The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation launched a new web page to seek public input as staff develop the Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail master plan. The master plan is a long-term strategy for the park that details how and where access will be provided and prioritizes projects and investments. Master plan development involves identifying recreation and conservation needs for the trail and collecting stakeholder input on priorities for the park.
The new web page includes a survey, informational maps and a narrated presentation that highlights the master planning process and initial concepts for the new state trail. The site can be accessed at https://trails.nc.gov/blog/2020/11/10/hickory-nut-gorge-state-trail-planning-process. Members of the public are encouraged to visit the new site, view the presentation and informational documents and provide their input via the online survey.
Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail is one of nine state trails and crosses Henderson, Rutherford, and Buncombe counties. It will connect Bearwallow Mountain, Lake Lure, Chimney Rock State Park, and the Florence Nature Preserve. Conserving Carolina, a land trust serving western N.C. and northern S.C., has driven the development of the trail and is one the division’s major partners in the effort. When complete, the trail will be 50 to 60 miles long.
About North Carolina State Parks
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 247,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 18 million visitors annually.