Over the past few years, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s Kids in Parks program has been installing a network of kid-friendly hiking trails, called TRACK Trails, in communities throughout North Carolina. Working together with partners throughout the country, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s mission is to promote children’s health and the health of our parks by engaging families in outdoor adventures that increase physical activity and foster a meaningful connection to the natural and cultural world.
On April 26th, 2014, Kids in Parks and North Carolina State Parks will celebrate the Grand Opening of the TRACK Trail at South Mountains State Park near Morganton. The celebration will begin at the Cicero Branch Parking Area at 2pm and consist of a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a ranger-led hike and Animal Olympic Games!
The Kids in Parks TRACK Trails program provides kids and families with a network of self-guided hiking trails to get outdoors, get ‘unplugged’ and to explore amazing places like South Mountains State Park. Every TRACK Trail has a series of brochures designed to turn an ordinary walk in the woods into a fun-filled adventure. Furthermore, for every adventure kids register through the Kids in Parks website, they earn Trail TRACKer Gear designed to make their next outdoor adventure more interactive and fun.
Nestled deep in the woods, South Mountains State Park is the perfect place to enjoy nature. “The staff at South Mountains is excited to partner with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s Kids in Parks program and join the network of North Carolina State Parks with Track Trails," said Amanda Lasley, a ranger at South Mountains State Park. "It is great to see kids out in our parks, and this trail will make their experience more exciting and educational.”
To date, Kids in Parks has installed more than 80 TRACK Trails across the country. The program has thirteen trails in partnership with the North Carolina State Parks Department, adding to other NC State Park TRACK Trail locations such as Chimney Rock, Lake Norman, and Lake James. For more information and to find a trail, visit http://www.kidsinparks.com/.
