The Elkin Valley Trails Association Introduces the World to Elkin, One Trail at a Time

We started in 2011, and it was a compilation of a bunch of people that were just interested in trails. Most people didn't realize it, but at that time it was the only spot Elkin was in the state where three major trails came together. One is the Mountains to the Sea Trail, which goes from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks. The other one was the Overmountain Victory Trail, which is a federal trail, and it goes from Elkin down to Kings Mountain. And they also had the first dedicated trail in North Carolina was the Yadkin River Trail, so it was a natural for us to look at that and say, let's do some trails. The Elkin Valley Trails Association is working hard to get all the Mountains to the Sea Trail off the road and safely into the gorgeous countryside that surrounds it. From Stone Mountain State Park all the way to Elkin, and then leaving Elkin, going east towards Pilot Mountain State Park. They've completed 23 miles of trails around Elkin so far. The entire Mountains to the Sea Trail is almost 1,200 miles. The segment that stretches from Stone Mountain to Pilot Mountain is 70 miles, leaving over 50 miles of off-the-road trails yet to be built. The association started with an old rail bed from the Elkin and Allegheny Railroad. It was abandoned in the 1930s and provided the perfect route along the Mountains to the Sea Trail from the park at Elkin, heading northwest towards Stone Mountain State Park. It's eight feet wide, gravel dust, very level. That trail is what we call a social trail because you get three or four people and you're walking and you're talking and interacting. Now you don't have to worry about too steep of climbs and stumbling over roots and stuff. And we've put in a 140-foot bridge, a 100-foot bridge, a 178-foot bridge, a 45-foot bridge. We've put a lot of bridges in and built a lot of nice trail. Or you can get off the trail and find these short spurs that allow for a little more elevation or intensity or other use. Perfect for mountain biking. So since 2018, the mountain bike course has developed in phases, one, two, and three phases. And from that was seven to eight miles of trails. The EVTA is still working to connect the rail trail to the remainder of the route to Stone Mountain and has installed three gongs along the way. In the meantime, they've completed other sections. We've done the Grassy Creek area, further building trail out there. And then that takes you to Carter Falls. Which is a really neat area. There's a 60-foot waterfall off Big Elkin Creek. Currently there is a one-mile loop trail and a parking area. It's about one mile down to the falls and then back out. Once you get past the road, you're on to Wells Knob and then from there towards Stone Mountain. But that's going west, but you can also go east. So we have trails going that we're developing now going toward I-77. Just so many trails, and then you get to Pilot Mountain. Since its inception, the EVTA has raised more than $1 million to build the trails. And there's no paid staff, just volunteers. So we've had over 4,000 volunteer hours a year sometimes. And that usually doesn't count everything. Instead of building a 20-foot bridge and it costs $20,000, $25,000, we'll get all the items donated, or most of them donated, and we'll put up the bridge in a day. Today, Elkin gladly calls itself a trail town. But for outdoor lovers, the terrain, its rivers, and scenic beauty mean they definitely have an activity for you. There's a lot going on here. Fly fishing, floating the river and paddling. We would love to show you around. To learn more about the trails in Elkin and to volunteer for trail work and other fun activities, go to ElkinValleyTrails.org.