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.
Friends of the Valdese Rec President and Rep Hugh Blackwell have been meeting with state and local officials about what the site could look like and how it would be manned. Part rest area, part welcome center and part visitor center there would be something for everyone with an opportunity to learn about outdoor recreation in Western NC and all we have to offer in Burke County.
The next step is to get a building and parking design to present to NCDOT.
