Catawba County, NC

Carolina Thread Trail Master Plan for Catawba County

Destinations that will be linked by the Carolina Thread Trail:

Catawba River

The Catawba River is 224 miles long, and begins on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains in McDowell County, flowing east into Lake Wylie on the North Carolina-South Carolina border. It contains the most major dams of any North Carolina river. The Catawba River provides plenty of opportunity for paddling and fishing.

Lenoir-Rhyne University

Lenoir-Rhyne is a comprehensive liberal arts institution, enrolling some 1,500 students in more than 60 undergraduate degree programs and master’s degree programs in the fields of business, counseling and education. With its Evening College, Lenoir-Rhyne strives to serve the non-traditional population.

Lenoir-Rhyne University
625 7^th Avenue NE
Hickory, NC 28601
(828) 328-7300

Murray’s Mill

Murray’s Mill, located in eastern Catawba County, is a preserved intact complex that includes a 1913 mill; the 1890s Murray & Minges General Store; the 1880s Wheathouse, used as an exhibit gallery; the 1913 John Murray House, furnished to the period; and numerous outbuildings. Run by three generations of the Murray Family, who abandoned operations in 1967, the picturesque structures and surrounding land form the last milling complex in the county, meticulously preserved and interpreted by the Catawba County Historical Association since 1980.

Catawba County Museum of History
PO Box 73
Newton, NC 28658
(828) 465-0383

Bunker Hill Covered Bridge

Designated as a National Civil Engineering Landmark in 2001, the Bunker Hill Covered Bridge is the only remaining example in wood of the Improved Lattice Truss patented by General Herman Haupt. It joins the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Dorton Arena in representing North Carolina on this prestigious list.