WTF Happened to the Wake Forest XC Trails?

They are building an indoor football practice facility. Hard to tell whether that part of the running trails will be restored after construction is finished. For now, you can get on to the trails by going to the end of Faculty Drive. About half of the trails - particularly the part next to the stream - is still open and usable.

Ahhhh! Good old college football at it again.

And with Wake Forest being such a big football school, this is obviously a great decision. Rip down old growth forest for a brand new indoor football facility... in the crazy extreme weather of... North Carolina.

Bill, are you a WFU guy? Was this a controversial decision?

Man, I ran races on those trails in college, I warmed up on those trails during track meets in college.

I ran those trails when I was in my PhD program at Wake.

That would really suck if they destroy them.

Too MUCH SNOW in NC wrote:

Ahhhh! Good old college football at it again.

And with Wake Forest being such a big football school, this is obviously a great decision. Rip down old growth forest for a brand new indoor football facility... in the crazy extreme weather of... North Carolina.

Bill, are you a WFU guy? Was this a controversial decision?

Wake Forest Law School '77. Not sure whether the plan was controversial within the University. They certainly didn't ask the general community what it thought of the plan; they just announced it and started cutting down trees.

Bill Walker is a good man. I wanted to add this editorial to the thread, written by Chris Geis:

http://www.journalnow.com/opinion/columnists/chris-geis-wake-forest-s-new-practice-complex-will-come/article_2a68c6ec-26f3-11e4-9489-0017a43b2370.html

Judging from the comments, it seems like it was pushed through rather quietly and quickly. Sad. New coaches get pretty much whatever they ask for (and then some).

That part of campus is (was?) a true gem.

That's a shame. At USF, they cut down to 1.3 miles what used to be a 4.5 mile forested trail to build a soccer stadium, football practice fields, and a baseball/softball stadium. When you measure the health results of a spectator culture in which everyone watches football instead of exercising, against a truly valuable, healthful, lifelong activity like running, it is maddening. And that major league sports attempt is not going to succeed at 99% of universities.

jjjjjjjjj wrote:

That's a shame. At USF, they cut down to 1.3 miles what used to be a 4.5 mile forested trail to build a soccer stadium, football practice fields, and a baseball/softball stadium. When you measure the health results of a spectator culture in which everyone watches football instead of exercising, against a truly valuable, healthful, lifelong activity like running, it is maddening. And that major league sports attempt is not going to succeed at 99% of universities.

Dang. It is not like Tampa, FL had many forested trails to begin with.

jjjjjjjjj wrote:

That's a shame. At USF, they cut down to 1.3 miles what used to be a 4.5 mile forested trail to build a soccer stadium, football practice fields, and a baseball/softball stadium. When you measure the health results of a spectator culture in which everyone watches football instead of exercising, against a truly valuable, healthful, lifelong activity like running, it is maddening. And that major league sports attempt is not going to succeed at 99% of universities.

At least these were cut down for actual sports arenas. I mean, I am not sure what other options they had, but you can at least understand the need for the stadiums. At Wake Forest they are building an indoor football practice field. Winston-Salem get shot, no doubt, but there is no need for an indoor practice facility. Wake has plenty of weight rooms and other training facilities.

But here is the kicker:

At Wake Forest, they own acres and acres of blighted land surrounding the football stadium. It is literally a bunch of dilapidated buildings and parking lots. Looks terrible and no one can develop it because it is owned by the university. Instead of building there, they continue to cut down 300-year-old oak forests to build new facilities. It doesn't make any sense.

Build a few dorms, buildings and athletic facilities over near BB&T Field. Add a nice pedestrian bridge over University Parkway and you have doubled the size of your campus while at the same time answered the question of how to improve the area around that side of campus.

I live in WS but went to school elsewhere. I have had this discussion with plenty of WFU grads and most are unhappy. It just doesn't make any sense.

Hexagonal Decathlete wrote:

Winston-Salem get shot

Should read: "Winston-Salem gets hot."

You can enter the trails from the end of Faculty by University or run up the road towards the "Barn" on-campus and fit between the caution tape and the low wooden fence on the left side. Except for the clear-cut logging site (which is totally depressing) and the small loop near the field across from the Water Tower, the rest of the trail is intact.

Given the cost of moving all that dirt, word on the street is that the excess dirt will be used to improve the existing trails. We'll see.....

There is a wellness push on campus (Reynolds Gym is going to be renovated, which will include tearing down the on-campus tennis arena). Whether that wellness agenda extends to the trails is a different matter.

For what it's worth, I've been told that WFU Athletics intends to restore the trails once the construction is finished.

Bill Walker wrote:

For what it's worth, I've been told that WFU Athletics intends to restore the trails once the construction is finished.

Great news! Thanks Bill.