About
The Coalition
Fort Macon State Park | Carteret County
The
Great Trails State Coalition
The Vision
North Carolina is the Great Trails State, where each of our 100 counties enjoys the proven benefits of trails, including health, safety, economic development, tourism, transportation, and environment.
Who We Are
A broad-based group of diverse organizations, agencies and supporters advocating for increased state investment in all types of trails statewide – hiking, paddle, mountain bike, equestrian, paved.
CURRENT LEADERSHIP TEAM
Coalition Director:
- Palmer McIntyre, palmer@greattrailsnc.com
2025 Executive Committee Members:
- Iona Thomas, McAdams
- Mike Holder, Gannett Fleming
- Brent Laurenz, Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail
- Mary Joan Pugh, Randolph County
- Andrew Meeker, East Coast Greenway Alliance
- Beth Heile, Burke River Trail
- Sue Gray, NC Horse Council
- Rashawn King, Triangle Trails Initiative
- Bret Baronak, Carolina Thread Trail/ Catawba Lands Conservancy – Fiscal Sponsor
GTSC Staff: Julie Judkins, GTSC Coordinator
The Next Steps for North Carolina
The Great Trails State Coalition formed in 2020 and first approached the General Assembly in 2021. As a relatively new organization, the Coalition has been extremely effective, due to our strong base of supporters and effective support in Raleigh.