WAKE COUNTY, N.C. — A new 571-acre preserve will primarily serve as an equestrian and hiking trail facility, the Wake County Board of Commissioners announced Tuesday.
The board approved a $2 million construction contract with McQueen Contruction of Bahama, N.C. to build Procter Farm Preserve located between Doc Proctor and Riley Hill Roads. The property is currently a mix of forest and working farmland near Knightdale, Wendell, and Zebulon.
“Procter Farm Preserve will provide another option in Wake County for people to enjoy horseback riding and other recreational pursuits,” said Chris Snow, director of Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space. “We’re very excited to get started on this unique project.”
The amount approved by the county will pay for the construction of roughly six miles of trail in the first phase of the project, which will also include:
- A parking area for cars and vehicles with horse trailers
- Picnic facilities
- Informational and trail signage
- A constructed wetland to treat stormwater runoff from the parking area
- Native plants throughout the landscape
Work is expected to begin in late March, and the preserve should be open to the public by the end of 2020 or early 2021. Proctor Farm Preserve will be the county's third preserve.
The total cost of the project will be around $2.3 million.