Where
Headquarters are at Coley Hall at the Liberty222 East Main Street
Elkin, NC 28621
Driving Directions
Contact
Betsy Brown
Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail
919-518-1713
bbrown@mountainstoseatrail.org
Hotels, Cabins and Camping Options
FAIRFIELD INN AND SUITES: The Fairfield Inn and Suites in Elkin is the host hotel for the Gathering of Friends. Please call the hotel directly at 336-353-2008 to book a room at the reduced rate of $99 per night, plus taxes and fees. Use the code MST when making reservation. Rooms should be booked by February 25th to ensure this rate. This includes a continental breakfast. 628 CC Camp Road /268 Bypass, Elkin, NC 28621.
HAMPTON INN, JONESVILLE: The Hampton Inn We have a secondary block at the Hampton Inn Jonesville. Please call the hotel at 336-835-1994 by March 5th to ensure a rate of $99 and use the code FOM. Includes continental breakfast. 1632 NC Highway 67, Jonesville, NC 28642.
QUALITY INN JONESVILLE: For those traveling with pets, we have a small block at the pet-friendly Quality Inn in Jonesville. Rate is $89 plus fees and taxes. Cut off for reservations is March 16th, and the code is MST. Please call 336-835-9400 to book. 1633 Winston Road, Jonesville, NC 28642.
BYRD'S BRANCH CAMPGROUND: Byrd's Branch Campground and Country Store is owned and operated by MST members' Sarah and Jerry Byrd. They have tent sites,showers and water, electric and sewer hookup sites. To reserve a site, call 336-526-1146 (Store) or 336-366-0603 (Jerry) or 336-366-9955 (Sarah). Please leave message and they will return your call. 225 Martin Byrd Road, Elkin, NC 28621.
ROCKY RIDGE FAMILY CAMPGROUND: Rocky Ridge is located in Thurmond, between Elkin and Roaring Gap. $20 a site, RVs are welcome, but they have no hookups. Call 336-366-7396 to make reservation. 370 White Rock Road, Thurmond, NC 28683.
STONE MOUNTAIN STATE PARK: Family, group and backpack camping are available in the park. Details here.
FROG HOLLER CABINS: Frog Holler has 5 one-bedroom cabins that sleep up to 4 people and is also about 10 minutes from downtown Elkin. Call 336-526-2661. 564 E. Walker Road, Elkin, NC 28621.
GRASSY CREEK VINEYARD/KLONDIKE CABINS: Located in State Road, Klondike Cabins are about 12 minutes from downtown Elkin. The main cabin has four bedrooms, and two neighboring cabins have two bedrooms each. Call 336-366-9210 to reserve. 235 Chatham Cottage Circle,State Road, NC 28676.
THE ROCKFORD INN: The Rockford Inn is approximately 16 miles from The Liberty, and offers a beautiful bed and breakfast experience. The innkeepers are big supporters of the MST. Please call 800-561-5662 to make a reservation. 4872 Rockford Road, Dobson, NC 27107.
THE HOMECOMING HOUSE: The Homecoming House is a lovely bed and breakfast in Elkin. 608 North Bridge Street, Elkin 28621. Please call 336-526-7770 for more information.
Be sure to check VRBO, Homeaway and Airbnb for other Elkin and Yadkin Valley accommodation options too. There are great options including several within walking distance to the Liberty.
The 2018 MST Gathering of Friends returns to Elkin, NC, the weekend of March 23rd through the 25th, 2018. Join other MST enthustiasts for our annual membership meeting and a weekend of trail and town excursions across the Yadkin Valley.
The central events of the weekend include the Supper and Sonkers on Friday night and the Annual Membership Meeting on Saturday. For the rest of the weekend, from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon, Elkin has organized a full-schedule of Trail and Town Excursions to help you enjoy the outdoors and learn more about this special part of North Carolina.
In 2019, we will be moving the Gathering to a new MST community, so don't miss this chance to visit Elkin with us one more time.
New this year are excursions to Carter Falls, a paddle on the Yadkin from Ronda to Elkin, expanded Overmountain Victory Trail Encampment featuring the British, cannons and calvary, a workshop on trail building, a visit to the new Trails and Heritage Center and music at the gorgeous Reeves Theater!
Many events will be held in Coley Hall, at the Liberty, a restored tobacco warehouse and event space on Elkin's Main Street, including:
- Supper and Sonkers - Friday, March 23 - 6:00 to 9:30 pm. Elkin Valley Trails Association and Friends of the MST will be hosting a casual welcome dinner at the Liberty featuring Elkin area-inspired cuisine and famous desserts - the sonker!
- The Annual Meeting - Saturday, March 25 - 10 am to 3 pm - will include reports on progress to build, maintain and promote the MST; panel by 2017 MST trail completers including Jennifer Pharr Davis, who hiked the trail in 2017; "What's Next - the Next 40 Years" Session and response from key MST leadership; and awards for hikers who have completed the trail and for outstanding volunteers. Registration opens at 9 am, with coffee and time to chat with other Friends. There is plenty of parking in the lot to the left of The Liberty, and street parking is available on Main Street.
Trail and Town Excursions - Friday, March 23 at 11:00 am to Sunday, March 25 at 3:00 pm - Make plans to get to town early as the Elkin Valley Trails Association (EVTA) is organizing a multitude of trail and town excursions: from guided hikes on the MST in the Elkin Valley, to bushwack hikes in search of moonshine stills, to paddle trips on the Yadkin, and strolls down Main Street. All these excursions will help you see what makes the MST, Elkin and the surrounding areas so special. Most of the excursions require pregistration to help EVTA plan accordingly and almost all are included in your registration fee. Click here for the entire schedule of these great excursions and to register.
Accomodations: -- We've worked out discounted rates at The Fairfield Inn & Suites, Hampton Inn, and pet-friendly Quality Inn, listed in the box to the left, below the map. There are many other hotels and cabins in the area, if none of these suit your specific needs. If you are interested in sharing a room, cabin, or tent, please email Betsy Brown (bbrown@mountainstoseatrail.org) and she will work to connect you with other compatible members.
Registration for the Gathering of Friends -- including the Friends' Dinner on Friday and the Annual Meeting on Saturday -- is $75. You may choose to register for each event individually, at a rate of $35 for Friday Supper and all the excursions that don't require an additonal fee, or $45 for the Saturday Annual Meeting and all the excursions that don't require an additional fee. Up to 3 additional family members may attend for $50 for the entire event (with options of only attending one or the other event as well.)
The Gathering is a member-only event, and we welcome all members to attend. If you are not yet a member of Friends, you can join with a tax-deductible gift of $35 that can be added to your registration fees. Nearly all of the Elkin trail and town excusions are free. The only exceptions are noted on the Trail and Town Excursion information sheet.
RSVPs are required by Wednesday, March 21st. Refunds will be given until the 16th if you register and cannot attend.
To check out more about the area, go to whatsupinelkinnc.com, exploreelkin.com and visittheyadkinvalley.com.
Please click below to register now! See you in Elkin.