Great Trails State Day

October 19 is Great Trails State Day in North Carolina. To celebrate, there will be a 2000 Mile Challenge in Valdese for folks to collectively Hike, Bike and Paddle the trails in and around Valdese Lakeside Park!

1000 Miles was the goal for 2023 and 1526 was the tally at the end of the day by just over 500 people. This year, we want to improve on that. 2000 Miles is the Goal.

Just show up on Saturday, October 19 between 7am and 8pm. Hike, Bike, Run, Walk, and/or Paddle. Tell the folks at the tent your totals miles before you leave.

To get you there and keep you there….. in addition to free stickers, magnets and other swag

Free While they Last
Coffee and Donuts – 7:00 am
Free Hot Dogs – 11:00 am
Free Pizza – 4:00 pm

Valdese Lakeside Park is at 1149 Lake Rhodhiss Drive in Valdese. If you have never been to the park, the folks at the tent can help you choose the right trail for you – we have about 11 miles of trail. We have 4.6 miles of mountain bike trails and a kayak launch.

This is event is hosted by Friends of the Valdese Rec and Burke River Trail Association with the support of Town of Valdese Parks and Recreation Department.

A free buff to the first 20 people who log 3 miles at the event!

Capturing Nature

As quiet as the wildlife he is trying to capture, Bruce Buchanan wanders mostly along the shoreline of Lake Rhodhiss at Valdese Lakeside Park. You may not take time to notice him, but his large camera strapped across his body will get your attention.

If you are on Facebook, then you are lucky enough to see the results of his work. In an on the greenway interview, Bruce admitted, “If it weren’t for my camera, I probably wouldn’t get out as much.” And, he comes to Valdese Lakeside Park because, he “enjoys it.” He likes a little bit of clouds in the sky — especially at sunset and sunrise to get the best shots.

Bruce does not seek attention, but he has donated a beautiful photography of an Osprey he captured at the park for a raffle. Not one you see as much as the Heron or Egret. He is also allowing use of his images for our Lake Rhodhiss Trailfest trail run awards

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Lunch and Learn Program

Friends of the Valdese Rec, Inc (FVR) hosts a free monthly Lunch and Learn Program for the Young at Hearts in the community. Every third Thursday of the month at Noon, FVR provides lunch, time to socialize and a 20-minute program for interested adults who are retired or have time for lunch. First United Methodist Church of Valdese provides the space for the lunch event. Continue reading “Lunch and Learn Program”

Mountain Bike Trail Open!!

Ribbon Cutting with the Volunteers who built the trail and Rep Blackwell who assisted with funding.

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 hard work from volunteers in 2024, Friends of the Valdese Rec held a celebration breakfast with the dedicated volunteers.

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Volunteers – Mountain Bike

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 April 3- May 10. Round 1 was clearing the corridor – 648 Volunteer Hours from Feb 2 through April 2, over 36 workdays. More to do, but getting closer

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Almost to Pavilion Goal

Donate

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, entertainment (movie, music, drama) and shelter (from rain and sun). The flexible design will allow for picnic tables to be placed on the slightly raised platform for a community meal or removed for an educator or local theater performance to be center stage with the picnic tables scattered around the grassy lawn. The amphitheater seating will provide easy setup. This heart of the park will unify visitors seeking comfort in the natural forested environment with a lake view. Having an established space will encourage more organizations, including our own, to offer free programming at the park.

Addition to Children’s Park

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 new NC State funds for trails, the purchase was indeed possible.

The parcel is on the planned corridor for the Wilderness Gateway State Trail (WGST) and Heile talked with FCNC about purchasing the property with Complete the Trails funds and then transferring the property to Valdese. As part of the effort, there was a neighborhood restriction attached to the parcel that required Heile and Tom Kenney to go door to door to get signatures from neighbors stating they were OK with the parcel being protected versus becoming three home sites. The property closed in January 2024.

“Foothills Conservancy is glad to partner with Friends of the Valdese Rec and the Town of Valdese to secure this six acres of open space for future public park and trail use,” said Land Protection Director Tom Kenney. “Projects like this support healthy lifestyles and economic development through tourism in Valdese associated with the Wilderness Gateway State Trail.”

The goal is for the property to have trail, picnicking and overflow parking for Children’s Park.

WNC Gateway

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 is the perfect time to plan a stopping point for those driving down I-40 or traveling Wilderness Gateway State Trail.

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