Beth

Planned to be at Valdese Lakeside Park from the very beginning, a 4.2 mile Mountain Bike Optimized Trail is now open to bikers (and hikers). From a 2018 Master Plan to a 2023 Specific Design Plan to 4 months of…

928 hours so far!! Our volunteers have gone above and beyond building the mountain bike trail at VLP to save money. Round 2 of the Mountain Bike Trail Building Process – Cutting Roots – 280 volunteer hours over 16 workdays…

Fundraising is heading into the home stretch for the Pavilion and Amphitheater at Valdese Lakeside Park. The Pavilion will serve as a “family room,” a gathering space for the community to take part in classes, meals, awards, exercise, meet ups,…

In 2022, Beth Heile started working with landowner Dennis Jaschob on how to protect his six acres on Micol Creek on the north side of Children’s Park. The town was not in a position to purchase the property. However, with…

Did you know that from I-40 Exit 111, you are just 1.5 hours from seven state parks and six state trails?!? This location is truly the Gateway to Western North Carolina. With NCDOT plans to rework the exit ramps, it…

A parks and recreation master plan is a comprehensive, long-range strategy for the creation, optimization, and maintenance of a community’s assets. It doesn’t focus on one particular park but instead offers a bird’s-eye view of a community’s parks and recreation…

The 2-mile Valdese Greenway has been designated as official Wilderness Gateway State Trail. Friends of the Valdese Rec completed the paperwork in September 2023 that was submitted to NC State Trails. From there the public had to be notified of…

In October, the Community Foundation of Burke County awarded FVR a $9327 grant to purchase 12 picnic tables (2 ADA) for the Open Green. FVR funds of $984.03 were used to cover the small overage for a price increase and shipping. The…

Saturday, October 21 was Great Trails State Day across NC as part of NC Year of the Trail 2023. We set a goal to collectively bike, hike, paddle 1000 miles at Valdese Lakeside Park during the day. We blew that…

Treasure hunting in Valdese?? You bet. Geocaches are hidden all around our parks (and town). Not sure what this Hike and Seek adventure is all about. You just need an app on your phone and a willingness to explore. Geocaching…