Northern Peaks State Trail aims to connect community with conservation as Year of the Trail starts in 2023

The Amphibolite Mountains include popular overlooks and hiking destinations, including Howard Knob, Snake Mountain, Elk Knob, The Peak, Three Top Mountain, Paddy Mountain and Mount Jefferson.

The Watauga County Commissioners adopted a resolution of support for the trail following a presentation by Northern Peaks State Trail Coordinator Jordan Sellers.

Sellers said the final route has yet to be determined, but the trail will only go through land managed or owned by “willing and cooperative” landowners.

The presentation slides presented by Sellers stated that the intention of the Northern Peaks State Trail is to “connect people to nature and the importance of conservation” by educating users on invasive species, the unique elements of the Amphibolite Mountains and hose to practice ‘Leave No Trace’ principles.

The overall objective of the trail is the same as the mission of Blue Ridge Conservancy: to protect land.

“It will provide us an opportunity to connect habitats and expand the corridor of protected land along the Amphibolites,” Sellers said.

The planned trail was designated as a State Trail in 2019 and in 2022, funding for a biological survey and trails coordinator were secured.

"Our priority with the NPST is to protect the places we love while encouraging the public to enjoy them responsibly," Sellers said. "We are conducting a biological survey of the entire proposed route before any other planning occurs. While all public trails in North Carolina undergo environmental review, this sort of extensive biological survey is not required nor the norm. No other state trail is doing this for the entire route, to my knowledge. At BRC, we understand that there are sensitive habitats along the Amphibolites and are doing all that we can to route the trail away from these areas in order to minimize human impact."

The Parks and Recreation Trust Fund awarded Elk Knob State Park $3.4 million for the Northern Peaks State Trail, which will be used for four-and-a-half miles of the north side loop, some miles of the south side portion, a north side study and a 2023 groundbreaking for the trail’s construction.

"The most exciting moment with the trail so far has been receiving word that Elk Knob State Park was awarded $3.4 million from the NC Parks and Rec Trust Fund to build the Northern Peaks State Trail in the park," Sellers said. "That kind investment and support from our partners, particularly State Parks Director Dwayne Patterson, is extremely encouraging and really gets the ball rolling for the entire project."

Sellers said the study is currently being completed on Three Top Mountain and preliminary planning for the Paddy Mountain Park and trail system are in the works.

"There is so much happening with the trail in 2023," Sellers said. "We are hoping to break ground on a four to five mile loop on the north side of Elk Knob State Park, renovate portions of the existing trails in Elk Knob, begin trial planning and design for the Three Top Mountain section of the trail and pursue funding opportunities for the Paddy Mountain Park in West Jefferson."

The Northern Peaks State Trail is one of many projects working toward the Blue Ridge Conservancy’s mission of protecting public land. The Blue Ridge Conservancy works in seven counties in the northwest region of North Carolina and has protected 23,012 acres in 255 places, according to the organization.

One of the organization’s other current projects is the development of the Middle Fork Greenway, a planned six-and-a-half mile greenway that will connect downtown Boone and Blowing Rock.

Along with progress of these local trails in 2023, the Great Trails State Coalition announced the launch of the 2023 North Carolina Year of the Trail campaign to “celebrate and draw attention to North Carolina’s vast network of trails, greenways, and blueways.”

According to the Great Trail State Coalition, North Carolina Year of the Trail is the largest statewide celebration of trails and outdoor recreation in state history and will firmly establish North Carolina as “The Great Trails State.”

In 2021, North Carolina’s General Assembly passed a bill designating 2023 as Year of the Trail.

“The bill makes law recognizing and celebrating North Carolina’s comprehensive network of public trails and greenways constructed and managed by local, State, and federal agencies and nonprofit partners,” stated the Great Trail State Coalition. “Trails and greenways are a vital part of community infrastructure, providing significant health, economic and transportation benefits, and are the cornerstone of North Carolina’s $11.8 billion outdoor recreation industry.”

Working collaboratively with NC State Parks, the NC Department of Transportation and other partners across the state, the Great Trails State Coalition said they developed a campaign to share content about the positive impacts of trails.

"The mission of the Year of the Trail is to inspire all North Carolinians and visitors to try trails, to demonstrate the importance of trails, to encourage responsible use of trails and to advance diversity and inclusion of trails in North Carolina," Sellers said. "Constructing the NPST will give the public access to ecologically significant and beautiful lands that haven't been easy to explore before, it will connect our mountain communities of Boone and West Jefferson, and ultimately I believe the NPST will be one of the most unique and inspiring hiking trails in the region."