May edition of the Polk Trails Newsletter
April Trails Meeting Summary

Polk County Parks and Recreation held its monthly general trails meeting at Saluda Outfitters with about 15 people were in attendance. We discussed the current state of Little White Oak Mountain, plans for Green River stewardship, status of ongoing trail workdays and the status of the trails in Polk County.
We now have an archive of previous meeting minutes! Check it out on our webpage.
May's Trails Meeting will be on Monday, May 20th starting at 6:00 PM at Saluda Outfitters (435 E Main St, Saluda, NC 28773).

The meeting will include special guest: The Polk Middle School Hiking Club! They will be telling us about their year hiking and exploring our trails!
  • Wednesday, May 1, Polk Recreation Complex from 9 AM to 12 PM

  • Saturday, May 11, Polk Recreation Complex from 9 AM to 12 PM

  • Thursday, May 16, Alexander's Ford from 9 AM to 12 PM

  • Saturday, May 25, Polk Recreation Complex from 9 AM to 12 PM

  • Thursday, May 30, Alexander's Ford from 9 AM to 12 PM
Weed Patch Mountain Community Hike
After the threat of rain caused us to reschedule, we were blessed with a beautiful warm day April 17th. Together with friends from the community, we completed the 10+ mile hike along with a surprise guest.
Princess, a dog that lived nearby, joined us at the trail head and happily hiked the entire way until we were able to drop her off with her worried father on our way home.
It was a fantastic day and experience and we hope you can make the next one! A few more pictures from the hike can be found here .

Trails Update!

The town and our volunteers have worked wonders on a lot of our trails. Some damage still remains and we will continue to work down the list.


  • Large tree in Woodland Park has been cut into a step. Entire trail is cleared as of this newsletter. Thank you to whomever did that for us! Some sections has some underbrush over the trail.

  • Vaughn Creek Greenway has some puddles and very muddy spots near the trailhead. Be careful where you step!

  • Melrose Falls has some overgrowth but nothing blocking the trail

  • Alexander's Ford - NC Forest Service will be out sometime next month to continue cleanup from the Winter storm. Otherwise, there is no blockage on the trail. Be careful of puddles!

  • SCLT had a workday last month on Missing 40 to clear storm damage from the creek and from the clearing. The trail should be clear of all blockage.


If you have noticed any damage on our trails, please contact us at Trails@polknc.org so we can clear it up!
Green River Updates
We will be planning a River Meeting sometime soon.

If you are interested in Green River cleanup days and river stewardship for the spring, or have any questions, please email us or drop by our office!
Pick up your copy of the...

Paddle Trail Guide
for the Broad & Green River
Featuring:
-Access point and river information for the 1st, 2nd, and Main Broad & Green River
-Boating access information for Lake Lure, Lake Adger, Moss Lake & Lake Bowen
-Suggested trips
-Locally made with local knowledge

From the Polk County Parks & Recreation office!
(105 N. Peak St., Columbus, NC 28722)
If you would like to have a photo featured on the Polk Trails Facebook page , please email the image and include a short description.

Preferred content: In Polk County and on publicly accessible land.

Email: trails@polknc.org
The AmeriCorps Trails Coordinator works for Polk County Parks & Recreation through a grant from the  Polk County Community Foundation . The Trails Coordinator manages trail work days, various partnerships and other trail related initiatives in the county.

The Polk Trails website offers
  • Description, images, parking, and some maps for trail systems.
  • Events calendar.
  • Information on how to adopt- a- trail.
  • A Nature Navigators page (Polk County Middle School hiking club).
  • Links to maps and other resources.
  • Other general information.