The committee for the Adopt-A-Trail Grant, operated by the N.C. State Trails Program, has recommended Davidson County Parks and Recreation Department get a $4,950 grant to build a new trail for paddlers to reach the Yadkin River at Boone’s Cave Park.
Before awarding the grant, applications are forwarded to the secretary of state for environmental review. The award should be approved by July and construction will take two to three days in September.
Improving access to the Yadkin River for paddlers has been a top goal for staff at Boone’s Cave Park. The grant will help in developing a state recognized blueway, with a pilot section going from U.S. 64 to York Hill. The river now has 8 miles without access from N.C. 801 in Davie County to the Salisbury Pump Station in Rowan County.
Boone’s Cave Park is centrally located between these two points.
The new trail will be constructed by Trail Dynamics Inc., a sustainable-trail building firm out of Cedar Mountain. The new paddling access trail will be 1,380 feet long and descend 90 feet from the parking lot to the landing. The resulting grade will be approximately 6.5 percent, which is level enough to make transporting a boat comfortable.