The 100-Mile Fonta Flora State Trail will connect Morganton to Asheville with hiking and biking trails along the Catawba River, creeks, around Lake James, through the mountains and into our charming downtowns like Morganton, Marion, Old Fort, Black Mountain, and Asheville’s River Arts District. It will provide an unparalleled experience for people of all ages and abilities. The full scope of the Fonta Flora State Trail will take many years, but the 32 mile loop around Lake James, as well as other completed sections in Morganton, Marion, Old Fort & Black Mountain have already served as a spark to ignite the passions to complete the project.
This region has no shortage of recreational and cultural amenities, and by linking these communities and natural assets, the Fonta Flora State Trail will leverage mountains, waterways, and main streets which have made the region a destination for adventurers both near and far.
In this episode I traveled over to Black Mountain to sit down with Beth Heile, Executive Director of the Friends of Fonta Flora State Trail, to talk about the origin and vision for this incredible state trail and navigating through the process of becoming a State Trail. We also talk about the challenge of keeping a large project like this moving forward when it involves three counties, multiple constituents & decision makers, getting bills passed in the NC House and Senate, securing funding to move the project from concept to completion…and a whole lot more, including sections to enjoy right now, and a vision of what is to come.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Fonta Flora State Trail – 100 Mile Trail from Morganton to Asheville – Designated in 2015 – 32 of 100 miles complete
Fonta Flora State Trail – Current Access Points: https://fontaflorastatetrail.com/_files/2021/04/Fonta-Flora-State-Trail-Access-Points.pdf
Fonta Flora Trail Master Plan:
https://fontafloratrail.com/index.html
Friends of the Fonta Flora State Trail started Feb 2020 - goal – complete 10 in years, funded by municipalities -https://fontaflorastatetrail.com/
How State Trails Work – how they come to be, how they are built, how they are funded https://trails.nc.gov/state-trails
Great Trails State Coalition – Bill just passed designating 2023 as the Year of the Trail in NC; goal of collation has been to get is to get state funding for trails. $29.25M Complete the Trails Fund in House Budget - https://greattrailsnc.org/
NC Year of the Trail 2023: https://friendsofthevaldeserec.org/nc-year-of-the-trail-2023
Friends of the Valdese Rec – how I got started in all this – formed in 2015 to acquire 300 acres on the lake for a passive park – now will have Wilderness Gateway State Trail and regional trail coming through park - https://friendsofthevaldeserec.org/
Where to Access the Completed Sections: https://fontaflorastatetrail.com/the-trail/
Where can you hike and bike on the Fonta Flora State Trail Right Now? http
Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
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mike@explorationlocal.com
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