Projects and Initiatives

Rail-Trail Development Projects

Washington-Greenville Greenway, 30 miles, Beaufort, Martin and Pitt Counties. See October 2009 and February 2010 News articles for status reports. Please see Little Toot - Winter 2008 for background.) Also see W-G Bike Route Map and Washington-Greenville Brochure.  Contact: Carrie Banks at 919 428-7119.

West Pender Rail Trail--Pender & New Hanover Counties. This proposed 10-mile rail-trail would connect the Moores Creek National Battlefield in Currie to the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial in Wilmington following the Atlantic Coast Line corridor. The National Park Service has partnered with Pender County and the Moores Creek Battlefield on the Phase 1 section (11.5 miles) in Pender County. Near term this will include conducting a series of workshops in Currie, NC. See MAP and images of the Battlefield area: PIC1  PIC2. Lead group is the West Pender Rail-Trail Alliance. Please see the recent Concept Plan for an outline of the entire corridor from Wilmington to Fayetteville. In early 2011, the Alliance partnered with Pender County in applying for a grant to support construction of the first mile of trail. In October 2011 Pender County was awarded $72,404 from the State of North Carolina Recreational Trails Program to develop the first segment of the West Pender Rail-Trail. The grant will fund the development of 1.11 miles of a crushed stone surfaced trail from Vitamin Drive to the northern boundary of the Pender Commerce Park on US Highway 421, near the Pender–New Hanover County boundary. The trail will be 8 to 10’ wide, and suitable for bicycling, walking and jogging. Contact: Susan Bullers at 910 283-1788

Deep River Rail-Trail Construction of the first 3/4 mile completed November 2008 in Franklinville. The Deep River Rail-Trail in Randolph County (see Map) follows an abandoned 18-mile railbed once used by the Atlantic and Yadkin Railroad (1897-1980). This shady, peaceful trail passes an old native American fish weir. The nearby town of Ramseur plans a 3.5 mile eastward extension, and Franklinville plans to lengthen the trail westward to Cedar Falls. In Ramseur, all nine adjacent landowners have agreed to a survey of their land. A full report of these surveys is due by the end of July.  In April 2010, Franklinville received a $10,000 grant from the Central Park organization to fund trail and park improvements and pay for a trail easement survey. Randolph County applied for a U.S. Department of Transportation planning grant to study extending the trail west from Franklinville, through the Cedar Falls community to Providence Grove High School and to the Guilford County line. The study would also explore the feasibility of trail development along the Deep River to Randleman Lake. In early 2011 Franklinville applied for a Recreational Trails Program grant (from NC) for improvements on a westward easement that would extend the trail  as far as Riverside Park and double the length of the trail to ~1.55 miles. As of late April their application has passed an initial hurdle and has been recommended for approval. If the final step (a review of environmental rules) is cleared they will be notified in July.  A trail workday was held in the Spring of 2011 to install more steps, install new signs, log some trees and repair a washout in one section of the trail. The Committee is looking for additional members, especially outside of Franklinville, to help support the trail as a County-wide effort.  Contact Perry Connor or at 336 549-4908.

Click on the following links to see a map, views of a very wooded trail section, the fish weir, the nearby river and a recently graveled section: Deep River State Trail Map, Deep River Map and Directions , Deep River Rail Trail Concept Brochure 
PIC #1 | PIC #2 | PIC #3 | PIC #4 | PIC #5 | PIC #6 | PIC #7  

Peavine Rail-Trail, 3.5 miles, McDowell County. The City of Marion acquired approximately 3.5 miles of the Peavine railroad property from Northfolk Southern in September 2010 for the purpose of providing a recreational trail that will provide direct access within a half mile of more than half the City's residents. The trail will eventually connect to a much larger regional trail system. The Peavine Rail Trail is centrally located to downtown and travels south through densely populated neighborhoods. The City has applied for an NCDENR Adopt-A-Trail grant to resurface approximately 1600 linear feet at the beginning of the trail, which will also include new high visibility crosswalks and pedestrian crossing signs at all intersections. The City works with the McDowell Trails Association who provide volunteer labor to keep the Peavine maintained and help with fundraising activities to support trail improvements. Here is the corridor as it looked in June 2011 with some nice grassy sections and an old bridge with kudzu.

Waccamaw Cypress Trail, 32 miles, Columbus County, Fair Bluff-to-Whiteville Depot-to Lake Waccamaw. Contact: Terry Mann 910-642-5029.

Elkin & Alleghany Rail-Trail, fund raising and planning in progress. Trail will start in Elkin (Surry County) and extend west into Wilkes County. The Elkin Valley Trail Association has been formed to promote both short-term events and long-term development of a trail on portions of the historical E & A rail corridor. Please check in on the EVTA blog periodically to keep abreast of future activities including workdays on the River trail section within Elkin. For more immediate updates and to find out how to get involved with the association please contact Bill Blackley.

Rail-Trail Initiatives

Deep River Nature Trail, 4 miles, north of Ramseur. Chatham and Lee counties. Trail loop study completed. Contact: Margaret Jordan-Ellis, Deep River Park Association, 919-898-4814.

Granville Greenway Trail, 32 miles, Granville County. Oxford to Clarksville Contact: Jackie Sergent 252-492-7915 x236.

Ecusta Trail, Proposed 18.5 mile trail from Hendersonville to Brevard in Transylvania and Henderson Counties. See basic map prepared by NCRT. For news and more detail please visit the Ecusta Trail Web Site. The City of Hendersonvile conducted a planning study and economic analysis of the proposed trail during 2011. Public meetings on these studies and the local benefits of a trail are being held during April and May 2012. For background please see April '11 article in Blue Ridge Now as well as our September 2010 News,  Fall 2010 Little Toot , February 2011 News and October 2011 News for progress updates. Contact Mike Domonkos 828-884-7648.

U.S. Coast Guard Trail, 7 miles, Pasquotank County Elizabeth City-to-Weeksville. Possibile NC DOT railbanking. Contact: Dave Copley, 252-330-4514.