Press release:
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is sponsoring a hike along a leg of the route at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, September 9. Danny Bernstein, author of Hiking North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains and additional guides, will lead this trek from the Folk Art Center to the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center and back.
The public is invited to join the hike at 9:30 a.m. at the Folk Art Center, milepost 382 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The group will follow the Mountains-to-Sea Trail to the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, at milepost 384. After a brief break at the Visitor Center, hikers will return to the Folk Art Center along the same portion of the trail. The round-trip distance is 5.8 miles, and the entire hike will likely last until 2 p.m. Participants are welcome to complete as much of the hike as their skill level allows. Hikers are encouraged to bring water, snacks or a sack lunch, and layers of clothing and wear sturdy hiking shoes. The event will take place rain or shine.
“We are thrilled to be part of this special day for the Mountains-to-Sea Trail,” says Carolyn Ward, CEO of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. “The trail, which runs parallel to the Parkway for many mountain miles, is a great resource for visitors to the national park unit.”
Bernstein and the group will be joined by Acting Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent John Slaughter, Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation CEO Carolyn Ward, and author and record-setting hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis. In 2011, Pharr Davis covered the 2,185-mile Appalachian Trail in 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes, maintaining a remarkable average of 47 miles per day, to become the first woman to claim the overall fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail.
The event is hosted in collaboration with the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. On this day across the state, hundreds of enthusiasts will each walk or paddle a portion of the trail so that, through their collective efforts, 100 percent of the trail will be covered in a single day.
The group size is limited. Participants are encouraged to register here.About the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is the primary nonprofit fundraising partner, 501(c)(3), of the Blue Ridge Parkway, helping ensure cultural and historical preservation, natural resource protection, educational outreach, and visitor enjoyment now and for future generations. The Foundation is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Since its inception in 1997, the nonprofit has worked with donors to invest more than $12 million in critical projects along the scenic road. For more information, visit brpfoundation.org.About the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail
Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail’s mission is to bring together communities and volunteers to build a simple footpath connecting North Carolina’s natural treasures for the enjoyment and education of people. For more information, visit mountainstoseatrail.
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