Karen Chávez

kchavez@citizen-times.com

LAKE JAMES - It was a sleepy little town where farmers worked the rich land along the Linville River. The Burke County town of Fonta Flora was also once home to a post office, the Rhyne School and Old Sardis Church of 1838.

But starting in 1916 the residents were dispersed and displaced to higher ground as the Catawba and Linville rivers and Paddy’s Creek were dammed to create Lake James and produce hydroelectric power for the growing region.

A century later, the little lost town is being honored by the creation of the Fonta Flora Trail.

The newest unit of the North Carolina State Parks System, the Fonta Flora Trail aims to unify Western North Carolina towns from the foothills to the mountains, stringing together spots from Morganton to Asheville. The planned 70-80-mile foot and bike trail will bring back to life, if only in name, the little lost town.

The signature piece, now under construction, is a loop around the 6,800-acre Lake James, nestled in the foothills of the Pisgah National Forest, with views into the Linville Gorge Wilderness.

Tim Johnson was one of the originators of the idea, starting about 10 years ago. Johnson was a park ranger at South Mountains State Park and the western region trails specialist for N.C. State Parks before starting work with Burke County Community Development last year.

He has a deep love of trails and expertise in how to plan and design them and build them sustainably to withstand weather, heavy use and time, including a mix of paved greenway and natural trail, connecting towns by trails already built and some that need to be created.

“The goal with the trail is to bring visitors into the area,” Johnson said. “The more sections that are completed along the corridor, the more likely folks are to stay longer. They might stay in Morganton and ride bikes to Asheville, spending more nights in hotels and eating at restaurants.”

Heather Cotton, director of planning for the city of Marion, envisions the regional trail, which is years yet away from completion, as promoting economic development and improved health for residents.

Parts of the Fonta Flora Trail are already on the ground in Marion - part of the Joseph McDowell Historical Catawba Greenway, about 2.2 miles running behind Lowe’s and along the Catawba River.

“There are fishing piers, fitness stations, a canoe launch, an outdoor amphitheater, and also access to a historic cemetery – Little Round Hill – where members of the Carson and McDowell families are buried. It’s a great place for people to hike and bike and fish, much like the French Broad River Greenway in Asheville,” Cotton said.

The linear park sees 150-200 users a day, about 1,000 a week, Cotton estimates, with more visitors to come once the entire 4-mile greenway is completed in the next couple of years.

Whenever people are surveyed about their favorite local destination, the Catawba River Greenway is always No. 1, Cotton said.

“When we started looking at the first trail section in 2007, the primary reason was to provide a destination, not just for residents, but to attract tourists. We’ve seen that with our trail already, with fly-fishing guides who use it for the delayed harvest trout waters.”

How to build, fund a new state park

Any new state park starts with a bill in the General Assembly. Former Gov. Pat McCrory signed the bill in 2015 authorizing creation of the Fonta Flora Trail as part of the N.C. State Parks System.

It is the fifth state trail, managed similarly to the most famous - the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. The MST was officially designated a state trail in 2000 and will be 1,100 miles long when completed.

But unlike state parks, government funding is not necessarily attached to state trails, said Smith Raynor, the state parks trails planner. Trail partners along the way are raising money, seeking grants and volunteer labor.

Funding for the Marion section came from the State Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, a grant from the federal Recreational Trails Grant Fund and support from McDowell’s Trail Association, Cotton said. More funding and volunteer support are needed for the total project.

But the major kick-off to bringing the Fonta Flora to life started with Duke Energy’s Federal Energy Commission Relicensing Agreement. As part of the relicensing process, Duke agreed to pay $1.1 million toward creation of the trail, including the Lake James Loop and the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail.

“The process for Fonta Flora has occurred a lot more quickly than a typical state trail would,” said Sean McElhone, N.C. State Parks Mountain Region Superintendent.

He said that the trail will be managed by state parks in addition to the land management agencies through which the trail passes. In addition to the Duke money, these agencies will be able to apply for grants from federal Recreation Trail Program.

The first trail-building phase in Burke County around Lake James is using some of relicensing funds, Johnson said. The land on the northwest side of Lake James is owned by Duke Energy and leased to the county at a nominal fee. Another section of trail is being built on an easement donated by a private developer off N.C. 126, just outside the Lake James State Park boundaries.

So far Burke County has received $1.1 million from Duke Energy, $84,000 from the Burke County Commissioners, and $170,000 in grants from the Federal Recreational Trails Program for the trail and associated amenities, including a trailhead and kiosk.

Last week Johnson went to check on the 4.2-mile section of trail freshly completed, first walking on the softly spongy, rich and loamy red clay soil that rings the picturesque Lake James. The earthy aroma smells like a newborn baby trail.

Johnson walks through a forest of sky-high pines, poplars, maples and holly trees, stopping at a postcard view of Lake James lapping up on the shore, a spot where Johnson can envision people stopping to gaze for hours.

The professional trail building crew starting on another section bulldozes trees to create a 5-foot wide path. Trail crew leader Charlie Dundas explains how the trail is excavated, tree stumps removed and chipped. Displaced soil is back raked across the trail and the final touch is a small roller that compacts the dirt to soak up water and prevent erosion.

“A good trail blends into the forest and looks like it’s been there forever,” Dundas said.

Benefits beyond beauty

The trail will eventually circumnavigate Lake James, including the state park, for a length of 25-30 miles, Johnson said. The first section should be open by spring. There is also a five-mile section planned to connect with the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

“That’s important because you can park here, walk to the MST and hike it to Asheville, then come back on the Fonta Flora Trail, and get to experience all the communities along the trail and all these great regional, natural assets,” Johnson said.

He foresees new business popping up, and health benefits beyond dollars to the local residents. The Fonta Flora Trail will have many access points where they can, hike, bike or push strollers, stop to fish along a newly built pier or count birds on a day trip, or load up a backpack and spend a couple of days making a loop trail.

“Studies have shown that property values near a regional trail tend to be $5,000 higher, bike trails on the coast have realized a return of $9 for every $1 spent. For every dollar spent on a regional trail, $3 are saved on health care costs,” Cotton said.

The Lego-like project will be snapping parts together for the next few years. The town of Black Mountain is using a half-mile section of the Oaks Trail as a kick start to its part in the Fonta Flora Trail. The trail is a paved path that crosses the Swannanoa River in Black Mountain Veterans Park (formerly Black Mountain Recreation Park) and will eventually connect to the federally funded River Walk Greenway, said Josh Harrold, the town’s planning and development services director.

“We think this could be a great tool for tourism, by bringing in different types of businesses, like bike rentals, fishing guides and the potential for more foot races,” Harrold said. “I think there will be more excitement once more people know about it.”

Eric Loomis is already excited. Loomis, who lives on Lake James, uses parts of the trail to run and walk with his family.

“It’s beautiful in there. You can run side by side, and it’s a real casual up and down. You get spectacular views of the lake. For me, it’s ideal for taking my wife and kids,” Loomis said. “I think this will be nice for the community since a lot of hiking around here can be intimidating. I believe getting outside in nature keeps people sane.”

Greenway sanity has already enveloped Asheville, and will increase as more greenway gets underway. The city of Asheville and Buncombe County both passed resolutions in December in support of connecting with the Fonta Flora Trail.

Buncombe County Parks and Recreation manager Josh O’Conner said the Fonta Flora Trail already aligns with the U.S. 70 corridor underway in the Buncombe County Greenway Master Plan. The paved greenway will eventually link the Azalea Park area in East Asheville to the Black Mountain Greenway.

“At this point we’ve done some initial feasibility work (on connecting with Fonta Flora), but we’re shopping for funding,” O’Conner said.

Becoming part of the Fonta Flora Trail means the county will be a part of the state system and will allow for new funding sources, he said.

“I think the trail strengthens our region when you look at how well each of the government entities are working together and supporting each other,” Cotton said. “It’s all of ours. That’s what’s really exciting about the Fonta Flora State Trail.”

Learn more

For more on the Fonta Flora Trail and regular updates on its progression, visit the Burke County website at http://tinyurl.com/h67olm2.