HODGES GARDENS STATE PARK, FLORIEN, LOUISIANA R
iders at Hodges Gardens benefi t from the park’s southerly latitude with a few extra minutes of sunlight compared with our other destinations this month. Riders venturing onto the park’s trails will have just over 10 hours of daylight to explore the trails during the winter solstice on December 22.
Formal gardens and horse trails? While at fi rst glance the two may seem worlds apar t, at Hodges Gardens State Park in Louisiana, equestrian- friendly trails share the park with stun- ning terraced gar- dens, a magnifi cent lake and thousands of acres of replanted pine forest. T e park has a fascinating histo- ry. T e area of the formal gardens was once a barren
nt rock quarry, the entire park has
been clear-cut in the past and the lake that now forms a focal point is manmade. T e 900 acres of park space (225 of those acres are the lake) donated to the State of Loui- siana by the A.J. and Nona Trigg Hodges Foundation in 2007 is a testament to the preservation of the area’s natural beauty. Riders who visit this west-central Loui- siana location have the option of camping
or day riding on the 20-plus miles of trails at the park. All of the equestrian areas at the park are on the opposite side of the lake from the formal gardens and meander throughout the forest. Horse campers at the park will find
AVERAGE DECEMBER HIGH TEMPERATURE: 58° F
E
20 dedicated horse camping sites, which though somewhat primitive in nature— neither water nor electric hookups are avail- able—are still certainly comfortable and include two (with more on the way) corrals for stock. As with virtually all riding areas in Louisiana, riders are required to have current health papers (including a negative Coggins) for their horses and mules when they ride at the gardens. Bravo to the volunteers of the Louisiana
Equine Council who work on the trails here. Per the park management staff these hard working people are invaluable in maintain- ing the trails and keeping them open for trail riders.
G
GRIFFITH PARK, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA riffi th Park riders on the 22nd
Nestled in the middle of the sprawling metropolis that is Los Angeles, Griffi th Park covers an area of over 4,000 acres and holds the distinc- tion of being the largest municipal park containing an urban wilder- ness area in Amer- ica. Fortunately for trailblazers, a lat-
E ticework of trails and fi re
roads crisscross the park and are open for equestrian usage. T e park’s central location makes it a
great place for a day ride for riders across the region; indeed, day rides are the only option as there is no horse camping at the
E
TUXBURY
HORSE TRAILS, FRANCIS MARION NATIONAL
FOREST, SOUTH CAROLINA
H will be able to enjoy the warmest average temperature of
this month’s featured trail areas (a balmy 68 degrees!) but will have the shortest amount of time to do so with only 9 hours and 53 minutes of sunshine on the solstice.
park. Horse and mule riders here will have numerous riding oppor- tunities through the chaparral-cov- ered hills that form the varied ter- rain in this bit of wilderness in the city. A must visit area is Mount Hol lywood (sorry, this isn’t the home of the iconic Hollywood sign, although you can see those f amous nine let ters
f rom
the summit) whose s ides feature horse- friendly trai ls climbing to the summit.
AVERAGE DECEMBER HIGH TEMPERATURE: 68° F
orsemen out on the 22nd will have just under 10 hours to enjoy the Tux-
bury horse trail system. With an average December high temperatures in the low 60s, equestrian users throughout the Palmetto State who enjoy this area may well be able to ride in shirt sleeves as op- posed to the heavy coats and rain slickers prevalent in more northern climates.
Conveniently located near the city of Charleston, South Carolina in the Francis Mar- ion National Forest, the Tuxbury trail system uses abandoned railroad beds to transport, and in some places elevate riders, above the surrounding wetlands. Most of the trail lies on what used
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