Friends of the MST Has announced plans to celebrate the Mountains-to-Sea Trail’s 43rd birthday during the month of September. This year, four new challenges help hikers and trail friends celebrate in a socially responsible and safe way. The trail runs 1175 miles across North Carolina, from Clingmans Dome in Great Smoky National Park to Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks, and passes through areas of natural beauty, historical significance and cultural interest.

The three hiking challenges use Great Day Hikes on North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail as a reference. The guidebook features 40 different day hikes from across the trail of varying lengths, and showcases many natural and cultural gems that are connected by the MST. The guidebook is published by UNC Press and edited by Jim Grode. The fourth challenge is a fundraising campaign. All are to be completed during September of 2020. Hikers are encouraged to hike following all local Covid-19 guidelines for safe outdoor recreation.

Challenge #1: Take a Great Day Hike. Walk one or many of the 40 hikes in the new Great Day Hikes on North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail guide.

Challenge #2: 43-Kilometer Challenge. Hike one of the three designated 43-kilometer stretches of the MST in 24 hours to complete the 43K-Challenge. These stretches are:
• Mountains: Segment 5 -Jumpinoff Rock Overlook to Brinegar Cabin. Hike through rolling hills in Doughton Park and Brinegar Family homestead.
• Piedmont: Segment 10 – Rolling View Recreation Area to Yorkshire Center. Hike along the shores of Falls Lake.
• Coastal Plain: Segment 15 – Holly Shelter Game Lands, Surf City Bridge and Topsail Island. Hike through long leaf pine savanna and onto Topsail Island.

Challenge #3: Triple Crown. Complete each of the three 43K hikes in a 24-hour period during the month of September to complete the 43K Triple Crown.

Challenge #4: Raise funds for the MST. Friends has created a peer-to-peer campaign system for trail friends to help raise funds to build, maintain, protect and promote the MST.

More details about the 43rd Birthday Celebration and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail are available on www.MountainstoSeaTrail.org. Step after step, mile after mile, the MST was made for times like these.

Looking for a way to bridge the age gap on National Grandparents Day September 9? Take a hike on the NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail. (MST)

“We have trail sections for all skills and ages from the Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks and in between,” said Jerry Barker, organizer of the MST Birthday Hike, which will be held that same weekend. He added, “Love of the outdoors is something one generation can pass on to another, whether it is hiking to a waterfall, hilltop, or quiet spot in the woods.”

Between September 7 and 9, 2018, not only grandparents and grandkids, but all North Carolinians can be part of the 41st birthday celebration of the MST. Last year over 1,700 people joined together to hike the 1,175-mile trail in one day on the trail’s 40th.

This year will be more informal, with hikers walking the trail anytime over the weekend with a group goal to accumulate a large number of miles hiked over the weekend. All hikers are invited to record their mileage and/or share their trail experiences at mountainstoseatrail.org/birthdayhike.

Or, you can share photos using the hashtag #mstbirthdayhike on Facebook or Twitter.

Suggested hikes, frequently asked questions and more information are online at mountainstoseatrail.org/birthdayhike. Trail guides for the entire trail are downloadable on the same website.

The MST goes from Clingmans Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks. About 700 miles of the route—more than half the planned length—are currently on natural surface or greenway trail, unpaved forest roads, or beach. A series of connectors on bicycle routes, paddle routes, and backroads knits together finished sections to span the state. It goes through four national parks, two national wildlife refuges, ten state parks and three national forests.

Friends of the MST is a non-profit organization whose volunteers work more than 35,000 hours annually to build and maintain the trail.

Over 1,600 North Carolinians collaborated on September 9, 2017 to complete in one day 100% of the 1,175-mile Mountains-to-Sea hiking trail from the Smokies to the Outer Banks.   

Most hiking legs were 3-5 miles long, although one hiker went over 20 miles. Officials with the American Hiking Society said the “one-day” hike was probably the first such event ever among America’s long distance trails.

The hike, organized by Friends of the MST, commemorates a September 9, 1977 speech by Howard Lee that became the catalyst for creation of the trail. Lee was NC Secretary of Natural Resources and Community Development at the time and told attendees at a national trails conference that North Carolina should create a “state trail from the mountains to the coast leading through communities as well as natural areas.” Lee, in his eighties, hiked the trail at Jones Lake State Park during the celebration.

Hurricane Irma did affect the event, as three persons on the alternative paddle route were called away to prepare for the hurricane as part of their jobs. 

“Hiking is physically and mentally healthy and low cost recreation,” said Kate Dixon, executive director of the Friends. “We believe the success of this event will inspire others to get outdoors, and reinforce the need to protect our state’s beautiful natural resources and scenic vistas.”

The MST was established as a state park in 2000. Friends will use funds raised in connection with the 40th anniversary of the Lee speech to build, maintain and promote the trail. Each year volunteers contribute over 30,000 hours to those tasks.