Friends keep trails and bridges maintained at Lake Malone State Park

As the weather warms and winter becomes a distant memory, it’s time to head to the lake! Lake Malone is a gem of a jewel right here in our backyard, and the Friends of Lake Malone do their best to keep the trails and bridges tidy and ready for the season’s hikers.

With more than three miles of meandering trails, the Lake Malone State Park offers a great spot for a day trip or a quick break in nature from anywhere in the county. These easy-rated trails are kid-friendly, and provide picturesque views overlooking the lake, as they wind their way through pine forest, along rock walls, and across bridges that span creeks and waterways.

One of the best spots on the trail is the waterfall on Twisted Tree trail. Friends of Lake Malone former president Donald Phelps said it’s his favorite spot. “The creek starts up in the hills and hollers, and it comes down, and it’s really beautiful, that’s the reason I like it,” he said. The Friends have placed a few donated benches there to sit and watch the water and take a break.

Since its inception at a meeting at the old country store in 2009, the Friends have worked to make the lake and state park a place to go to escape to nature. Formally incorporated as a non-profit organization in 2012, the Friends have grown to more than 80 members, some from that first meeting more than a decade ago.

The group’s mission is “to help maintain and improve Lake Malone State Park so everyone can enjoy its natural beauty and wildlife through community events and volunteer service.” Their main focus is currently on trail maintenance, said secretary of the club, Jerry Hargrove.

“Some of our trails we picked up from old wagon trails, where people lived and traveled the roads,” said Phelps. Before the man-made lake was created, there were roads that led through the valley, Phelps said. Now, they are wide and fairly easy to navigate but still a bit rugged in areas.

The Friends also host several events at the park each year, between opening day in mid-March to closing for the winter in mid-November. They host an annual Easter Egg Hunt the weekend before Easter, a tractor show in August, and a Halloween Bash, which is extending to two weekends in October this year.

The Tractor Show at Lake Malone State Park was the first event the group decided to put together, and it’s now grown to a favorite for locals and visitors alike. It will be returning August 13 and 14, with camping, food, refreshments, and a flea market.

“Our Halloween chairman is Tammy Forgy, and she does a wonderful job on it, there’s something new every year,” Hargrove said.

They also sell split firewood to people camping in the state campground.

The Friends of Lake Malone are always ready to welcome new members, and they are hoping to attract some younger people to lend a hand. “It’s just a good group of mostly elderly people,” said Hargrove. “We don’t have very many young people get involved, but we’d love to get everybody involved if we could.”

The Friends of Lake Malone meet once each month, on the third Thursday at Rosewood United Methodist Church, at 2435 State Route 973, just a few miles from the park’s entrance. They have an active Facebook page, and for information about how to donate to their organization, or join as a volunteer, call Jerry Hargrove at 270-772-3294.