Address

The Anne Springs Close Greenway is in Fort Mill, SC. – 1604 U.S. 21 (use the Nature Center Entrance)

Signs will be in place directing race participants to the start of the race near the Bruce Rush Pavilion.

Directions to the Anne Springs Close Greenway From I-77 S (from Charlotte)

Take I-77 exit 88 / Gold Hill Road exit. Turn left off the exit (towards Pineville / away from Tega Cay).

Continue on Springfield Parkway.

Turn right at the 4th traffic light (past lights at Captain Steve’s & Springfield schools) onto Old Nation Rd./Highway 21 Business.

Turn right onto Dairy Barn Lane.

When the 2013 Leadership Cabarrus Class decided that their service project was going to support the Carolina Thread Trail, they knew their project would have a lasting impact on the community.

In four days in April, the group of community and business leaders worked side-by-side to build a put-in launch so that kayak and canoe users can conveniently access the Rocky River. A parking lot will need to be built before the launch opens, which is scheduled to be completed this fall. The leadership group recently held a ribbon cutting to celebrate their accomplishment. It’s the county’s first public canoe and kayak launch on the river. They also installed a bench and a launch marker.

“It’s a pretty neat sense of accomplishment that we were able to do this and the community’s going to use it and appreciate it,” said Julie Holland, of Cabarrus College of Health Sciences.

A 1.75 mile natural surface trail, that weaves through 66 beautifully conserved acres on the Pharr Family Farm along the Rocky River, is under construction and will also provide access to the launch. Midland Town Administrator David Pugh applauded Leadership Cabarrus’ efforts and said the town is finalizing plans to build two more put-in points further downstream, which will make for a total six-mile blueway through the Midland area. We will keep you posted on when this canoe/kayak launch will open! Thank you, Leadership Cabarrus!

The Carolina Thread Trail Governing Board recently awarded two implementation grants, totaling $130,000, for community projects along the Carolina Thread Trail (The Thread). Implementation grants provide funding to communities to assist with trail corridor planning, land acquisition and construction of trails.

The grant award amount, community information and the use of the grants follow:

•             Anson County – $75,000:  Grant money awarded to Anson County will be used to fund the acquisition, design and construction of an approximately three acre canoe/kayak launch site on the Rocky River in Anson County. The launch site will be located adjacent to Plank Road in northern Anson County and will have available off-road parking. This site will be located on the Anson/Stanly County border and will provide blueway connectivity both upstream and downstream.

•             Catawba Lands Conservancy – $55,000 (Iredell County):  Funds awarded to Catawba Lands Conservancy (CLC) will be used to complete the design, permitting and construction of a trailhead/parking lot, as well as up to six pedestrian bridges, for a two-mile trail segment located along the South Yadkin River in northern Iredell County, adjacent to the Girl Scouts, Hornets’ Nest Council’s Dale Earnhardt Environmental Leadership Campus at Oak Springs.  This trail is expected to be completed in the fall of 2013. A conservation easement now permanently protects 358 acres of the 673-acre Oak Springs property, protecting it forever from future development. Oak Springs is a regional destination for Girl Scouts and provides camp activities and educational experiences for girls from Anson, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Rowan, Stanly, Union and York, SC counties. On average, about 200-300 girls participate in activities every weekend from March through November.

These grants are awarded as part of The Thread’s quarterly implementation grant cycle. Awards from The Thread help communities build trails that will add to the 115 miles of trails that are currently open to the public throughout The Thread’s 15-county region. Both Anson and Iredell counties have adopted a county-wide greenway master plan, making the county, cities and towns within Anson and Iredell counties eligible for grant funding from The Thread.

To date, The Thread has awarded more than $7.3 million in catalytic grants to communities and trail projects that are a part of The Thread. In addition to privately funded grants, these awards include grants from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund for land acquisition.

Applications for the remaining 2013 implementation grant cycles are due August 9 and October 18, 2013. For more information, visit carolinathreadtrail.org or contact Carolina Thread Trail Grants and Community Coordinator Randi Gates at 704-376-2556 (x217) or randi@carolinathreadtrail.org.

American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day is the country’s largest celebration of trails. The organization designates June 1 of each year to celebrate trails across the country through volunteer workdays, stewardship events and trail openings. The Carolina Thread Trail will be participating in this event with two volunteer workdays, one in Lincoln County and in Cabarrus County, and a trail opening at Buffalo Creek Preserve!

COME OUT AND CELEBRATE WITH US!
Register for these volunteer workdays scheduled for National Trails Day:

Volunteers are needed at Buffalo Creek Preserve on Saturday, June 1 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Assistance is needed to create the trailhead area, install mile markers and fence the parking area. Also on June 1 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., a work day will be held on the Sally’s YMCA Trail, in Denver, NC.

BUFFALO CREEK PRESERVE TRAIL OPENS!
The Buffalo Creek Preserve Trail will open June 1. This scenic natural surface trail weaves through an oak savannah and young pine forest, and is located in the town of Mt. Pleasant in Cabarrus County. Housed on conserved land protected by Catawba Lands Conservancy, this 2-mile trail provides a natural buffer for Adams Creek and a great path for jogging and walking. Corporate partners like Duke Energy, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, REI and Husqvarna engaged their employees and resources to also help build this trail. The oak savannah was created by a prescribed burn conducted by CLC last fall. Today, native wildflowers and grasses are sprouting, ideal cover and food for insects and birds.

Buffalo Creek Preserve is located at 8510 Malibu Rd. near the intersection of Mt. Pleasant Road South and Malibu Road. After the workday activities conclude, around 11:30 a.m., families and children are welcomed to be among the first to jog, walk or run this new beautiful national surface trail. A brief ribbon cutting will also be held. We look forward to seeing you there on June 1!

Congratulations to Governing Board Members Ruth G. Shaw and Michael Marsicano, and TreesCharlotte Executive Director Dave Cable who received 2013 Creative Thinkers Awards from the Carolinas Chapter of the Counselors of Real Estate.

Each received the award which honors their roles as trailblazers for The Thread and recognizes the savvy thinking, leadership and partnerships they cultivated laying the groundwork for our trail network. Loren Kennedy, CRE Chair of the Carolinas Chapter, explained the purpose of the award. “These awards are aimed at honoring leaders who exhibited one or more of the following: out-of-the-box thinking; treated obstacles and risks as opportunities for novel solutions; made cutting-edge decisions; or did something that resulted in a paradigm shift in thinking about a subject.” Check out these videos from Ruth and Michael about why The Thread is important to them and our region.

On February 19, Carolina Thread Trail Governing Board Members Tom Webb and Susanne Sellers, Former Board Member Sally Ornand, Thread Trail Project Director Ann Hayes Browning, and Tom Okel, CLC executive director, spent a day in Raleigh talking to lawmakers about the importance of the Carolina Thread Trail and critical funding, like the $4.5 million in grants to The Thread from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, that supports trail projects. The Thread also receives funding from the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and various transportation programs sponsored by the state.

The team met with several lawmakers representing the 11 North Carolina Thread Trail counties and provided them with information about trail projects in their communities, public funding leveraged to support trail development, and the various people, businesses and organizations that are working together to support and build The Thread. The discussions were targeted to lawmakers’ districts to highlight current trails, grants and ongoing efforts.

Many lawmakers were aware of The Thread and valued the growing momentum within their communities. Discussions about the economic, health and community benefits that result from trails and the importance of consistent, stable funding sources for conservation efforts were also reinforced.

“We were pleased with the level of engagement and interest from our legislators,” said Ann. “Tom and I want to thank our Thread Trail leadership team for organizing and participating in this trip and all of the lawmakers who took time out of their busy schedules to meet with us and gain a stronger knowledge of The Thread.”

The Carolina Thread Trail Governing Board awarded an implementation grant on Feb. 5, in the amount of $140,550, for a community project along the Carolina Thread Trail (The Thread) in Cleveland County. Implementation grants provide funding to communities to assist with trail corridor planning, land acquisition and construction of trails.

The grant award amount, community information and the use of the grant follow:
Cleveland County – $140,550
Grant money awarded to Cleveland County will be used to fund the design and construction drawings for an extension of the Kings Mountain Gateway Trail as well as help fund construction of this 2-mile segment of gravel trail. Once this extension is complete, the portion of the trail that is part of the Carolina Thread Trail will be approximately five miles long. This phase will include upgrades to an existing vehicle bridge over I-85 that was once used by Chemetall Foote, now Rockwood Lithium. This presents an incredible opportunity to utilize an existing bridge that is no longer open to vehicles for the trail. Chemetall Foote donated the land to Cleveland County for this community project. In 2012, the trail was enjoyed by more than 110,000 visitors. With future phases, the Gateway Trail will eventually connect to Crowders Mountain State Park, where users can then connect to Kings Mountain State Park and Kings Mountain National Military Park.

This grant is awarded as part of The Thread’s quarterly implementation grant cycle. Awards from The Thread help communities build trails that will add to the 113 miles of trails that are currently open to the public throughout The Thread’s 15-county region. Cleveland County has adopted a county-wide greenway master plan, making the county, cities and towns within Cleveland County eligible for grant funding from The Thread.

To date, The Thread has awarded more than $7 million in catalytic grants to communities and trail projects that are a part of The Thread. In addition to privately funded grants, these awards include grants from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund for land acquisition.

Applications for the remaining 2013 implementation grant cycles are due April 5, August 9 and October 18, 2013. For more information, visit carolinathreadtrail.org or contact Carolina Thread Trail Grants and Community Coordinator Randi Gates at 704-376-2556 x217 or randi@carolinathreadtrail.org.

REGISTER HERE!

The Carolina Thread Trail (The Thread) will hold its 2nd Annual Tread The Thread Twilight 5K Trail Race and Fun Run on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at 6 p.m., at the Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mill, SC. The race will benefit and support volunteer and trail building efforts for The Thread.

Those interested in registering to participate in the race can do so beginning today at www.carolinathreadtrail5k.org. The 5K race capacity is 250 people, an increase from last year due to demand. The 1 mile fun run will not be timed and an unlimited amount of runners and walkers can participate.  

The cost to participate in the trail run prior to March 11 is $20 for the 5K and $10 for the fun run; from March 12 to April 11, costs will be $25 and $10; and from April 12 to May 16, costs will rise to $30 and $15. Race day registration costs will be $35 and $20, respectively.

Those registering for the race who want to purchase a Trailheads membership can do so at the discounted price of $20 (in addition to race registration costs). Launched in December 2011 to raise awareness and support for The Thread, Trailheads pay a $25 membership to help build trails for this regional trail system, participate in special events like guided hikes, and receive a Trailheads car decal and e-newsletters.

The presenting race sponsor is Carolinas Health Care System and REI is the gold sponsor. The Thread is seeking additional race sponsorships. Those businesses and organizations interested in sponsorships can find out more information at www.carolinathreadtrail5k.org or by contacting Vanessa Gorr, Carolina Thread Trail outreach coordinator, at 704.376.2556 ext. 215 or vanessa@carolinathreadtrail.org. General information about the race can also be found on this website.

There are 76 local governments collaborating to build trails in their communities for The Thread. The 15-county Thread Trail region is Anson, Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell,  Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly and Union counties within North Carolina and Cherokee, Chester, Lancaster and York counties in South Carolina. Fourteen of these counties have adopted master plans with identified Thread Trail routes. Currently, 113 miles of The Thread are open to and being used by the public.

Click here for race results!

Thank you to all of our participants, volunteers, supporters and sponsors for helping make our 1st Annual “Tread The Thread 5K” Twilight Trail Race and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk a huge success! The race would not have been possible without our Title Sponsors: Carolinas HealthCare System, Johnston Allison & Hord and Wells Fargo Insurance Services. We cannot forget to thank our beer sponsors: Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and Foothills Brewing or our incredible Platium Sponsors, The TIN Kitchen and REI, who provided food and awards for the event. We hope that you enjoyed yourselves and that you’ll join us again next year for our 2nd Annual Tread The Thread 5K (more details coming soon!)!

We hope that you enjoyed Anne Springs Close Greenway and will visit again sometime soon!

Race Sponsors

If you are interested in becoming a race sponsor for our 2nd Annual Tread The Thread 5K in 2013, please see our Sponsorship Tier information here. To become a race sponsor please fill out a sponsor form below and return to Amanda Anderson, Carolina Thread Trail, 105 West Morehead Street, Charlotte, NC, 28202:

Sponsorship Form (interactive pdf)

Sponsorship Form (word doc)

Segments of the 1.1-mile Sally’s Y Trail in Lincoln County got some sprucing up in early January, thanks to a great team of Carolina Thread Trail volunteers. The trail, which is part of The Thread, had overgrowth and potential hazards to trail users.

Thread Trail Governing Board Member Susanne Sellers and Sylvia Holmes, a community leader who was a member of the steering committee for the Lincoln County Master Plan, were among the volunteers who participated in the workday to help make the trail safer for walkers, bikers and joggers. The volunteers removed roots, overgrowth, fences and tree branches along .25 miles of the trail. REI sponsored the event and provided lunch and T-shirts to volunteers.

“We appreciate all of our volunteers who did a lot of great work out on this highly used trail,” said Carolina Thread Trail Community Coordinator Randi Gates. “They really made a difference in making this trail safer. We want to also thank REI for its continuous support of our efforts.”

The Carolina Thread Trail Master Plan for Lincoln County Communities outlines 71.3 miles of future Carolina Thread Trail in the county. There are plans to extend the Sally’s Y Trail along Forney Creek to connect the future Rock Springs Park. The trail will also soon cross to the east side of Forney Creek, then head south to Optimist Club Road, before eventually connecting to the East Lincoln Recreation Center. Lincoln County was awarded a $46,000 grant from the Carolina Thread Trail for land and easement acquisition along this corridor.