For April, we are celebrating ALL the trails that run through Catawba County and what makes them great. Catawba County has over 45+ miles of trails that weave and wander through our community, connecting us, growing us, and pushing us to learn and embrace what nature has to offer. We have trails for everyone to explore, follow along to learn more about our vase trail systems. Carolina Thread Trail

Our four major parks; Bakers Mountian ParkRiverbend ParkSt. Stephens Park & Dog Park, and Mountain Creek Park cover a large majority of the outdoor adventures in Catawba County featuring hiking, biking, kayaking, bird watching, education, and much more. Each park has multiple amenities to meet your adventurous spirit. 

Unique Trails in Catawba County: 

-The Carolina Thread Trail has many routes in Catawba County, two of the larger routes are located at Bakers Mountain Park and Mountain Creek Park. "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." 

- North Carolina Birding Trail at Riverbend Park and Bakers Mountian Park; if you appreciate birdwatching, two of our parks are a part of the NC Birding Trail. There are feeders near the offices or you can walk the trails to see what might be flying through the trees. Year-round, at Riverbend, you could see Bald Eagles, American Goldfinch, Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Song Sparrow, and many others depending on the season. 

LITeracy Trails- LITeracy Trails (LIT = literature, information, and technology) offer a creative way to enjoy reading and the outdoors together. There are LITeracy stations at St. Stephens Park, Bakers Mountain Park, Bunker Hill Covered Bridge, and Murray's Mill Historic Site. These stations bring reading, technology, and fitness activities to the forefront as people relate to the stories in their own ways. Every trail consists of 18 individual stations that trace the storyline of different children’s books while also offering opportunities for exercise and further exploration. Featured books are changed on a quarterly basis.

Riverbend Park- Upper Catawba River Trail is a group of blueways that connect you to our rivers and lakes around the Hickory Metro. Riverbend Park is a part of this trail with kayak access and great spots for fishing. Check with a park ranger about water flows and best paddling times depending on the hydro generation at Oxford Dam. Mountain Creek Park also contains great access to fishing and paddling areas. 

- Mountain Biking Tails are at the heart of Catawba County. Mountain Creek has dedicated bike-only trails, a mountain bike skills course, tool stations, and has endless route combinations. Mountain Creek has quickly become a regional mountain biking destination. Riverbend Park has 8 miles of mountain biking providing a technical, single-lane course for the biking enthusiast. 

- Adequate access to our parks and trails is important, we want to make sure that all people can enjoy our trails. In Catawba County, we have two ADA-accessible trails, Bakers Mountain and Mountain Creek. We also have several city parks that are ADA-accessible as well. 

Take some time for yourself and make your way to one of our many trail systems here in Catawba County! We hope that you will fall in love with the beauty, adventure, and learning that our trails hold. 

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

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