EXHIBIT 06: STATE TRAILS

The North Carolina Trails System Act (GS 143B135.90) defines a state trail as a linear corridor on land or water, separated from vehicular traffic, providing public access for non-motorized recreation or transportation. All state trails must be authorized by the NC General Assembly, and as units of the NC State Parks System they are distinguished from other regional and local trails. While NC Division of Parks and Recreation is responsible for the planning, coordination, and creation of a state trail, section sponsors build, maintain, and manage their sections of trail.

Four state trails are located in McDowell County: 1) Mountains-to-Sea, 2) Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, 3) Fonta Flora, and 4) Wilderness Gateway (see map, page right).

Mountains-to-Sea Trail

The planned Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) stretches approximately 1,400 miles across the state from Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the NC/TN border to Jockey’s Ridge State Park on the Outer Banks. The MST was proposed in 1977 and authorized by the NC General Assembly in 2000. Approximately 660 miles of the trail are constructed and designated with 300 continuous miles located in Western North Carolina. The McDowell County section of the MST spans approximately 22 miles and is located primarily on public lands managed by the National Park Service and US Forest Service.

Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail

The planned Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (OVNHT) is approximately 330 miles in length and is located in portions of Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The section located in North Carolina was authorized as a NC State Trail in 2019. The trail commemorates the route the patriot militia marched as they mustered to fight and defeat the British-led loyalist army at the Battle of Kings Mountain on October 7, 1780. In McDowell County there are approximately 26 planned miles along two routes of the OVNHT stretching from Little Switzerland and Heffner Gap along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Lake James. A short section of the trail is also located in the southeastern corner of the County.

Fonta Flora Trail

The Fonta Flora State Trail (FFST) will be approximately 100 miles long and connect Morganton to Asheville when it is complete. The NC General Assembly authorized the trail in 2015, and its route includes a loop around Lake James and connections through Lake James State Park, Marion, Old Fort, Black Mountain, and Pisgah National Forest. Approximately 16 miles of the Fonta Flora Trail are constructed and designated. A section of the FFST in western McDowell and Burke Counties co-aligns with the Overmountain Victory National Historic and State Trail. McDowell County has approximately 5 miles of existing and approximately 33 miles of planned FFST trail within its boundaries.

Wilderness Gateway Trail

The Wilderness Gateway State Trail was authorized in 2019 and is planned to meander along the border of Rutherford and McDowell counties before passing through Burke and Catawba Counties. The trail will connect Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail near Chimney Rock State Park, Box Creek Wilderness Area, South Mountains State Park, the Town of Valdese, and City of Hickory. A section of the Wilderness Gateway State Trail within McDowell County will co-align with the Overmountain Victory National Historic and State Trail, and it will follow a portion of the Upper Catawba River paddle trail in Catawba County. Approximately 35 miles of the trail are proposed within McDowell County.