Of the many moments of revelation at the first annual Great Trails State Conference earlier this month in Winston-Salem, one came from Beth Heile during the closing ceremonies. Beth, pictured above (photo by Friends of Valdese Rec),is one of those folks who seems to be at least three people; among other things she’s a driver behind so many trail projects near her Burke County home and throughout the state. For our purposes we’ll simply refer to her as the founder and president of the Friends of the Valdese Rec, which supports a variety of trail projects in the community just east of Morganton.
Category Archives: NC State Trails
This weekend experience the future of N.C. hiking
Fall-like weather got you in a fall hiking mood? Perhaps a full day on the trail? Or, better yet, a full day on two trails?
You have that option this Saturday when the N.C. Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Hometown Strong initiative leads two hikes totaling 9 miles on two State Trails. The trails in question: the Fonta Flora State Trail west of Morganton and the Wilderness Gateway State Trail just south of Morganton. Let’s take those hikes in order.
This Saturday, go Deep and learn about N.C’s State Trails
Note: In addition to leading hikes and backpack trips, and maintaining this blog, I work for the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Hometown Strong initiative, which works to help communities in North Carolina’s 78 rural counties. Because North Carolina’s 14 State Trails spend most of their time in rural areas, I get to spend some of my time helping people learn more about them.
Discover North Carolina’s State Trails
How do you follow an event like Year of the Trail?
You don’t. But you do build on it.
The just-passed Year of the Trail was intended to promote North Carolina’s vast trail system. Hiking trails, sure, but paddling, biking and equestrian as well. Year of the Trail events were held in 94 of the state’s 100 counties, those events ranging from hour-long guided walks on local greenways to three-day festivals celebrating trails across the state. The ultimate sign of Year of the Trail’s success? When the concept was conceived by the state’s General Assembly in 2021, it included $29.15 million for trail development; in the budget passed this past fall, legislators allotted nearly twice that much for trail development in the next two years.