Equestrian-Hiking Trail Opens In Shelby Forest November 8, 2008 by Nancy Brannon The Meeman-Shelby Forest Trail Savers trail project is completed and the grand opening was held November 8, 2008. Hikers and horseback riders now have access to a six mile, six-foot wide trail that runs through the park and routes alongside the scenic Poplar Tree Lake. There’s also a picnic area at Poplar Tree Lake. The trail begins and ends at the Park’s stable facility, closed since the rental horse-back riding business closed in 1996. The stable will not be used for horse stabling, but there is water available and public restrooms at the site. In 2006, the MSF Trail Savers group was chosen out of hundreds of applicants to receive a federal grant to build an equestrian trail in Meeman-Shelby Forest. To build the trail properly, they hired trail building expert Professor Gene Wood of Clemson University to design and oversee its building, and make sure the design would be resistant to erosion. The grant of over $77,000 covered the costs of materials, equipment and trail-building expertise of Dr. Wood. Volunteers from the MSF Trail Savers provided the labor to construct the trail. The resulting trail has several wooden bridges built over ditches; the trail is sloped for proper drainage; and elevation changes on the trail are minimized to prevent erosion. Founder and President of MSF Trail Savers, Linda Dennington, was very excited about the grand opening. “The forest ride is serene and beautiful,” she said. “It’s nice that the public has a place to go. Your stress just drains out when riding through it. We want the horse community to know that it’s open so it can be well used.”