Grant to Build Trailhead for Mtns-to-Sea Trail

The Town of Clayton has received a $300,000 grant from the NC Parks & Recreation Trust Fund to help build a trailhead where the segment of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail that comes through Clayton joins with the Sam's Branch Greenway, which is nearing completion.

The trailhead will include facilities for those walking the trails and a parking lot.

"After years of planning, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail is quickly becoming a reality," said Town Manager Steve Biggs. "This grant will help fund a very exciting project, which will greatly enhance the recreational opportunities available to Clayton residents."

The trailhead project is "truly outstanding," said William G. Ross Jr., chairman of the NC Parks and Recreation Authority.

"We are excited about the potential of this project and look forward to working with you to make these resources available to your community," Ross said in a letter to Mayor Jody McLeod. "Parks and recreation contribute to healthier lifestyles, stronger communities and the quality of life that makes North Carolina a great place to live."

Work is already underway on the section of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail that comes through here, with completion expected by the end of the year. The four miles of 10-foot wide asphalt trail begins at the Wake County line and parallel the Neuse River all the way to Covered Bridge Road. The work includes a pedestrian bridge that will link the Trail with the new greenway, which extends all the way to South O'Neal Street.

Greenways that would allow residents to safely walk across Clayton have long been part of the planning process here. The Mountains-to-Sea Trail fits right in.

The work is being funded through a $3.6 million state grant. The town's portion of the cost will total about $14,000, which might be paid for through funding from other grants. This section of the Trail will be maintained by the town.

The project design is being handled by Steward Engineering of Raleigh, with construction by the Fred Smith Company of Clayton. Former Planning Director James "Skip" Browder, who for years has led efforts to bring the trail through Clayton and Johnston County, is continuing to assist in the project.

Work on the section of the trail that links Clayton's segment to a 7.9-mile segment through Raleigh, which opens later this summer, is expected to get underway later in the year, with portions ready sometime next year. Officials say that within two years, the Triangle area will have more than 100 miles of interconnected greenway ready for use.

The 1,000 miles of paths and bike trails that make up the Trail will wind from Clingman's Dome in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park to Jockey's Ridge State Park at the Atlantic Ocean. It wanders through 37 counties, three national parks, two national forests, several state parks, two national wildlife refuges, two wilderness areas, a number of swamps, several major rivers, and hundreds of lakes. The mainline distance is between 935 and 945 miles, but with ferry rides, spur trails to scenic overlooks and side trails to campsites, the actual journey will fall just short of 1,000 miles.
Spurred on by volunteers who spend weekends clearing the way, the Trail, a dream that began in the 1970s, is more than half completed.