picture from the front of one but ended up picking burrs off my legs and clothing for 15 mins, so didn't bother this time.
One of the main driveways into the park from the lot.
Near the entrance, another old bench sits waiting to help out a weary walker.
The road leads past the old nature center.
Up the road a bit past the nature center is one of the old parking lots
It was like a large ring.
The center of the ring used to be mowed but it is now just filled with tall grass and weeds. Could see grasshoppers by the dozen hopping away as I walked by, along with dozens of sparrows, finches, and blue jays flying around.
The road continues back past the nature center and old lot...
...and leads to an old Auditorium...
...and an old bathroom, which has been "temporarily closed for repairs" for many years.
If there is an auditorium then there must be parking, right?
I wonder what is down this asphalt paved tunnel threw the weeds and trees?
Looks like I found an old parking lot, wildly over grown.
At the other end of the old lot is another road back to the main road
Another spot off the park road, the ground was all stones and gravel, so think it used to be a parking lot but has been completely reclaimed by nature.
An old picnic table in the process of being consumed by nature. Likely used to be the start of a trail.
Rows of benches set up like seating for small events.
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