Boone adds new paved trail to Greenway

The town of Boone recently completed a new paved extension of its greenway system that connects Hunting Hills Lane with the greenway’s intersection at the covered pedestrian bridge over the South Fork of the New River.

Boone Mayor Loretta Clawson surveys the newly paved trail along the town’s greenway system. Photo by Mark Mitchell

The new extension provides walkers with a quarter-mile trail to an adjacent wetland on the north side of the river. The trail is on property that was transferred to the town for recreation use after a Federal Emergency Management flood-prevention buy-out of the area in the 1990s.

The greenway trail located on Hunting Hills Lane is temporarily closed until spring because of ongoing construction of a storm-water wetlands project adjacent to the trail. The project is designed to absorb rainwater as a natural buffer to reduce flooding.

“The town is committed to the expansion of our greenway system, as it is one of the most popular programs the town has ever undertaken,” said Boone Mayor Loretta Clawson. “We are currently working on infrastructure to mitigate storm-water runoff, and we will be constructing additional new walking trails as soon as this project is completed. The town’s public works department is responsible for the town’s greenway system, and they have made significant progress in improving the trail in recent years with the construction of the relatively new third pedestrian bridge and our most recent trail expansion, connecting Hunting Hills Lane with the covered bridge area. The greenways trail is a reflection of the quality of work town employees perform.”

Clawson expects work to continue despite the recession, saying constituents value the greenway as one of the town’s best assets.

“We have some money to continue working on this project,” Clawson. “The greenway is one of the best things we’ve got going in this town. I know things are going to get tight, but, so far, we’ve got the money to do this project.”

The town is still pursuing a greenway extension along Pride Drive, working to secure the needed right-of-ways. Watauga County has also explored ways to connect nearby Brookshire Park and the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex to the greenway system, with the goal of promoting the county’s recreational assets to attract tourists and visitors.

The Watauga County Board of Education and Board of Commissioners will conduct a joint meeting on Dec. 12 to discuss greenway access for the new high school in Boone.