A group of volunteers from the Alamance County Task Force of the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) have completed an eighteen-month project to construct a new trail in the Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area in the central part of the county. The trail is a 3.4 miles long loop that begins at the new parking lot constructed by Alamance Parks, near the intersection of Bass Mountain Road and Broadrock Road. The parking lot has a toilet and kiosk and is the departure point for two new trails: the Pioneer Trail and the Tower Trail, both of which will be opening this spring once signage is completed.

The Pioneer Trail has been totally built by volunteers working one morning a week (weather permitting) for over a year and a half. Thirty-seven volunteers contributed over 2,000 hours constructing the winding trail through the hills of the Cane Creek Mountains. One of the trail features is the remnants of the Pioneer Youth Camp, a summer camp operated by John William Lindsay and his wife, Cynthia Garrett Lindsay, during the months of July and August between 1937 and 1956. The trail passes next to the chimney of the camp dining hall and is close to the remains of several camper cabins.

The Pioneer Trail is classed as an intermediate trail, winding through lush forests and across several streams, and is probably one of the most isolated trails in the county, almost totally out of sight of any development.

More information about the trail will be provided by Alamance Parks in the coming weeks.  There are also plans to construct another trail in the Cane Creek Natural Area in the future, entering from Mt. Herman Rock Creek Road.

Written by Bob Ellis, January 30, 2023

Check out this video highlighting the new trail. Video design and editing by Laura Sam (trail volunteer):

Alamance Parks is grateful to the Alamance County Task Force of the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail for their hard work!

Nine volunteers with the Alamance County Task Force of the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail gathered Saturday morning, June 18^th, near Carolina Mill. The team worked for four hours building a new trail down the Haw River toward Copland Mill. The new trail will provide an alternative to hiking from Carolina Mill to Stony Creek Marina, and avoid having to cross both Carolina Mill Road and Carolina Road.

At noon the group convened in the Carolina Mill parking area to enjoy a picnic catered by Peter Dahl. The task force will not be sponsoring Work Days during July and August, due to the high heat.

In the fall and following months, the Task Force will continue moving the current trail away from the Valley Golf Course fairway, and closer to the Haw River in several locations. The Alamance County Recreation & Parks Department has also obtained access to property along the Haw River north of Shallowford Natural Area so that in the future the Haw River/Mountains-to-Sea Trails can be extended toward Altamahaw.

The Alamance Task Force welcomes new volunteers in its endeavors. No prior experience is necessary, and tools and training will be provided. For more information contact Andrew Sam at: asam30035@gmail.com

Written by Bob Ellis, June 2022

Alamance Parks and Haw River Trail thanks the Alamance County Task Force of the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail for their work!

A group of volunteers has been working with Alamance Parks to construct a new hiking trail in the Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area, near Bass Mountain Road. The group began construction in April 2021 and has been working Wednesdays (weather permitting) over the last eleven months, clearing trees and vegetation and benching (leveling) the trail along inclines.

The new trail will be about a 4.2 mile loop when it is completed, starting at a parking lot that Alamance Parks has contracted to have built near the intersection of Bass Mountain Road and Broadrock Road. The trail will eventually have a side trail leading up to an observation tower, planned to be built at the highest point in the Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area.

One of the features of the new trail is the former Pioneer Camp, which was operated by Mr. John William Lindsay and his wife, Cynthia Garrett Lindsay, from 1937 until 1956.  The trail passes by several of the remaining buildings, including the foundation and chimney of the dining hall (pictured above behind the volunteers).

The trail is scheduled to open sometime in 2023 after the new parking lot along Bass Mountain Road is completed. It will add another scenic hike that will eventually connect with both existing trails and other trails planned for the future.

New volunteers are welcome. No previous experience is necessary, and tools will be provided. For more information contact Andrew Sam at: asam30035@gmail.com

Written by Bob Ellis, February 2022

Alamance now has its own volunteer trail team to build and help maintain the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in the county. The Upper Haw River Task Force of the Friends of the North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea Trail, which has historically worked in Eastern Guilford and Alamance Counties, split in August 2021 in order to better address the increased trail work needed in both counties, as the amount of the trail building and trail maintenance has expanded in recent years.  

The Alamance County MST Task Force works closely with the Alamance Parks, which is responsible for land acquisition for the Haw River Trail and Mountains-to-Sea Trail, which coincide where both trails follow the Haw River. The Haw River Land Trail is expected to run about 40 miles through Alamance County when it is eventually completed.

Andrew Sam is now the Alamance County Task Force Leader for the new team. Andrew is an experienced hiker, sawyer, and trail builder.  His leadership will be helpful in the years ahead as new sections of trail will be built. Andrew also leads a subset of Task Force volunteers, which is building a new trail at the Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area in the central part of Alamance County. This group typically works on Wednesday mornings.

In September the Alamance Task Force built a high-water route on the Glencoe to Carolina Mill section of trail, to be used when the existing trail along the river is flooded. In October the team cleared an access road and trimmed vegetation around the new Boyds Creek Bridge, in preparation for the dedication service held there on October 29^th. In early December the team made additional improvements in the Glencoe to Carolina Mill trail, removing dead trees and improving drainage.

The Alamance County MST Task Force is an all-volunteer team, and anyone is welcome to join. No prior trail-building experience is needed and appropriate tools and training will be provided. The team typically works one Saturday a month, ten months of the year. For more information contact Andrew Sam via e-mail at: asam30035@gmail.com.

Written by Bob Ellis, December 2021

Alamance Parks announces the completion of a 60-foot steel bridge at the Boyd’s Creek Crossing of the Haw River Trail and North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST). The bridge was funded by a grant from Impact Alamance and the trail easement was donated by Herman Johnson. The project was a joint venture between Alamance Parks and the Town of Haw River.

The bridge is located on the Sellers Falls Section of the Haw River Trail approximately one mile north of Granite Mill and downtown Haw River. This section of trail is accessed by the trailheads at Stoney Creek Marina in Burlington and Red Slide Park in Haw River.

The opening of the new bridge is a wonderful addition to the Sellers Falls section of the Haw River Trail/Mountains-to-Sea Trail. The crossing was previously impassible during high water levels, necessitating a long walk around the crossing or forcing trail users to turn around.

A celebration of the bridge is planned by the Alamance County Task force of the Mountains to Sea Trail (MST) on Friday, October 29, at 10am at the site of the bridge.  
 

Impact Alamance

Impact Alamance is part of the Cone Health network and is a private foundation with a mission to strategically invest in our community for hope, health, and prosperity. More information is available at www.impactalamance.com.
 

Haw River Trail & NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail The MST runs the length of North Carolina, beginning at Clingman’s Dome (in Great Smoky Mountains National Park) on the State’s western border and terminating at Jockey’s Ridge State Park on the Outer Banks. Fifty-nine miles of the MST/Haw River Trail are in Alamance County, from the Guilford-Alamance County line to Saxapahaw. Find more information at www.mountainstoseatrail.org and www.thehaw.org.