REGIONAL LOOPS
NATIONAL AND STATE ROUTES
The Lumber River Regional Trails Plan includes routes that will
Mountains-to-Sea State Trail
connect to destinations such as Bladen Lakes State Forest and
East Coast Greenway
Lumber River State Park. The regional routes connect into a loop
Mountains-to-Sea State Trail- Coastal Crescent
system that will link Fayetteville and natural areas along the Cape
The Lumber River Regional Trails Plan is part of the larger
Fear and Lumber Rivers.
Southeastern North Carolina Regional Trails Plan. The four Councils of Government in the region each developed a trails plan. Trail systems of statewide or regional significance—such as the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail or the East Coast Greenway —are part of the larger vision for connecting people, places, and natural resources.
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LUMBER RIVER REGION
Here
Lumber River Region
Regional Routes
Main Street Communities
Forests
Park/Forest
Area Routes
Cultural Sites
State and National Trail Systems
Municipalities
Local Connector
State Parks
LUMBER RIVER REGION SEGMENTS The Lumber River Regional Trails Plan features several segments
IMPLEMENTION PLAN Segment
that also connect within the larger trails plan for Southeastern North Carolina. The segments are shown on the map below, and implementation partners per segment are listed in the table to the
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construction opportunities.
Strategies Planning; Coordination;
East Coast Greenway; Carolina
Funding; Right of Way;
Bay Lakes; State Parks
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Planning; Coordination;
East Coast Greenway; Cape Fear
Funding; Right of Way;
River Trail
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ABOUT THE REGION
The Lumber River Region encompasses
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Scotland, Robeson, Bladen, Hoke, and Richmond counties and Main Street
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among other cities and towns. The region
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also boasts a variety of State Parks, including
FOR MORE INFORMATION 000.000.0000 www.website.org
15. Bushy Lake to Fayetteville 18. Fayetteville
trails will paved and others on natural surface - all are intended to be separated from the roadway. Natural Surface Trails
22. L umber River State Park to Bladen Lakes State Forest
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20. Laurinburg Connector
All American Trail; Lumber River
Often located in a wooded environment
Trail Development
from roadways. Long Leaf Pine Habitat
Funding; Right of Way;
Paved Greenway Trails
Trail Development
12 – 16’ wide, typically constructed of concrete or asphalt.
Lumber River
Funding; Right of Way;
Often located within utility and/or stream
Trail Development
easements, and away from roadways.
Planning; Coordination;
Lumber River Paddle Trail;
Funding; Right of Way;
Lumber River State Park; Lumbee
Trail Development
Tribe
Planning; Coordination;
Lumber River State Park; Lumbee
Funding; Trail
Tribe; Bladen Lake State Park
Paved Side Paths 10 – 12’ wide, typically constructed of concrete or asphalt. Often located parallel to roadways.
Development
23. Lake Waccamaw Connector
19. Rockingham Connector
2 ½ - 3’ wide, typically constructed of dirt.
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Planning; Coordination;
Lake Waccamaw State Park;
Funding; Right of Way;
Waccamaw Siouan Tribe
Paddle Trail (Blueway) Located on waterbody (e.g. river, creek, estuary, etc.)
Trail Development
Width of the paddle trail is dependent
21. Wagram to Lumber River State Park
upon waterbody of where it is located.
BENEFITS
BY THE NUMBERS
PLANNING PROCESS
Regional trails provide options for traveling to regional destinations on
The Lumber River Regional Trail Plan encompasses 4 counties and
In a public survey, respondents across the study area were asked
foot or by bicycle, increase tourism, improve public health, and mitigate
provides for a total population of 300,962 people. The regional trail
which benefits of trails they most wanted to see from a regional
flood risk.
system connects to dozens of towns, parks, historic sites, game lands,
trail system. The results show a strong interest in using trails
Trail Tourism: A study in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia noted
and forest lands.
improve health and wellness and quality of life.
that, in addition to Virginia residents visiting local trails, 1/3 of trail visitors were from out-of-state. People making these extended trips to the region often include overnight hotel stays and spending on food and services. Economic Impact: The North Carolina Department of Transportation studied trail systems in different regions of the state; finding that for every $1.00 spent on trail construction, $1.72 is generated annually from
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Benefit Ranking ( 1 = Highest Priority) 1. Economic Development # of total miles of proposed trails in region
2. Increase Tourism 3. Improve Quality of Life 4. Health and Wellness
local business revenue, sales tax revenue, and other benefits related
5. Access to Destinations
health and transportation savings.
6. Create Community Identity
Access to Recreation, Nature, and History: Several established trail
7. Environmental Protection
systems in southeastern North Carolina connect people to historic downtowns, nature centers, and local parks, including the Cape Fear
LUMBER RIVER
corridors are developed, trails will take on different forms. Some
and/or close to bodies of water, and away
Planning; Coordination;
Communities Laurinburg and Lumberton,
State Park, and Jones Lake State Park.
destinations such as State Parks and protected forests. As plan
Funding; Right of Way; Planning; Coordination;
14. Wilmington to Bushy Lake
The Lumber River Regional Trails Plan connects urban centers to
Trail Development Planning; Coordination;
Lumber River State Park, Singletary Lake
Unique Regional Features
Trail Development
right. After adopting the regional plan, partners will study segments to determine more specific alignments, right-of-way needs, and
TRAIL TYPES
River Trail in Fayetteville; the Kinston Riverwalk; and the Gary Shell Cross City Trail in Wilmington. Health Outcomes: Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC and the American Heart Association cite research that says that for $1 invested in building trails,
1 mile of proposed trail per 1,433 residents in region
Flooding and Environmental Improvements: The Federal Emergency
REGIONAL TRAILS PLAN
damages are saved when a floodplain is restored, including trail corridors
Created for the Lumber River Council of Governments in partnership with North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Safety: Trails and greenways separated from roads decrease the risk that
that protect natural buffers and habitats. pedestrians or cyclists will be injured or killed on roads when involved in crashes with vehicles. Proven countermeasures can be implemented at a relatively low-cost to improve safety at trail crossings.
Survey Highlight: Lumber River Region
“[My favorite trails are at]
nearly $3 in medical cost savings may be achieved. Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that $1.1 billion in annual flood
8. Increase Property Value
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Lumber River State Park, total # of proposed miles of major loops in region
but the trails are less than 2 miles total.”