2023 NC Year of the Trail

Get outdoors in the new year: 2023 is Year of the Trail in North Carolina. What exactly is Year of the Trail? Year of the Trail is the largest statewide celebration of trails and outdoor recreation in North Carolina history. Trails are the backbone of our state’s growing $28 billion outdoor recreation economy. Known as the “Great Trails State,” North Carolina has a vast network of trails, greenways, and blueways which showcase our diverse landscapes. In Durham, Durham Parks and Recreation (DPR) maintains over 30 miles of multi-use trails and greenways. DPR’s multi-use trails are free and accessible to the community and provide excellent opportunities for residents to recreate and exercise. 

The Year of the Trail campaign will reach communities across the state with the message of how and where to experience trails that showcase North Carolina’s beautiful landscapes, provide healthy recreation, and stimulate local economies. The NC General Assembly NC designated 2023 as NC Year of the Trail, an effort led by the Great Trails State Coalition. 

Goals for NC Year of the Trail: 

• Inspire people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to try trails, 
• Demonstrate the importance of trails to elected officials. 
• Boost outdoor recreation tourism across the state through Year of the Trail events in all 100 counties. 
• Promote safe and responsible use of trails, with the Outdoor NC Principles. 
• Advance diversity and inclusion on trails.

#NCFirstDayOutdoors is the official statewide launch of Year of the Trail. Join thousands of North Carolinians for a "First Day Outdoors" on January 1. Visit a City park or one of our many trails in Durham to hike, bike, walk, or run. If you’re looking for the best trails around Durham, click here. Share your adventure by using the hashtags #yearofthetrail and #yearofthetraildurham. Be sure to also tag @greattrailsnc and @dprplaymore for a chance to win a DPR Play More Pack!  

 

Each month DPR will highlight a trail and provide Durham residents with a trail focus self-guided activity. Our first trail spotlight of the year is Sandy Creek Park Trail Loop. Residents are encouraged to visit Sandy Creek Park and complete our Winter Birds Scavenger Hunt.  

 

Trails are valuable to communities because the benefits they provide are readily and freely enjoyed by a diversity of identities, abilities, and backgrounds, particularly for those who’ve historically and continually faced undue and disproportionate barriers to trail access. Therefore, in collaboration with the state, DPR strives to build a North Carolina where trails are accessible, safe, and welcoming to all residents and visitors. Learn more about current trail repairs and upcoming construction.

We invite you to celebrate Year of the Trail with us all year long. View the calendar for trail themed events and programs and visit our webpage for more information.

 

Get Involved!  

Follow along on our social channels (@DPRPlaymore) and here on our blog. You’ll be the first to know about DPR sponsored Year of the Trail events across Durham and the first to hear about exciting things happening in the Bull City. Take a friend or a neighbor out on a trail for their first hike, bike, paddle, or ride. Be a part of this conversation – share your stories with us and talk about this initiative with everyone you know. Tag us on social media and show us how you use trails and how they impact your life. Help us amplify how we, as a state, value, steward, and invest in one of our most important assets.