At its December meeting, the North Carolina Trails Committee selected 13 trail development projects and five safety and education projects to receive matching federal grants, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation announced. In addition, the committee recommended the official designation of the first access points on the new Haw River State Trail and four accesses on the Yadkin River State Trail.
"This annual funding from the federal government is key to continuing North Carolina’s distinction as the Great Trails State," said N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson. "Trail improvements, new trail development, and trail safety and education programs help residents and visitors take advantage of healthy and affordable outdoor recreation opportunities."
The selected projects include relocation of an off-road vehicle trail to make it more sustainable, updates to a paddle trail access, improvements to greenways, and construction on new trails. The projects range from a little over $54,000 up to the maximum of $100,000, with a total of over $1.2 million. The Safety and Education grants are around $5,000 each, totaling over $24,000.
In addition, the committee recommended to the DNCR Secretary the approval of the first designated access on the Haw River State Trail, on Brooks Bridge in Rockingham County, along a segment called High Rock Ford. The Haw River State Trail was authorized by the General Assembly in 2023. The committee also recommended official designations for four accesses on the Yadkin River State Trail:
• The boat access at Morrow Mountain State Park
• Donnaha Access in Yadkin County
• Moravian Creek Access in the town of Wilkesboro, and
• Ronda Memorial Park Access in the town of Ronda.
Together, these access points will add 13.6 designated miles to the Yadkin River State Trail.
"We are very excited to continue to make progress on the state trails," said Division Director Brian Strong. "These accesses allow the public to enjoy two of North Carolina's beautiful rivers, the Haw and the Yadkin. We appreciate the hard work that our state trail partners and section sponsors have put in to help us grow the state trails network in North Carolina."
State trails, a unit of the state parks system, epitomize partnerships. They are composed of multiple connected sections, and each section of the trail is sponsored by a state or federal agency, local government, or private landowner. Section sponsors build, maintain, and manage their section of the trail. Once a segment of trail or access is constructed within the planning corridor of a state trail, the section sponsor must apply for official state trail designation. Until the trail segment is designated, it is not part of the state trail.
The Division's Trails Program manages the federal Recreational Trails Program Grant from the Federal Highway Administration. The grant provides funding for construction of new trails, maintenance and repair of existing trails, land acquisition, purchase of trail tools, and planning, legal, environmental, and permitting costs. Safety and Education grants are a subset of the program and are awarded for safety and education instructor fees, speaker fees, displays, signage, and other uses. Federal, state, or local government agencies or qualified nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for the annual RTP grants.
The seven-member Trails Committee, appointed by the DNCR Secretary, advise the Trails Program on funding recommendations. Final determination on grant awards is made by the DNCR Secretary. The committee members represent various trail use communities across the state, including hiking, biking, paddling, equestrian, and off-road vehicles.
The Trails Committee also reviews designation applications for state trails and makes recommendations for the DNCR Secretary's final approval.
Grant recipients and awards are as follows:
Trail Development Projects
| Recipient | County | Project Name | Funds Awarded |
| U.S. Forest Service | Burke | 2024 Brown Mountain Off-Highway Vehicle Area Maintenance – Trail Relocation | $100,000 |
| U.S. Forest Service | Burke | Brown Mountain OHV Area Mini-Excavator – Trail Equipment | $100,000 |
| Town of Rolesville | Wake | Granite Acres Greenway Connection Project – New Trail | $100,000 |
| Alamance Parks (on behalf of Friends of Haw River State Trail) | Alamance, Guilford, Rockingham | Haw River State Trail Paddle and Land Trail Improvements – Greenway Facilities | $78,000 |
| Chatham County | Chatham | HRST Pegg Tract Improvements – New Trail | $100,000 |
| Blue Ridge Conservancy | Ashe | Northern Peaks State Trail Three Top Mountain Phase 1 – New Trail | $100,000 |
| Town of Sylva | Jackson | Pinnacle Park Recreation Trails – New Trail | $92,000 |
| Town of Boone | Watauga | NPST Rivers House Park – New Trail | $54,932 |
| Town of Rosman | Transylvania | Rosman Riverfront Park Phase 1 – New Trail | $100,000 |
| Catawba Lands Conservancy | Gaston | Spencer Mountain Trail Construction – New Trail | $100,000 |
| Cleveland County Water | Cleveland | Stagecoach Greenway Narrows Segment – New Trail | $100,000 |
| City of Rocky Mount | Nash | Sunset Park New Multi-Use Natural Surface Trail, Joint Trailhead and Renovation of Sunset Tar River | $100,000 |
| Camp Grier | McDowell | Woods Mountain Trail Restoration | $100,000 |
| TOTAL | $1,224,932 |
Safety and Education Grants
| Recipient | County | Program Name | Funds Awarded |
| Dan River Basin Association | Caswell, Rockingham, Stokes | Public Water Safety Classes for Recreational Boaters | $5,000.00 |
| McDowell County | McDowell | McDowell Trails Tool and Education Fund | $4,960.48 |
| McDowell Tech Community College | McDowell | McDowell Tech Trail School | $5,000.00 |
| Carolina Mountain Club | Buncombe, Haywood, Madison | Certification of CMC Sawyers | $4,900.00 |
| Camp Grier | McDowell | Usability and Sustainability Program for Volunteer Trail Crew | $4,988.41 |
| TOTAL | $24,848.89 |
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.