The Fonta Flora State Trail is a unit of the North Carolina state park system in Buncombe, McDowell, and

Burke Burke is an Anglo-Norman Irish surname, deriving from the ancient Anglo-Norman and Hiberno-Norman noble dynasty, the House of Burgh. In Ireland, the descendants of William de Burgh (–1206) had the surname ''de Burgh'' which was gaelicised ...

Counties,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, and it consists of of conservation land and designated

multi-use trail A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is 'designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists'. Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, bridleways and rail trails. A ...

. The State Trail is planned as a continuous route for

hikers Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

and

cyclists Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of Bicycle, cycles for transport, recreation, Physical exercise, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", ...

from Asheville to Morganton, with a loop around

Lake James Lake James is a large reservoir in the mountains of Western North Carolina which straddles the border between Burke and McDowell Counties. It is named for tobacco tycoon and benefactor of Duke University James Buchanan Duke. The lake, with su ...

. The trail is a collaboration between local governments, local land conservancies the

US Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

, and the state, with development coordinated by the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation (NCDPR).

History

In 2004,

Duke Energy Duke Energy Corporation is an American electric power and natural gas holding company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Overview Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Duke Energy owns 58,200 megawatts of base-load and peak generation in ...

's Crescent Resources made a deal with NCDPR to sell undeveloped land around Lake James for an expansion of

Lake James State Park Lake James State Park is a North Carolina state park in Burke and McDowell Counties, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Nebo, North Carolina, it covers and borders Lake James. History Started in 1987, Lake James State Park had ...

, and they offered trail easements for the

Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (OVHT) is part of the U.S. National Trails System, and N.C. State Trail System. It recognizes the Revolutionary War Overmountain Men, Patriots from what is now East Tennessee who crossed the Un ...

on their properties. Two years later, Duke Energy started the process of re-licensing their

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

dams on Lake James with the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is the United States federal agency that regulates the transmission and wholesale sale of electricity and natural gas in interstate commerce and regulates the transportation of oil by pipeline in ...

. Public comments during the re-licensing encouraged Duke Energy to develop a loop trail around Lake James, which would connect all communities, recreational, commercial and residential properties, the Overmountain Victory Trail, and local/state parks along the lake. The loop trail concept was initially called the ''Lake James Loop Trail'', but it was later renamed after the community of Fonta Flora, which was submerged with the creation of Lake James. On June 15, 2015, the General Assembly of North Carolina established the Fonta Flora State Trail, and directed NCDPR to coordinate its development. During the master planning process for the state trail, its concept was expanded with connections from Lake James to Asheville and Morganton. On April 17, 2018, the Foothills Conservancy donated of undeveloped land near Old Fort to NCDPR for the trail. The conservancy also obtained trail easements from adjoining property owners for future construction of the trail. The property follows a ridge near Camp Grier, and the Foothills Conservancy will manage it on NCDPR's behalf.

List of designated sections

NCDPR has designated several existing trails as part of the Fonta Flora Trail (from west to east): :Oaks Trail in Black Mountain :Point Lookout Trail in Pisgah National Forest :Fonta Flora State Trail at Greenlee Park in McDowell County :Joseph McDowell Historical Catawba Greenway in

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mari ...

:Fonta Flora County Park in Burke County :Catawba River Greenway in Morganton

References

External links

*
Burke County webpage on the Fonta Flora Trail

Fonta Flora State Trail Master Plan

established Fonta Flora State Trail. {{authority control State parks of North Carolina Protected areas of Buncombe County, North Carolina Protected areas of Burke County, North Carolina Protected areas of McDowell County, North Carolina Protected areas established in 2015 2015 establishments in North Carolina Hiking trails in North Carolina