If your New Year’s resolutions involve getting outside more or leveling up your weekly walks, you’re in luck — 2023 is the Year of the Trail in NC. This campaign celebrates our state’s vast network of trails, greenways, and blueways through guided adventures, learning opportunities, workdays, and more.
In 2021, the NC General Assembly designated 2023 as the Year of the Trail. Why? This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1973 North Carolina Trails System Act, which created the NC Trails Program.
NC is the Great Trails State and it shows. Trails are the cornerstone of outdoor recreation in NC, which provides 260,000+ jobs and has an economic impact of more than $28 billion annually. NC has 12 state trails and 40+ state parks with hundreds of miles of trails (think: Lake James State Park and Mount Mitchell State Park).
Whether you want to walk, run, hike, bike, paddle, or ride, there’s a local trail for everyone. Here are some ways to get involved:
- Register to participate in the “Night-O with Fjällräven” night orienteering class on Saturday, Jan. 28.
- Attend a workshop about sustainable trail maintenance, hosted by Friends of Fonta Flora State Trail at Lake James State Park, on Saturday, Jan. 28.
- Meet fellow hikers and crush some serious miles with The Asheville Hiking Meetup Group.
- Join the Greenway Walking Club, which meets every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. for a stroll on local greenways.
- Sign up for Asheville Parks & Rec’s Galentine’s Day Hike on Sunday, Feb. 12 — it’s open to anyone who identifies as a woman or nonbinary.
- Explore local segments of the Mountain to Sea trail or check out our guide to cold weather camp spots.
- Try one of these eight great WNC hikes. — or take a road trip to see the big trees at Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest.
Find a trail near you and view more trail events.
