Find Your Trail: Celebrate Great Trails State Day on October 17

RALEIGH, N.C. — Whether your favorite trail winds through a mountain forest, follows a river, connects your neighborhood or leads toward the coast, make it part of your day on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Great Trails State Day invites residents and visitors across North Carolina to get outside and celebrate the trails that connect our communities.

Call a friend, gather your family or enjoy an outing on your own. Explore somewhere new, revisit a favorite route or join a local event. From short greenway walks to longer outdoor adventures, the celebration offers opportunities for people of different ages, interests and abilities.

“Great Trails State Day is an opportunity for people in every corner of North Carolina to experience the trails that make their communities healthier, more connected and more vibrant,” said Palmer McIntyre, Director of the Great Trails State Coalition. “Whether you explore a favorite trail, discover somewhere new, join a community event or volunteer to care for a trail, there is a way for everyone to participate.”

Celebrations across the state offer different ways to join in:

• Explore with others in Waxhaw. Purpose Driven Hikers will lead a Great Trails State Day outing at Cane Creek Park, 9:30 a.m.–noon, along the 4.1-mile Cane Creek Red Trail Loop. Beginners and returning hikers are welcome.
• Discover history in Winston-Salem. Creative Corridors Coalition’s A Great Day on the Trails features free guided tours and self-guided walks from MUSE Winston-Salem, 10 a.m.–noon.
• Give back in Madison. Join NC the Beautiful’s Dan River Cleanup, 9 a.m.–noon, to help care for a river corridor and protect wildlife.
• Run for a cause at the coast. The Monster Dash at Carolina Beach State Park celebrates the day with a 5K trail run supporting youth runners, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
• Find a trailside treasure in Moore County. The Great Pottery Pinecone Hunt features 30 limited-edition pottery pinecones hidden along select trails.

Wherever you live or visit, participation can be simple: walk a nearby greenway, bike to a local destination, paddle a river, explore an equestrian trail or help maintain a place you love. Every outing is a chance to enjoy North Carolina’s landscapes and recognize the people and partnerships that keep trails available to everyone.

“North Carolina’s statewide network of trails allows visitors and residents to enjoy a wide variety of outdoor recreation opportunities,” said N.C. State Parks Director Brian Strong. “We are very lucky to live in a state that recognizes the importance of trail investments and infrastructure, and we encourage everyone to get out and celebrate Great Trails State Day.”

First celebrated in 2023 during North Carolina’s Year of the Trail, Great Trails State Day became an official annual observance in 2024, when the North Carolina General Assembly designated the third Saturday in October for the celebration.

Great Trails State Day also celebrates the investments and partnerships expanding trail access across North Carolina. Waxhaw will mark the day with a ribbon-cutting for the Town Creek to Millbridge segment of the Carolina Thread Trail, an approximately 2,870-foot natural-surface trail connecting Town Creek Park to Creekview Drive in Millbridge. Supported in part by a $60,000 Carolina Thread Trail Implementation Grant, along with funding from the Town’s Pedestrian Greenway Fund and Capital Improvement Plan, the new segment connects the Millbridge community to Waxhaw’s growing trail network.

Find your trail and make your plans at greattrailsnc.com/great-trails-state-day. Browse the statewide events calendar for additional outings, registration requirements and event details.