Narrows, VA: Mill Creek Nature Park Trailhead Conceptual Site Master Plan

Narrows, Virginia is a small community of about 2,000 people located in Giles County off of Route 460 and near the narrowing of the New River. Within the mountains of Narrows is Mill Creek Nature Park, a park of about 145-acres. The park, which adjoins Jefferson National Forest, includes several trails of varying lengths for hiking and mountain biking as well as two waterfalls. The park also offers the opportunity to fish for native trout.

The trailhead for the park is about 1-acre and includes two parking areas, one of which is bordered by boulders on one side to keep vehicles away from overhead power lines, a picnic shelter with 4 picnic tables, a kiosk, a porta potty, and a gate for maintenance vehicle access.

The town would like improve the trailhead to make it more visually appealing, plan for additional parking in the future, and make the trailhead more functional. Initial ideas for improvements included park entry signage, wayfinding signage and branding for trails, installing a new single stall restroom in a different location than the porta potty, creating a formal path from the parking areas to the trails and the new restroom, landscaping with native plant materials, expanded parking for in the future, and the ability for one or two buses to be able to park and turn around.