Huntley Meadows Park Boardwalk to Close for Repairs

Bad news, birdwatchers: your weekly dose of boardwalking, chirps, and sweet songs will have to be postponed until the fall

's boardwalk will be closing for renovation and reconstruction in August, leaving many people without a place to connect to nature and peaceful daily strolls.

Huntley Meadows Park is the well-renowned prime spot for learning more about the environment and taking a close look at nature. Many visitors walk along the half mile wetland boardwalk trail and observation tower to see the Meadows' many guests including muskrats, beavers, frogs, and many species of birds.

The park will be closing the “loop section” of the boardwalk on August 1, and the second section of the boardwalk, the “tower section," will be repaired once the first section is completed.

“It is hard to say when all the repairs will be done, but we are hoping to be done at the end of September,” said Natural Resource Manager Dave Lawlor. “This will allow visitors back into the park at the beginning of October.”

Lawlor estimates around 200,000 to 250,000 people use the boardwalk a year, and he recalls the park's slowest season is the summer months. The association decided to make the repairs during the summer in order to cause limited inconvenience and to have it up and running again in the fall—the busiest time of year.

The park renovations also take in to account the annual migrations and breeding cycles of the birds and mammals. August and September were calculated to be the best months to do the reconstruction. 

The current boardwalk is 18 years old. According to the Huntley Meadows park website, the lifespan for pressure-treated lumber exposed to the elements is typically 15 years. All the existing boards are deteriorating and considered “dead.” In addition, the toe-rails are causing quite a safety hazard.

Despite the minor disruptions, Lawlor is very excited about the new boards being used for the renovation. The new decking will be made from 100 percent high density poly-ethylene (HDPE), 90 percent of which comes from recycled milk jugs.

“Our goal is to make everything maintenance friendly and to cause minimal disruptions to the environment and our visitors,” Lawlor said.

Ron Clabbers, an avid birdwatcher and weekly Huntley Meadows visitor, feels that the repairs are somewhat of an inconvenience to him and his fellow boardwalk lovers.

“I will not be able to see as much wildlife, but I am excited they are using recycled material for the repairs,” Clabbers said. Although the reconstruction is limiting, he said there is an additional trail available for him to walk on until the re-decking is finished.