The LandTrust for Central NC is thrilled to announce the official opening of the new 4-mile long extension to the Uwharrie National Recreation Trail and the dedication of the new “Joe Moffitt” trailhead on Thayer Road! We would like to cordially invite you to a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sunday, December 8th to celebrate this grand achievement!
We will gather together at 1:00pm at the Ophir Community Center building located at 2683 Flint Hill Road, Troy NC for opening remarks and refreshments, and then at 2:00pm we will head to the trailhead where we will have the ribbon cutting and trailhead dedication. Those who are able to stay are encouraged to join us immediately following the dedication for our inaugural hike of this newly built, blazed, and now reopened section of trail! (Hike is moderate, approximately 2 hours long).
The new trailhead on Thayer Road will be designated the “Joe Moffitt Trailhead” to honor the original founder and visionary for the Uwharrie Trail. Joe, a Boy Scout leader, and others originally 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. The son of a trapper, Joe knew the woods and streams of the Uwharries like the back of his hand, and his community connection meant he could procure the necessary handshake agreements to start a 50-mile trail right here – and the Uwharrie Trail was born.
In the past 20 years, many sections of the original trail closed as property was sold or left to heirs who no longer live here. Thanks to the joint efforts of the LandTrust for Central NC, the NC Zoo, the U.S. Forest Service, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, and many other partners, several of the gaps in the trail have been filled, restoring those lost sections. Two years ago The LandTrust purchased Little Long Mountain, locally known as Bald Mountain, which has scenic panoramic landscape views from the top, and it is here where the majority of the new section of trail has been restored and where the new trailhead is now open. Additional lands have also been protected to continue the trail 6 more miles and construction of this next section will hopefully be complete by 2014.
The Little Long Mountain property was clear-cut before we purchased it, and as a result we had to basically start over again with the trail here. Many volunteer hours of hard work lopping, sawing, raking, and grubbing have gone into reclaiming this lost section of trail, and we owe a huge debt of to gratitude to all those who have joined us in these efforts – with a special thanks to volunteers extraordinaire David Craft and David Gardener for leading the charge on our workdays.
To celebrate this official opening and as a small thank you to all those involved, we invite you to join us as we gather together to honor the trailblazers, both past and present, for their work developing this truly special trail for all to enjoy. Please RSVP by November 15th to Crystal at crystal@landtrustcnc.org or 336-633-0143.
What: Uwharrie Trail extension and Joe Moffitt Trailhead dedication and inaugural hike
When: Sunday, December 8th, 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Where: Ophir Community Center building, 2683 Flint Hill Road, Troy NC, then on the new trail!