A new, 4-mile extension of the Uwharrie National Recreation Trail, along with a new trailhead, will be dedicated Dec. 8. The trailhead will be named in honor of Joe Moffitt, the founder and visionary behind the creation of the trail.
|
Want to attend the dedication? What: Uwharrie Trail extension and Joe Moffitt Trailhead dedication and inaugural hike When: Sunday, Dec. 8, 1-4 p.m. Where: Ophir Community Center building, 2683 Flint Hill Road, Troy. RSVP by Nov. 15 to crystal@landtrustcnc.org or 336-633-0143. |
Moffitt and others built the Uwharrie Trail in the 1970s. The idea for the trail came about when some local Boy Scout troops were driving up to the southern Appalachians for their 50-mile hike and getting lost in those unfamiliar woods. A Boy Scout leader and son of a trapper, Moffitt knew the woods and streams of the Uwharries like the back of his hand. His community connection meant he could procure the necessary handshake agreements to start a 50-mile trail – and the Uwharrie Trail was born.
In the past 20 years, many sections of the original Uwharrie Trail closed, as property was sold or left to heirs who no longer live in the area. Through the joint efforts of the LandTrust for Central North Carolina, the North Carolina Zoo, the U.S. Forest Service, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and other partners, several of the gaps in the trail have been filled, restoring those lost sections (for more information, including a map of the full length of the trail, click here).
Two years ago the land trust purchased Little Long Mountain (locally known as Bald Mountain), where the majority of the new section of trail has been restored and where the new trailhead is open. Little Long Mountain has panoramic landscape views from the top, and it is here additional lands have been protected to continue the trail another 6 miles. Construction of this next section of the trail should be complete in 2014.
The Little Long Mountain property was clear-cut before it was purchased, which meant many volunteer hours of hard work have gone into reclaiming this lost section of trail. Volunteers David Craft and David Gardener were standouts in leading this effort.
The LandTrust of Central North Carolina is hosting the dedication event to honor the trailblazers, past and present, for their work developing this trail. The public is invited. Please RSVP by Nov. 15 to Crystal at crystal@landtrustcnc.org or 336-633-0143.
Opening remarks will be at 1 p.m. at the Ophir Community Center building, 2683 Flint Hill Road, Troy. A ribbon-cutting and trailhead dedication will be at 2 p.m. at the new trailhead on Thayer Road. Those who are able to stay are invited to participate in the inaugural hike of this newly built, -blazed, and now reopened section of trail. (The hike is moderate, approximately 2 hours long).
