Ashe County Rotary Club Awards $2,000 to Northern Peaks State Trail

Rotary Club of Ashe County has awarded $2,000 for signage at Paddy Mountain Park, the West Jefferson Trailhead of the Northern Peaks State Trail (NPST). The park is currently under construction and is anticipated to be open in the fall of 2024. It will include over 3 miles of sustainable hiking trails, parking, a timber frame pavilion, picnic tables, benches, and restrooms. Ashe County Rotary Club and the Rotary Club Foundation are the latest in a long list of partners, which includes the NC Parks and Rec Trust Fund, the NC Recreational Trails Program, the NC General Assembly, Ashe County, and the Town of West Jefferson, among others.

"We are thrilled to receive this support from the Ashe County Rotary Club and the Rotary Club Foundation, says NPST Coordinator Jordan Sellers. “Quality signage is an important asset to this project, as we aim to promote safe and responsible usage of the trails while educating users about the beauty of the Amphibolite Mountains."

Wes Greene, President of the Ashe County Rotary Club, says "It is with great pleasure the Rotary Club of Ashe County and the Rotary Foundation are able to contribute to the success of the Northern Peaks State Trail and Paddy Mountain Park by awarding a monetary grant to provide public education with wayfaring signage of the trail. We look forward to further partnering opportunities with the State Trail system in Ashe County."

Blue Ridge Conservancy is actively fundraising for the project and would direct anyone interested in collaborating to contact Jordan Sellers at jordan@blueridgeconservancy.org.

Paddy Mountain Park will feature several miles of stacked loop trail.