John Flobrant
North Carolina has approved creation of a new public trail that combines hiking and paddling, offering a link between Chimney Rock State Park in Rutherford County, South Mountains State Park in Burke County, and the towns of Hickory and Valdese.
The Wilderness Gateway State Trail will be placed through Catawba and Burke counties and along the border that separates Rutherford and McDowell counties.
Part of the trail will follow the same route as the Overmountain Victory State Trail.
The trail was authorized by the General Assembly in July 2019 and signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper in January.
The trail should be about 100 miles long when finished.
The trail will include mountain biking and equestrian trails, and camping options are planned.
The paddle portion of the trail will cross the Henry Fork and Jacobs Fork Rivers.
Legislation provided no funding for the trail, but a trail support organization could be created to collect funds for trail development from grants and private donations.