North Carolina’s N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation said that the Roanoke River State Trail (RRST) is the first state trail to be fully named.
The General Assembly approved the paddle trail in 2021. It starts in Roanoke Rapids and goes along the river to the Albemarle Sound. It then goes north to more entry points in Chowan County. Along the about 215-mile scenic wilderness trail, there are 15 authorized access points.
The nonprofit Roanoke River Partners, Inc. (RRP), which has members from all six counties in the Roanoke region (Halifax, Northampton, Bertie, Martin, Chowan, and Washington), is in charge of operating the Roanoke River State Trail.
It is backed by 15 municipalities along the river, and more than 20 paddle-in camping sites are run and managed along the river.
When it comes to North Carolina’s state parks, state trails are one of a kind. They are made up of many linked parts that, when put together, represent partnerships. A federal, state, or local government agency, a nonprofit group, or a private landowner pays for each part of the trail or access along a river.
The division is in charge of the planning corridor as a whole, and section donors build, maintain, and run their own part of the trail. Once a section or access is built, the sponsor needs to apply for official state trail recognition.
This part of the trail is not yet part of the state trail until it is approved by the secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR).
State Parks Director Brian Strong said, “We are so proud of our state trail partner, the Roanoke River Partners, for reaching this amazing goal.”
“We are thankful that this beautiful river was added to our state trails system a few years ago. RRP and the access sponsors have worked very hard to build or improve the places to access the trail and camp by paddling along it.”
Charlotte Griffin, mayor of Bear Grass, N.C., and immediate past chair of RRP, said, “We are thrilled to share this historic achievement with the NC State Trails program.” “We can’t say enough about how important this declaration is to eastern North Carolina and the whole Roanoke River region.”
Beginning with the native tribes that lived along and used the river, the Roanoke has a long history of giving food, transportation, and fun. In the 1800s, the river was part of the Underground Railroad.
Its rural location made it easy for people looking for freedom to hide as they made their way to Virginia or the Atlantic Ocean. The Roanoke River Underground Railroad Trail is now a part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
In the last few decades, leisure has been a big part of the river and the area around it. RRP was founded in 1997 and has worked to protect and enhance the natural and cultural assets of the area. They have also supported and encouraged ecotourism for the benefit of the local people.
“People have called the Roanoke the Amazon of North Carolina” because it goes through beautiful, mostly undeveloped wilderness areas, said Smith Raynor, a manager for the State Trails. “With the newly improved camping platforms, visitors can now go on multi-day paddling trips along the trail.”
The platforms are so important to the Roanoke River that they are shown on the blaze for the state trail.
DNCR Secretary Reid Wilson recently designated over 36 miles and five access points along the Dan River State Trail in Stokes County.
He also designated the first access point along the Haw River State Trail in Chatham County and nearly 20 miles and two access points on the Yadkin River State Trail in Davidson and Rowan counties. Please see the list below for all of these titles.
Visit trails.nc.gov to learn more about NC State Trails and to see a picture of the Roanoke River State Trail.
About the State Parks in North Carolina
In North Carolina’s state parks, state leisure areas, and state natural areas, North Carolina State Parks is in charge of more than 262,000 acres of beautiful land. The N.C. Parks and leisure Trust Fund is managed by this group, which is also in charge of the North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers, a state trails program, and more.
The goals of these groups are to protect nature, provide leisure, and teach people about the outdoors. More than 19 million people visit the state parks system every year.
More about the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in North Carolina
People love North Carolina’s varied arts and culture, deep history, and beautiful nature areas. The N.C. Department of nature and Cultural Resources (DNCR) takes care of, promotes, and improves these things.
The department’s programs improve public health, education, economic growth, mobility, and the ability of communities to bounce back from problems.