AN EXPANDING GREENWAY

PHOTO BY JILLYAN MOBLEY Wendy Patoprsty is the Director of the Middle Fork Greenway.

Middle Fork Greenway

Connecting Boone to neighbors through nature

BY JILLYAN MOBLEY

The Middle Fork Greenway is just one of the many reasons why Boone is so special and how the town helps the community connect with neighbors through nature.

Major progress has been made on the long anticipated Middle Fork Greenway that will connect Boone and Blowing Rock along one of the most popular rivers in the High Country.

According to the Blue Ridge Conservancy, The Middle Fork Greenway will be about six and a half miles connecting to the already existing Boone Greenway, creating more than 15 miles of contiguous trail. With the majority of the trail being a 10-foot wide asphalt path, some other locations will be slightly less wide at six to eight feet and made of natural surface trail to preserve and protect topography and the trout stream.

The trail will connect the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Mountain-to-Sea trail, Shoppes on the Parkway, Tweetsie Railroad, Mystery Hill, the hospital and three pocket parks, according to Blue Ridge Conservancy.

A group of volunteers began conversations about the Middle Fork Greenway in the mid-90s, said Wendy Patoprsty, Director of the Middle Fork Greenway. A feasibility study was conducted with several App State professors following the initial conversation. Then, more than a decade later in 2012, another feasibility study was done and then another this past year, Patoprsty said.

Patoprsty said the concept for the greenway was a “big picture” for a long time, but nothing can happen until the “fine tuning” happens. From the 90s til today, a lot

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of progress has been made, especially in the last seven years since the Blue Ridge Conservancy got involved.

Blue Ridge Conservancy began working with the NC Department of Transportation who funded the most recent feasibility study and found it was possible to connect Boone and Blowing Rock with this trail, Patoprsty said. So they began “diving into it inch by inch.”

Patoprsty said the conservancy has acquired about 85 acres from Boone to Blowing Rock along the Middle Fork River with the intention of people “coming out and connecting with the river, learning about the river, learning about our ecosystems and being a part of the environment that’s here.”

When creating trails, there are a lot of obstacles, Patoprsty said. Acquiring land from private land owners, working with the National Parks Service, approving grants through two town municipalities, requesting land access from Watauga County and applying for public grants while collecting private donations are just some of the steps needed to complete each portion of trail, Patoprsty said.

Through hard work and a lot of collaboration, just under two miles of the trail has been completed and addition mileage is in progress. Completed portions of the trail are open to the public and accessible through the US Hwy 321 Trailhead.

The Middle Fork River is one of the most popular trout fishing spots in the area, Patoprsty said, and now the land is public. Those who enjoy fishing no longer have to worry about trespassing on private land to access the area.

“When thinking historically, thinking about ‘how do we have mountaintops that don’t have houses and condos on them?’ They’re protected and they have either easements in place or protections that will limit the amount of development that can happen and that’s kind of why we all want to live here. People move here and flock here because of our natural resources so if

PHOTO BY JILLYAN MOBLEY The development of the Middle Fork Greenway gives public access to one of the most popular trout fishing spots in the area.

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FILE PHOTO More than 50 area residents, government officials, and business leaders gathered for a ‘ribbon tying’ ceremony, Aug. 18, at the recently completed section of the Middle Fork Greenway.

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all of our natural resources are private lands, then that means anybody can develop anything they want and that you have no access to that,” Patoprsty said. “Our mission is to protect land.”

The Middle Fork Greenway is funded by Watauga TDA, state grants, NC Land and Water Fund, NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, NC Division of Water Resources, NC Recreational Trails Program, numerous foundations including Wells Fargo, Truist, Bank of America, The Cannon Foundation, The Anne Cannon Trust and numerous private donations including those made through the Greenway Round-Up.

“This project and the Greenway could not be done without Watauga County, Town of Blowing Rock, Town of Boone, lots of state funders like Parks Recreation Trust Fund, but really Watauga County TDA and our local donors are what’s making this happen,” Patoprsty said. “It’s just really important to put local dollars into creating more public access. COVID taught us was that we all need to get outside for that peace of mind and sense of well being and so having spaces where you can go out and enjoy the trees and the birds and some quiet time, it’s just really important for all of us.”

Patoprsty said she believes connecting with nature helps people want to preserve nature, and one of the goals of the Middle Fork Greenway is to give people the opportunity to form that connection.

“Small, little connections has brought so much joy to so many people who come to visit us that on a larger scale, when you can get outside and have a positive experience in nature, that stays with you,” Patoprsty said. “I think getting outside and having a healthy mind and a healthy body helps you make those choices in life.”

FILE PHOTO Middle Fork Greenway project director Wendy Patoprsty outlines the six sections of the six miles of pathway to connect Blowing Rock and Boone for hikers, bicyclists, and runners.