Regional Trail Planning

The North Carolina Trails Program works on regional trail planning, partnering with councils of government (COG), agencies, counties, municipalities, nonprofit organizations and trail users across the state.

The goal is to have regional trail plans across the entire state. Currently, the Coastal Plain is the area that will need focus and regional trail plan development, while the Mountains and Piedmont have plans and are working on implementation and expansion of the system.

About the Map

This shows the 16 regional councils of North Carolina. Hover over the county to see which regional council it belongs to. If a regional trails plan is available (areas in darker colors), click to view the plan or map for that council of government. Regions depicted in lighter colors do not currently have a regional trails plan.

Please note that these plans are published on Issuu (a third-party publishing website) for the best viewing experience. By clicking into the map, you will leave the NC Trails website and be directed to Issuu's website.

State Trail Planning

In addition to regional trail planning, the Trails Program also manages state trail planning. While section sponsors build, maintain, and manage their section of a state trail — deciding on location, design, surface, permitted uses and amenities — Division staff are responsible for the overall corridor planning and coordination, as well as providing guidance and assistance to all section sponsors.

North Carolina State Trails