How Youngs Mountain Was Protected
Sustainable Trail Building
The Youngs Mountain Trail is a state-of-the-art, sustainable trail. Two other Conserving Carolina trails—Wildcat Rock Trail and Weed Patch Mountain Trail—have already won national awards for excellence in design and construction and the Youngs Mountain Trail meets the same high bar for excellence.
Trails that are not built with sustainability in mind can soon develop problems with erosion, as water runs down the path and washes away soil. The muddy runoff pollutes streams and the washed out trails become unsightly and difficult to travel. It can be time-intensive and costly to manage erosion on trails that were not designed for sustainability.
To avoid this on Youngs Mountain, we designed the trail to roll up-and-down and curve side-to-side. These rises, dips, and curves shed water, so it doesn’t run down the trail. On the steepest sections of trail, we built stairs to ensure a sturdy, non-eroding trail. Most of the stairs are constructed of durable locust logs, filled with gravel that was made from nearby rocks by our aptly named Rock Crushers trail crew. You will also see hand-built stone drains, carrying water away from the trail.
Sustainable trails reduce impacts on the surrounding natural environment. They also provide a pleasant hiking experience for people on the trail. In addition to sustainable trail design features, we hope you enjoy creative trail elements as you travel over streams and stones to the rocky summit.
The Youngs Mountain Trail was designed by Conserving Carolina’s Trails Specialist, Peter Barr. Construction was completed by Singletrack Trails and its award-winning trail builder Shrimper Khare and supplemented by Conserving Carolina’s Rock Crushers volunteer trail crew. Additional features on the trail were built by Benchmark Trails and American Conservation Experience.
How Youngs Mountain Was Protected
The Youngs Mountain Trail passes through 437 acres of habitat that Conserving Carolina helped to protect. Youngs Mountain is a natural treasure that is home to many rare and endangered plants and wildlife. The mountain is part of the dramatic Blue Ridge Escarpment, where the mountains rise from the Piedmont. The swift elevation change of the escarpment creates a wide range of niches for plants and wildlife, supporting extraordinary biodiversity.
In fact, the Blue Ridge Mountains have been identified as the #1 priority in the U.S. for conservation of biodiversity by the National Academy of Sciences. As the climate changes, many species will need to adapt by shifting their range further north or higher in elevation. Youngs Mountain provide an important link in the migration corridors these creatures need to survive.
With the support of our donors and many partners, Conserving Carolina was able to protect this exceptional mountain land forever. Conserving Carolina owns two parcels of land that total about 341 acres. The trail also passes through some 96 acres owned by Rutherford County Parks and Recreation, which worked with Conserving Carolina to protect the land. The trail opened on April 21, 2021. Learn more.
Vital support for this conservation project and the Youngs Mountain Trail came from the NC Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, RHI Legacy Fund, Rutherford County, Recreational Trails Program, NC Land and Water Fund, Open Space Institute, Fred & Alice Stanback, Tim Sweeney, and Tommy Hartzog.
Trail information by Conserving Carolina
