The NC Year of the Trail celebrates North Carolina’s vast and diverse collection of trails, greenways, and blueways which showcase its diverse landscapes – grand mountain vistas, quiet rivers, vibrant urban greenways, coastal forests, and the rolling hills of the piedmont.
These trails not only help make NC a healthier, more accessible, and fun place to live, they also strengthen the economy in a big way. You see, the outdoor recreation industry in NC has an economic impact of over 28 billion dollars and provides over 260,000 jobs in the state. Trails are the cornerstone of the industry, and all of this is a large part of why NC is the Great Trails State. Historically, the trail networks that make this all possible have rarely been part of the mainstream public discussion, but in 2023, that will change.
In this episode I sit down with Palmer McIntyre, NC Year of the Trail Director, and Beth Heile, a key voice and advocate on the planning committee, to unpack and chat about all things NC Year of the Trail. We talk about the historic $29.5 Million investment for State Trails, and the vision behind the largest statewide celebration of trails and outdoor recreation in the Old States history.
We also talk about how the NC Year of the Trail is meant to inspire people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to try trails, to demonstrate the importance of trails to elected officials, boost outdoor recreation tourism across the state through Year of the Trail events in all 100 counties, promote safe and responsible use of trails, with the Outdoor NC Principles, and to advance diversity and inclusion on trails.
DISCOVER MORE
Great Trails NC
Great Trails State Coalition
NC Year of the Trail Events
PBS NC
NC Weekend
State Employees Credit Union
NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Visit NC
The Great Trails State Coalition acknowledges and greatly appreciates the leadership of:
This group took the lead on this funding effort with help from many other members of the House, Senator Brent Jackson, and Governor Roy Cooper.
Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
mike@explorationlocal.com
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