Gaston County Trail Descriptions:
Catawba River Greenway – Tuckaseege Park
Spencer Mountain/McAden Blueway
Click below to view the adopted Carolina Thread Trail Master Plan for Gaston County. If you have any questions, please contact Randi Gates, Community Coordinator for Gaston County at randi@carolinathreadtrail.org.
Adopted Plan - Amended February 24, 2011
Gaston County Steering Committee
Destinations that will be linked by the Carolina Thread Trail:
Belmont Abbey College
Founded in 1876, Belmont Abbey College is located ten miles west of Charlotte, NC. The college is located on land donated by Reverend Jeremiah O’Connell, a missionary priest, who purchased the land through foreclosure. The Benedictine monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, agreed to accept the land and to found a community and school. Today, the college continues to be sponsored by the monastery, and each fall the monks of Belmont Abbey welcome a new class of students in their home as new members of the “Abbey Family.”
100 Belmont Mount Holly Road
Belmont, NC 28012
(704) 825-6700
Crowders Mountain State Park
Crowders Mountain State Park is a North Carolina State Park located in the western Piedmont of North Carolina between the cities of King’s Mountain and Gastonia, or about 25 miles west of Charlotte, covering over 5,000 acres. Crowder’s Mountain itself abruptly rises nearly 800 feet above the surrounding terrain and has an elevation of 1,625 feet (495 meters) above sea level. Within the park there are numerous outdoor recreation activities, including hiking on many of its internal trails.
522 Park Office Lane
Kings Mountain, NC 28086
(704) 853-5375
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a 450-acre botanical garden located in Belmont, NC, along the banks of Lake Wylie on Hwy. 279, just west of Charlotte. Part nature preserve, part showcase for the best of Southern horticulture, the Garden is in the process of implementing a spectacular 40-year master plan. Already completed and open to the public are a stunning Visitor Pavilion and gift shop, more than 110 acres of themed gardens, a dozen sparkling fountains and a grassy outdoor amphitheater for concerts and other events. Open 7 days/week. Group rates are available.
6500 South New Hope Road
Belmont, NC 28012
(704) 825-4490
Mountain Island Educational State Forest
Concentrating on Forestry Best Management Practices related to water quality, Mountain Island Educational State Forest is located on an important conservation easement. Mountain Island Lake, from which the forest takes its name, provides water for one out of every twelve residents of North Carolina. Currently under construction, MIESF will open for general public access in the near future.
1933 Mountain Island Highway
Mount Holly, NC 28120
South Fork Catawba River
The South Fork Catawba River is south and west of the Catawba River and merges with the Catawba at Lake Wylie near the South Carolina boarder. The river offers miles of natural landscapes, with great fishing and paddling opportunities. Catawba Lands Conservancy opened a canoe and kayak access point on the South Fork Catawba River in May 2009 called the Spencer Mountain River Access. The trip down to the R.Y. McAden River Access take out point is approximately 2 hours, 5.5 miles.
Spencer Mountain River Access – approximate physical address:
282 Stanley Spencer Mountain Road
Spencer Mountain, NC 28056
Spencer Mountain
The community was named for Zachariah Spencer, a loyalist who became a patriot during the Revolutionary War.
