Haw River State Trail
About the State Trail
The Haw River State Trail extends from the Haw River State Park in Rockingham County to Jordan Lake State Recreation Area in Chatham County. The 80-mile corridor will host both a paddle trail and a hiking trail, resulting in at least 160 miles of trail when completed. Historically, the Haw River provided power for numerous textile mills that were in the piedmont of North Carolina. The Haw River trail corridor contains a wide range of outstanding and unique natural, geological, cultural, and historic resources and provides habitat for several endangered and rare plant and aquatic species.
While it was authorized as a state trail in 2023, North Carolina’s Year of the Trail, efforts to develop Haw River Trail have been ongoing for nearly two decades. Alamance County Parks accomplished much of the early work on the trail and is the partner organization for the state trail, continuing their work developing this trail.
Trail Use
Partner Organization
Alamance County started development of the Haw River Trail in 2006. The Haw River passes through five counties and provides a rich history through the numerous textile mills from the 1800-1900s. When in operation, these mills dumped dyes and chemicals in the river and caused the public to see the Haw River in a negative light. With the creation of hiking trails and paddle accesses, as well as improved environmental restrictions, the Haw River is now a beautiful escape that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. It offers a variety of paddle opportunities from serene still waters to class 3 rapids.
The Friends of Haw River Trail Executive Board is composed of individuals from each jurisdiction and county along the Haw River Trail corridor. Four additional positions are filled by supporting friends groups and non-profits. There is continued work to connect land accesses to each other and create a contiguous hiking trail along the scenic views of the river. We hope to increase public awareness of the recreational opportunities that the trail offers through programs and events throughout the year.
About Partner Organizations
The legislation that created the Complete the Trails program requires that funds be distributed by the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation to a nonprofit partner for each trail. To be the recognized partner, an organization must have a Memorandum of Understanding with the Division and an approved 3- to 5-year plan for deploying the funds to develop the state trail.
As part of the Complete the Trail Program, each state trail partner organization was required to submit a five-year plan, outlining priorities and goals until 2027 for their trail. Excerpts from the plan are outlined below.
Capacity Building Fund Projects:
- Blueway guides
- Landowner outreach
- Project administration
- Printing costs
- Volunteer activities and necessary equipment