A group of volunteers has been working with Alamance Parks to construct a new hiking trail in the Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area, near Bass Mountain Road. The group began construction in April 2021 and has been working Wednesdays (weather permitting) over the last eleven months, clearing trees and vegetation and benching (leveling) the trail along inclines.
The new trail will be about a 4.2 mile loop when it is completed, starting at a parking lot that Alamance Parks has contracted to have built near the intersection of Bass Mountain Road and Broadrock Road. The trail will eventually have a side trail leading up to an observation tower, planned to be built at the highest point in the Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area.
One of the features of the new trail is the former Pioneer Camp, which was operated by Mr. John William Lindsay and his wife, Cynthia Garrett Lindsay, from 1937 until 1956. The trail passes by several of the remaining buildings, including the foundation and chimney of the dining hall (pictured above behind the volunteers).
The trail is scheduled to open sometime in 2023 after the new parking lot along Bass Mountain Road is completed. It will add another scenic hike that will eventually connect with both existing trails and other trails planned for the future.
New volunteers are welcome. No previous experience is necessary, and tools will be provided. For more information contact Andrew Sam at: asam30035@gmail.com
Written by Bob Ellis, February 2022