Blue Ridge Conservancy and the Town of Boone Officially Open Rivers Park
Boone, NC - Blue Ridge Conservancy (BRC) and Town of Boone held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday evening to officially open the Rivers Park trails and the future southern terminus of the Northern Peaks State Trail (NPST). Speakers at the event included Boone Mayor Dalton George, Downtown Boone Development Association President Kendra Sink, Representative Ray Pickett, Deputy Secretary for Natural Resources Jeff Michael, and NPST Coordinator Jordan Sellers. The event also served as the town’s annual Earth Third Friday celebration, with environmentally focused nonprofits tabling at the park to chat with community members.
“It's been inspiring to see Rivers Park transform into a beautiful and welcoming park. I'm grateful that local leadership is embracing conservation and outdoor recreation,” says NPST Coordinator Jordan Sellers. “The collaboration between the Town of Boone, the Downtown Boone Development Association, and Blue Ridge Conservancy is strong and I look forward to continuing the Northern Peaks State Trail's progress as we head north! None of this would be possible without the strong support for trails from our state legislature, the federal Recreational Trails Program, and North Carolina's Department of Parks and Recreation."
The ribbon-cutting was held in front of the historic Rivers House
“The Town of Boone is excited to collaborate alongside so many key partners to bring a State Trail to downtown Boone,” says Boone mayor Dalton George.
After the ribbon cutting ceremony, attendees enjoyed entertainment by the kids from the Boone JAM program and visited with folks from BRC, MountainTrue, N.C. Cooperative Extension, Town of Boone, App State Student Sustainable Business Association, Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, New River Conservancy, New River Light & Power, and Transition Blue Ridge.
Special thanks to SouthEnd Brewing Co., Lost Province Brewing, and Stick Boy Bread Co. for their donations to the festivities, and to the Town of Boone’s Public Works, Planning & Inspections, Sustainability, and Cultural Resources departments for helping facilitate such a wonderful celebration.
The park is home to the Boone trailhead for the NPST, which will eventually connect to the Jeffersons across the Amphibolite Mountains. The trail begins at the Daniel Boone Monument and is accessed from the sidewalk off Mortez Drive. The park features just under a mile of new trail funded by the Recreational Trails Program and constructed by Nature Trails LLC, providing an easier route to view “Baby,” one of North Carolina’s largest sugar maples. The Town of Boone’s Public Works Department constructed the parking area, and the existing garage is being renovated into an accessible restroom with support from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund’s Accessible Parks Grant.
Boone Mayor Dalton George and Representative Ray Pickett were among the speakers at the event. BRC projects Howard Knob and Rivers Park are visible in the photo on the right.
