CRAFTING HICKORY

The Hickory Trail and the renovated downtown are just a few Crafting Hickory projects that are transforming the Hickory region. Spanning 10 miles across the city, the Hickory Trail connects popular destinations and amenities, while providing bicycle and pedestrian safe pathways throughout the city. The Trail accentuates the city’s culture of providing an atmosphere for dynamic growth and robust development and is a major asset in the community’s effort to craft a strong economy, provide good jobs, and create a desirable quality of life for its residents.

The Hickory Trail includes a City Walk from Lenoir-Rhyne University through the city’s renovated downtown area to Old Lenoir Road. It continues with the Historic Ridgeview Walk through the Ridgeview community, highlighting its history, then extends with an OLLE Art Walk through a reinvigorated arts district on Old Lenoir Road, and a Riverwalk, featuring a walking bridge over Lake Hickory and elevated trails through the woods that border the lake. The last leg of the trail is the Aviation Walk that offers easy access across U.S. 321 with a new Hickory pedestrian bridge to L.P. Frans Stadium, with the trail ending at Hickory Regional Airport.

Additionally, the city has modernized aesthetics and enhanced its downtown center with a distinguished promenade highlighting Union Square storefronts and a central pathway bisecting two large lawn areas. Open air seating areas, along with enhanced lighting for evening strolls, new directional signage, an entrance archway, and complimentary Wi-Fi, provided by CommScope. The complete renovation project also included new public restrooms and a multi-purpose shade structure. The central stage for musical and artistic performances taking place under the popular Sails on the Square still remains intact.

While most people know us for being the premier furniture manufacturing capital of the world, we also boast aweinspiring outdoor adventures, world-class dining, and remarkable artisan exhibitions.