The national Coalition for Recreational Trails presented its annual achievement award in the category of trail design and construction to Pete Barr, Conserving Carolina trails coordinator, and Chris “Shrinper” Khare for their work on Weed Patch Mountain Trail. Sen. Richard Burr and the office of Sen. Thom Tillis presented the coalition’s Tom Petri Award. 

It was the second year in a row that Conserving Carolina won the national award. In 2018, the award went to Barr and Conserving Carolina for Wildcat Rock Trail in Gerton, in Henderson County. Carolina Mountain Club was one of several entities that contributed to the construction of that trail.

Weed Patch Mountain Trail travels for 8.6 miles through the Town of Lake Lure’s Buffalo Creek Park and connects to Chimney Rock State Park. It offers stunning scenery and backcountry adventure for both hikers and mountain bikers. It also provides the first access to Eagle Rock, a newly established destination for rock climbers. Its spur trail to Eagle Rock in Chimney Rock State Park passes through a natural rock tunnel.

Maps and trail descriptions are available at www.conservingcarolina.org/weedpatch.