The North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation announced that it has awarded $6.6 million in grants for 17 land acquisition projects on state trails in nine counties. The funding comes from the Complete the Trails Program and will leverage more than $42.9 million in matching funds provided by local nonprofit state trail partners.
Additionally, four projects were selected to receive a total of over $394,000 through the Connecting Communities to State Trails (CCST) grants, a subset of the Complete the Trails funding. These grants will leverage over $230,000 in matching funds and help communities with less than 25,000 residents develop trails and trail amenities that will connect to state trails.
“Trails bring incredible benefits to rural communities, boosting tourism and economic development,” said N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary D. Reid Wilson. “This generous funding made possible by the General Assembly and Governor Roy Cooper will help transform the state trails system in the Great Trails State.”
The Complete the Trails Program (CTP) was created through 2021 legislation that provided an unprecedented level of funding — $29.25 million — for official state trails in North Carolina. Additional funding of $5 million was added in 2023. CTP funds are being used for land acquisition, capacity building, trail development, and small community grants.
Recipients of the CTP land acquisition funding are the nonprofit partners identified for each state trail. In the case of the CCST grant, low-population municipalities within 6 miles of an existing or planned state trail segment were eligible to apply. A second round of funding for the CCST grant will be announced in the coming months at trails.nc.gov.
“State trails in North Carolina have grown tremendously over the last few years, and that growth would not be possible without generous funding from the state and the incredible work that our state trail partners have been doing on the ground,” said State Parks Director Brian Strong.
There are 14 state trails authorized by state law, including seven land-based trails, four paddle trails, and three that are a combination of paddle and land-based trails. The planned mileage for the system is over 3,800 miles. Over 34 state parks, state natural areas, and state recreation areas host or are adjacent to state trail segments.
Complete the Trails Program Land Acquisition Grants
| Recipient | State Trail | Acquisition Project | County | Grant Amount |
| Piedmont Land Conservancy | Deep River State Trail | Ellis | Chatham | $500,000 |
| Blue Ridge Land Conservancy | Northern Peaks State Trail | Mitchell | Ashe | $136,300 |
| MountainTrue | French Broad River State Trail | Everett Road River Access/Campsite | Transylvania | $189,376 |
| Blue Ridge Land Conservancy | Northern Peaks State Trail | Crutcher | Ashe | $317,500 |
| Alamance County | Haw River State Trail | Alston Quarter | Alamance | $500,000 |
| East Coast Greenway Alliance | East Coast Greenway State Trail | Durham-to-Roxboro Rail Trail | Durham | $1,000,000 |
| Friends of Mountains-to-Sea Trail | Mountains-to-Sea State Trail | Oak Ridge | Guilford | $290,000 |
| Friends of Mountains-to-Sea Trail | Mountains-to-Sea State Trail | West Roseboro | Sampson | $64,000 |
| Friends of Mountains-to-Sea Trail | Mountains-to-Sea State Trail | Pondberry Bay Preserve South #3 | Sampson | $78,500 |
| Friends of Mountains-to-Sea Trail | Mountains-to-Sea State Trail | Pondberry Bay Preserve South #2 | Sampson | $53,500 |
| Friends of Mountains-to-Sea Trail | Mountains-to-Sea State Trail | Pondberry Bay Preserve South #1 | Sampson | $98,500 |
| Friends of Mountains-to-Sea Trail | Mountains-to-Sea State Trail | Buffalo Shoals Road | Rutherford | $528,500 |
| Friends of Mountains-to-Sea Trail | Mountains-to-Sea State Trail | Neuse River Rose Dairy | Johnston | $900,000 |
| Friends of Mountains-to-Sea Trail | Mountains-to-Sea State Trail | Neuse River Lowgrounds | Johnston | $500,000 |
| Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina | Wilderness Gateway State Trail | Hickorynut Mountain - Phase 1 | McDowell | $1,000,000 |
| Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina | Wilderness Gateway State Trail | Micol Creek | Burke | $55,908 |
| Friends of Mountains-to-Sea Trail | Mountains-to-Sea State Trail | Holly Shelter | Pender | $115,000 |
| TOTAL | $6,327,084 |
| Recipient | State Trail | Project | County | Grant Amount |
| Town of Fletcher | French Broad River State Trail | Connecting the Heart of Fletcher to the French Broad River State Trail | Henderson | $100,000 |
| Town of Mayodan | Dan River State Trail | Washington Mill Trail and River Access | Rockingham | $94,920 |
| Town of Ossipee | Haw River State Trail | Reedy Fork Park and Trails | Alamance | $100,000 |
| Town of Spencer | Yadkin River State Trail | Grants Creek Blueway Trailhead | Rowan | $100,000 |
| TOTAL | $394,920 |
About North Carolina State Parks
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 262,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 19 million visitors annually.
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.