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Southwest Communities

The Blue Ridge Music Trails is your guide to finding great musical experiences in the mountains and foothills of North Carolina. As you explore the Music Trails, be sure to pick up a copy of the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina guidebook which makes a great travel companion, souvenir, or gift. Traditional music is flourishing across many parts of America, but in the mountains and foothills of North Carolina, more so than elsewhere, the music is part of the fabric of community life. 

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Learn more about the Blue Ridge Music Trails

The Broad River flows from the Blue Ridge Mountains and empties into the Atlantic tidewaters. For Native Americans, it was a pathway from the foothills to the sea. Its meandering course and mild currents made travel along it relatively easy. Today, the river’s importance to natural ecosystems and to our needs is understood more fully. Its scenic and recreational importance is also understood, Parts of the river in South Carolina have been designated a “state scenic river”.

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Learn more about the Broad River Greenway

The Carolina Thread Trail is your regional network of connected greenways, trails and blueways that reaches 15 counties, 2 states and 2.9 million people. There are over 300 miles of trails and 170 miles of blueway open to the public – linking people to places, and communities to each other. The Thread Trail preserves our natural areas and is a place for recreation, transportation and conservation. This is a landmark project that provides public and community benefits for people of every age, every background and in every community in our region.

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Learn more about the Carolina Thread Trail

Restrooms, an informational kiosk, and ample parking are available at the trailhead.  There is also a large picnic shelter available for rent.  The trails are ten feet wide and are suitable for pedestrians and bikes.  Most of the trail is also handicapped accessible.  There are many trailside benches as well as informational signs along the trails that tell the history of Kings Mountain and the surrounding region.  Additionally the Rail and Loop Trails feature nine workout stations for exercising. 

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Learn more about the Kings Mountain Gateway Trails

The Mountains-to-Sea Trail is a simple footpath stretching almost 1,200 miles across North Carolina from Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains to Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks.  More than just a walk in the woods, the trail traces the diversity that is North Carolina. Experience ancient mountains and small Piedmont farms, coastal swamps and colonial towns, changing textile villages and barrier islands. Almost 700 miles of footpath are now completed. With temporary routes on back roads and bicycle paths, hikers can now follow the trail on an adventure across North Carolina.

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Learn more about the Mountains to Sea Trail

The North Carolina Birding Trail serves as a driving trail to link birders and nature-based tourists with great birding sites across the state and the local communities in which they are found.

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Each of our locations are their own entities. From state parks, to greenways, to arboretums, to game lands, our sites are each their own prime spots for engaging with nature.

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Learn more about the NC Birding Trail

North Carolina's 61 scenic byways allow motorists to experience a bit of the state's history, geography and breathtaking scenery while raising awareness for the protection and preservation of these treasures.  Travelers can get to know North Carolina's people and communities and see the diverse beauty the Tar Heel state has to offer – from the high peaks of the Appalachian Mountains to the fertile hills of the Piedmont to the marshes, sounds and beaches of the coast.

Learn more about the NC Scenic Byways

The NC Musician Murals feature large-scale murals of world renowned artists from NC.  The trail leads visitors to each artists NC hometown. The project reaches communities small and large, rural and urban, in every part of North Carolina. Each mural helps educate visitors and to keep the legacy alive of some of the finest musicians the world has ever known.

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​Learn more about the NC Musician Murals Trail

The Ridgeline Craft Beverage Trail features breweries, distilleries and wineries in Gaston and Cleveland County . Each has its own unique feel and culture and experienced altogether on the trail makes it a great weekend getaway.

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Learn more about the Ridgeline Craft Beverage Trail