This year, Great Trails State Day will occur on Saturday, October 19.
GREAT TRAILS STATE DAY will celebrate North Carolina’s diverse networks of all types of muscle powered trails, used for walking, cycling, running, paddling, climbing and equestrian through events and general promotions encouraging people to get out on a trail on this special day. There will be Great Trails State Day events across the state.
Trails provide free access to healthy recreation, safe transportation alternatives, and contribute to the quality of life in communities of all sizes, making places desirable for residents, visitors and businesses. Trails are an important economic driver, serving as the backbone of North Carolina’s outdoor recreation economy, which reached $14.6 billion in 2022. As the 5th top state for tourism, North Carolina attracts visitors in large part due to our diversified natural landscapes, from the mountains to the coast.
As the Great Trails State Coalition secured the designation of 2023 as NC Year of the Trail and organized a remarkably successful campaign, this new special day helps advance the Coalition’s goal to brand North Carolina as The Great Trails State, where no one is far from a great trail experience no matter where you are in the state.
About The Great Trails State Coalition: Representing 104 nonprofit, local government, and industry partners, the NC Great Trails State Coalition advocates for increased state investment in all types of trails statewide – hiking, paddle, mountain bike, equestrian, and paved trails, so each of our 100 North Carolina counties can enjoy the proven benefits of trails, including health, safety, economic development, tourism, transportation, and environment. In 2023, the Coalition secured the $25 million Great Trails State Program, which provides competitive grants to local governments and nonprofits for all types of trail projects.
The Great Trails State Coalition hosted the 2023 NC Year of the Trail campaign, which promoted awareness and celebrate trails across North Carolina and was the largest celebration of outdoor recreation in North Carolina history.
GreatTrailsStateCoalition.org https://greattrailsstatecoalition.org/
GreatTrailsNC.com Newsroom: https://greattrailsnc.com/news/
