Signs
Burke River Trail Association started working with Destination by Design in July 2024. The first step was the logo and brand released in November 2024. Then came the family of signs to use along the road, at trailheads and along…
Burke River Trail
Connecting Communities in Burke County, NC
Burke River Trail
Connecting Communities in Burke County, NC
Beth
Morganton Grant
A new one mile section of Burke River Trail is on the way!! Congratulations to City of Morganton on receiving a $374,000 Great Trails State Program grant. The new section will start at Rocky Ford Access on Lenoir Rd and…
Burke Trails Summit
Burke County Trails Summit: Stronger Together With a national historic trail, four state trails, two state parks, two regional parks with trail systems, numerous municipal paths and greenways, plus our rivers, Burke County offers an impressive 290 plus miles of…
Summer Activities
This summer, BRTA partnered with Burke County Public Library and NC State Parks for three unforgettable events that helped kids explore nature, local history, and even the role of park rangers. From scavenger hunts and swinging bridges to animal skulls…
Walkin’ Roll Partnership
Building Bridges — and Ramps: A Growing Partnership with Walkin’ Roll In the ongoing work to create a truly inclusive Burke River Trail, we’ve been fortunate to partner with many incredible organizations — and one that stands out is Walkin’…
Royal Park Open
June 20 was a great Ribbon Cutting day. Many congratulations to Town of Hildebran on their incredible downtown gathering space. Thanks to Town of Hildebran for giving Burke River Trail Association a Key to the Town!!! We have an incredible…
Bridges
Unless you are a distance runner or road biker, you may not think much about road bridges being pedestrian friendly. But, as we work to connect the communities of Burke County, bridge crossings are a big part of that. As…
Reimagining Downtown Drexel
At Burke River Trail Association (BRTA), our mission goes beyond building a 40-mile hiking and biking trail across Burke County — we’re also committed to helping each trail town shine in its own unique way. That’s why we approached the…
Kid Conservation Pages
Need some activities for your kids this summer? See us at a local festival to pick up some sheets in person – or download them from this page! And, from NC State Parks Junior Ranger Activity Guides –
Honoring Drexel’s Past
Fundraising – $5930 raised$20K Goal to Match Private Donor Many thanks to these donors: Join us in honoring the hands that built Drexel… Below, you’ll read a heartfelt letter from artist Dan Hoyle inviting you to support A Community of…
Touring Rhodhiss
Copper Penny Grill Lake Hickory was an incredible host for our Rhodhiss Trail Town Tour!! Manager Rick Justice and Mayor Spencer gave updates and answered questions. Alderwoman Donna and Clerk Julie were there. Copper Penny owner Shelly talked about having…
Touring Drexel
Full House for our Town of Drexel Trail Town Tour where we got a look back from Mayor Anthony and a look at future plans from Manager Carroll. Grow with Drexel gave a tour of the town with a 1…
Litter Sweep 2025
Update: We finished in First Place! For the second consecutive year, the Burke River Trail Association (BRTA) is proud to participate in the Burke County Chamber of Commerce Litter Sweep being held April 2-9. Over the course of the eight-day…
Touring Hildebran
The Town of Hildebran received its official name from the early Hildebrand family settlers, Jake and Soloman Hildebrand. When the Post Office and Town Charter were applied for, someone mistakenly omitted the “d” from Hildebrand and it has been spelled…
Where is that Shirt
Where in the world is the Burke River Trail T-shirt? From local spots to far-off places – join the journey! Send us a photo of you in your Burke River Trail t-shirt by a landmark or notable spot. We will…
Touring Rutherford College
Building stronger communities through economic development and civic engagement is a core focus for Burke River Trail Association (BRTA). To support this, the nonprofit has launched a Trail Town Tour series, which will spotlight the nine local governments along the…
BRTA 2024 Report
We are pleased to present our 2024 Annual Report. If you are a BRTA member, the printed report will be coming to your mailbox soon. You can also request a printed report – just send an email to burketrails@gmail.com
Trail Town Tour
Each month, learn about a Town along the Burke River Trail. For January, the focus is on Rutherford College. Thursday, January 23, we will meet at Town Hall at Noon for Lunch and hear updates from Town Officials. This free…
Helene Impact on Trail Use
Thanks to great partnerships, AllTrails (Trail Guide App) and Piedmont Land Conservancy worked together to see what data was available to help show the impact Helene had on trail use in Western NC. At a Great Trails State Coalition meeting,…
Giving Tuesday 2024
For the second year, Burke River Trail Association participated in Burke County United Way’s 1BurkeGives on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. This year, in addition to being one of 40 some nonprofits listed on their Giving Page (giving us great exposure…