The Fonta Flora State Trail is a unit of the List of North Carolina state parks, North Carolina state park system in Buncombe County, North Carolina, Buncombe, McDowell County, North Carolina, McDowell, and Burke County, North Carolina, Burke Counties, North Carolina in the United States, and it consists of of conservation land and designated multi-use trail. The State Trail is planned as a continuous route for hiking, hikers and cycling, cyclists from Asheville, North Carolina, Asheville to Morganton, North Carolina, Morganton, with a loop around Lake James. The trail is a collaboration between local governments, local land conservancy, land conservancies the US Forest Service, and the state, with development coordinated by the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation (NCDPR).

History

In 2004, Duke Energy's Crescent Communities, Crescent Resources made a deal with NCDPR to sell undeveloped land around Lake James for an expansion of Lake James State Park, and they offered trail easements for the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail on their properties. Two years later, Duke Energy started the process of re-licensing their hydroelectric dams on Lake James with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 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, North Carolina, 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, North Carolina, 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, North Carolina, 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, North Carolina, Marion :Fonta Flora County Park in Burke County :Catawba River Greenway in Morganton

References

External links

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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