2021 State Trail Designation Applicants
The following applied for designation as a North Carolina State Trail section and were approved in 2021.
East Coast Greenway applicants
The East Coast Greenway connects 15 states and 450 cities and towns for 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida. The East Coast Greenway State Trail, authorized in 2021, includes both the spine and complementary route of off-road trail in North Carolina. This state trail is planned to be 795 miles long.
The City of Durham has applied for state trail designation for its 11.6-mile portion of the American Tobacco Trail. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on this trail.
The City of Durham has also applied for state trail designation for the 2.5-mile Ellerbe Creek Trail. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on this trail.
The City of Fayetteville has applied for state trail designation for its 6.8-mile Cape Fear River Trail. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on this trail.
The Town of Carolina Beach has applied for state trail designation for its 1.2-mile Carolina Beach Island Greenway. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on this trail.
The Town of Emerald Isle has applied for state trail designation for its 10-mile Emerald Isle Bicycle and Pedestrian Path. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on this trail.
The City of Greenville has applied for state trail designation for three segments of its Greenville Way, totaling 6.3 miles. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on this trail.
The City of Jacksonville has applied for state trail designation for its 7.9-mile LeJeune Trail and Greenway. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on this trail.
The City of Raleigh has applied for state trail designation for five trails, totaling 21.1 miles:
- Reedy Creek Trail, 3.2 miles
- Rocky Branch Trail, 2.8 miles
- Little Rock Trail, 0.9 mile
- Walnut Creek Trail, 7 miles
- Neuse River Trail, 7.2 miles
Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on these trails.
The City of Wilmington has applied for state trail designation for four trails, totaling 16.4 miles:
- Military Cutoff Trail, 2.4 miles
- Gary Shell Cross-City Trail, 9.8 miles
- Greenfield Park Trail, 1.8 miles
- River Road Trail, 2.3 miles
Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on these trails.
The Town of Clayton has applied for state trail designation for its 3-mile Sam's Branch Greenway. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on this trail.
The Town of Cary has applied for state trail designation for their Black Creek and White Oak greenways. Together, they are 12.4 miles long. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on these trails.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation and Camden County have applied for state trail designation for the 3-mile Dismal Swamp Canal Trail in South Mills, N.C. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on this trail.
Fonta Flora Applicants
The Fonta Flora State Trail, authorized in 2015, will connect Morganton to Asheville and circle Lake James. This state trail is planned to be 100 miles long.
Burke County has applied for state trail designation for two additional segments of trail in the Lake James Loop, totaling 1.3 miles. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on this trail.
North Carolina State Parks has applied for state trail designation for the 3-mile Copper Ridge Trail, constructed and managed by the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on this trail.
McDowell County has applied for state trail designation for a 0.4-mile trail segment in Greenlee Park. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on this trail.
Lake James State Park has applied for state trail designation for the 7-mile segment in the park's Long Arm Peninsula. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on this trail.
MST Applicants
The Mountains-to-Sea State Trail, North Carolina's first state trail, stretches from Clingman's Dome on the Tennessee border to Jockey's Ridge State Park at the Atlantic Ocean. When completely constructed, this trail will be 1,400 miles long.
Hanging Rock State Park has applied for state trail designation for parts of Tory's Den Trail, Moore's Wall Loop Trail, and Indian Creek Trail. Together, these segments are 7.5 miles long. Hiking use is permitted on all of the trails; equestrian use is also permitted on Tory's Den Trail.
The Town of Elkin has applied for state trail designation for three trails that go through downtown Elkin: the Elkin-Alleghany Rail Trail, the Rustic Trail, and the Municipal-to-Rail Trail. Together, these segments total 2.4 miles. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on these trails.
Surry County has applied for state trail designation for two trails near Burch Station. Together, the segments total 0.75 mile. Hiking and biking are the permitted uses on these trails