Northern Peaks Trail | |
---|---|
Length | 0 miles (0 km) |
Location | North Carolina, United States |
Established | 2019[1] |
Designation | State Trail (North Carolina) [1] |
Use | Hiking |
Season | Year-round |
Sights | Boone, Howard Knob, Rich Mountain Bald, Snake Mountain, Elk Knob, Three Top Mountain, West Jefferson and Mount Jefferson |
Surface | Natural |
Maintained by | North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation |
Website | https://trails.nc.gov/state-trails/northern-peaks-state-trail |
The Northern Peaks State Trail is a unit of the North Carolina state park system in Ashe and Watauga Counties, North Carolina in the United States. The State Trail is planned as a hiking trail connecting Downtown Boone, Howard Knob County Park, Elk Knob State Park, Three Top Mountain Gameland, Downtown West Jefferson and Mount Jefferson State Natural Area. [2] The trail is a collaboration between local governments and the state, with development coordinated by the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation (NCDPR).
In 2008, NCDPR along with the High Country Council of Governments developed a regional trail plan for North Carolina's High Country. A potential trail route along the Northwestern Peaks of the state was identified in the plan. [3]
In 2011, the Watauga County Tourism Development Authority published the Boone Area Outdoor Recreation Plan, which included a proposal for a Northern Peaks Trail. [4] [2]
In 2017, NCDPR, the Watauga County Tourism Development Authority, Ashe County, the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce, the West Jefferson Tourism Development Authority, the Town of Boone, and High Country Pathways, Inc jointly commissioned a master plan for the Northern Peaks Trail. The master plan concluded the trail was eligible for state trail status and proposed its designation as part of the State Trail System. [2]
On July 1, 2019, the North Carolina General Assembly formalized the proposal by establishing Northern Peaks State Trail, and directed NCDPR to coordinate its development. [1]
The plan for the Northern Peaks Trail has alarmed conservationists due to the presence of rare plants in high elevation zones of the peaks. The unique qualities of the soils of the Amphibolite Mountains and the secluded nature of the peaks has resulted in endemic species which cannot be found anywhere else. The current plan for the trail routes users through sensitive habitat, and does not include any proactive measures for resource protection. There is concern that the desire to promote outdoor recreation in the area will put delicate rock-dwelling plants at risk of being unintentionally trampled by users, potentially extirpating the species. [5]
Boone is a town in and the county seat of Watauga County, North Carolina, United States. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Boone is the home of Appalachian State University and the headquarters for the disaster and medical relief organization Samaritan's Purse. The population was 19,092 at the 2020 census.
Watauga County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 54,086. Its county seat and largest town is Boone. The county is in an exceptionally mountainous region. It is the home of Appalachian State University, which has approximately 20,023 students as of August 20, 2020. Watauga County comprises the Boone, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Ashe County is a county located in the United States state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,577. Its county seat is Jefferson.
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Grandfather Mountain is a mountain, a non-profit attraction, and a North Carolina state park near Linville, North Carolina. At 5,946 feet, it is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the major chains of the Appalachian Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway passes by the south side of the mountain and also passes over the nearby Grandmother Gap. It is located at the meeting point of Avery, Caldwell, and Watauga counties.
The Watauga Democrat is a newspaper published in Boone, North Carolina, one day a week on Wednesday and updated daily on its website at www.wataugademocrat.com. The Watauga Democrat was first published in 1888 to share news about the local Democrat Party, and today chronicles general local news in Watauga County.
Western North Carolina is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains; it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. It contains the highest mountains in the Eastern United States, with 125 peaks rising to over 5,000 feet in elevation. Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet, is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and mainland eastern North America. The population of the region, as measured by the 2010 U.S. Census, is 1,473,241, which is approximately 15% of North Carolina's total population.
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Elk Knob State Park is a 4,423-acre (17.90 km2) North Carolina state park in Watauga County, North Carolina, in the United States. Opened in 2003, it is one of North Carolina's newest state parks. Elk Knob State Park was established to preserve the natural state of Elk Knob, the third highest peak in Watauga County. The park is open for year-round recreation and is currently undergoing an expansion of facilities to provide greater recreational opportunities to visitors. Elk Knob State Park is on Meat Camp Road, 5.5 miles (8.9 km) from North Carolina Highway 194, 9.5 miles (15.3 km) north of Boone, in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Todd is an unincorporated community straddling the county lines of Watauga and Ashe counties in northwestern North Carolina, United States on the South Fork of the New River. It lies at an elevation of 2,992 feet. The population was 2,141 at the 2010 United States Census. The ZIP Code for Todd is 28684.
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Howard Knob is a mountain in the North Carolina High Country, located in the town of Boone. According to the US Geological Survey, the mountain's proper name is Howard Knob, but it is known to locals and tourists as Howard's Knob. Howard Knob and the surrounding area are part of the Appalachian Mountain Range. The mountain has an elevation of 4,396 feet (1,340 m) above sea level, and rises nearly 1,000 feet (300 m) above the town of Boone and the campus of Appalachian State University.
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