Friends of the Fonta Flora State Trail

1. Old Fort Park and rail Complex: Phase I & II - Funded by a PARTF Grant, McDowell County, the Town of Old Fort, McDowell Trails Association, and Friends of Fonta Flora State Trail were awarded $660,000 for Phase I, which will include 100 parking spaces, restrooms, a picnic pavilion, and a dog park. In 2023, Friends of Fonta Flora State Trail was awarded a $125,000 RTP Grant for a 1.1-mile trail extension to connect USFS Gateway Trails and to get pedestrian and bicycle traffic off a dangerous section of Highway 70. Finally, Friends of Fonta Flora State Trail was awarded a CTP Land Acquisition Grant worth $88,000 to purchase a crucial piece of land for the trailhead entry road. 2. Planning the Trail: McDowell County Feasibility Study - in 2022, Friends of Fonta Flora State Trail was awarded a $90,000 Dogwood Health Trust Grant for a feasibility study on unplanned segments of the Fonta Flora State Trail in McDowell County. Since McDowell County does not have a designated trail planner, Friends of Fonta Flora State Trail stepped in to help. The feasibility study has identified a 33-mile linear corridor as the preferred route of the Fonta Flora State Trail in McDowell County and will enter into the public input phase of the project in late 2024. 3. Retrofitting Infrastructure: Canal Bridge - The Canal Bridge Project in Burke County will connect the two sections of Lake James State Park, providing safe pedestrian and bike access to a locally used unsanctioned route. A road diet will accommodate a 5 ft. raised concrete sidepath and the bike safety barrier to the existing bridge. Canal Bridge has long served as a connective roadblock to building an additional 4 miles of Fonta Flora State Trail. Friends of Fonta Flora State Trail is partnering with Burke Couty and Overmountain Victory State Trail on this co-located opportunity.