Projects and Initiatives

Rail-Trail Development Projects

Washington-Greenville Greenway, 30 miles, Beaufort, Martin and Pitt Counties. See October 2009 and February 2010 News articles for status reports. Please see Little Toot - Winter 2008 for background.) Also see W-G Bike Route Map and Washington-Greenville Brochure.  Contact: Carrie Banks at 919 428-7119.

West Pender Rail Trail, Pender & New Hanover Counties. This proposed 10-mile rail-trail would connect the Moores Creek National Battlefield in Currie to the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial in Wilmington following the Atlantic Coast Line corridor. The National Park Service has partnered with Pender County and the Moores Creek Battlefield on the Phase 1 section (11.5 miles) in Pender County. Near term this will include conducting a series of workshops in Currie, NC. See MAP and images of the Battlefield area: PIC1  PIC2. Lead group is the West Pender Rail-Trail Alliance. Please see the recent Concept Plan for an outline of the entire corridor from Wilmington to Fayetteville. In early 2011, the Alliance partnered with Pender County in applying for a grant to support construction of the first mile of trail. In October 2011 Pender County was awarded $72,404 from the State of North Carolina Recreational Trails Program to develop the first segment of the West Pender Rail-Trail. After numerous public meetings and discussions between local business interests and the County Commissioners during 2012, the Pender Commissioners announced cancellation of the project in April 2013 and voted to return the grant funds to the State. Businesses along the corridor have proposed that rail service be restored and convinced Commissioners that the proposed trail would conflict with that objective. The grant would have funded the development of 1.11 miles of a crushed stone surfaced trail from Vitamin Drive to the northern boundary of the Pender Commerce Park on US Highway 421, near the Pender–New Hanover County boundary. The planned trail was to be 8 to 10’ wide, and suitable for bicycling, walking and jogging. For more see this Star News article.  Contact: Susan Bullers at 910 283-1788

Waccamaw Cypress Trail, 32 miles, Columbus County, Fair Bluff-to-Whiteville Depot-to Lake Waccamaw. Contact: Terry Mann 910-642-5029.

Proposed Initiatives

Peavine Rail-Trail 3.5 miles, McDowell County. The City of Marion acquired approximately 3.5 miles of the Peavine railroad property from Northfolk Southern in September 2010 for the purpose of providing a recreational trail that will provide direct access within a half mile of more than half the City's residents. The trail will eventually connect to a much larger regional trail system. The Peavine Rail Trail is centrally located to downtown and travels south through densely populated neighborhoods. The City has applied for an NCDENR Adopt-A-Trail grant to resurface approximately 1600 linear feet at the beginning of the trail, which will also include new high visibility crosswalks and pedestrian crossing signs at all intersections. The City works with the McDowell Trails Association who provide volunteer labor to keep the Peavine maintained and help with fundraising activities to support trail improvements.

Rail-Trail Initiatives

Deep River Nature Trail, 4 miles, north of Ramseur. Chatham and Lee counties. Trail loop study completed. Contact: Margaret Jordan-Ellis, Deep River Park Association, 919-898-4814.

Granville Greenway Trail, 32 miles, Granville County. Oxford to Clarksville Contact: Jackie Sergent 252-492-7915 x236.

Ecusta Trail, Proposed 18.5 mile trail from Hendersonville to Brevard in Transylvania and Henderson Counties. See basic map prepared by NCRT. For news and more detail please visit the Ecusta Trail Web Site. The City of Hendersonvile conducted a planning study and economic analysis of the proposed trail during 2011. Public meetings on these studies and the local benefits of a trail were held during April and May 2012. For background please see April '11 article in Blue Ridge Now as well as our September 2010 News,  Fall 2010 Little Toot , February 2011 News and October 2011 News for progress updates. In May 2014 Norfolk Southern sold this corridor to Watco Transportation Co.  Contact Mike Domonkos 828-884-7648.

U.S. Coast Guard Trail, 7 miles, Pasquotank County Elizabeth City-to-Weeksville. Possibile NC DOT railbanking. Contact: Dave Copley, 252-330-4514.