Inspiring the Next Generation of Trail Explorers! 50 kids took home a little extra inspiration from Great Trails State Day at Valdese Lakeside Park! Thanks to the Burke River Trail Association, these young explorers received binoculars, magnifying glasses, trail activity workbooks, scavenger hunt sheets, and bike safety books to encourage them to get outside, explore nature, and learn...

18 Volunteers • 72 Volunteer Hours • 180 Pounds of Bagged Trash • 6 Tires Removed On October 3, the Burke River Trail Association's Litter Gitters joined the Catawba Riverkeeper's Riversweep effort for a day of community service along the Catawba River and at Valdese Lakeside Park. Working alongside Friends of the Valdese Rec, 18 volunteers contributed 72 hours of service,...

BRTA Awards $3,500 for Seven Community Projects Sometimes a relatively small investment — placed in the hands of people who care deeply about their community — can make a very visible difference. Burke River Trail Association is awarding seven $500 Keeping It Beautiful Community Beautification Mini-Grants, investing a total of $3,500 in projects across five Burke County trail...

BRTA was proud to recognize Dan Hoyle with our Heron Award, which reads: “Your impact reaches farther than you know.” Dan has been at the center of A Community of Hands public art project from the very beginning — bringing the vision, the persistence, and the determination to make this project something truly special for Drexel. We have a feeling the impact of A Community of...

Upcoming Events Saturday, Nov 7 - 1:00pm – Litter Gitters with NCSSM Students - Meet at Goodwin Hall at NCSSM Vests, gloves, grabbers, bags provided. Caring for Place. One Bag at a Time. Trail Town Trash is Burke River Trail Association’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship across the Burke River Trail corridor. BRTA first became involved in roadside...

Thirty residents, business owners, community leaders and partners came together August 31 for the Town of Glen Alpine’s Public Visioning Session, the third meeting in the development of the Town’s 5-Year Economic Development Strategic Plan. The two-hour session was facilitated by Phil Boggan with the NC Commerce Rural Planning Program. Participants worked at tables to identify Glen...

Are you serious? You can live, own a business, or invest inside an incorporated Burke County town and still have another town’s name in your mailing address. Even a Town Hall can have another town listed in its address. For a small town, this is an identity issue. An address does more than tell someone where to deliver a package. It tells customers where a business is located. It...

Burke River Trail Association and the Town of Rhodhiss recently invited the community to help imagine the future of the Weaver Lane Boat Ramp property and surrounding Duke Energy lands. Destination by Design prepared two preliminary concepts showing a range of possible outdoor recreation amenities, and residents were asked to identify what mattered most to them. From the 17 attendees, the...

At the August 10-12, 2026 Great Trails NC Conference in Winston-Salem, Burke River Trail Association Executive Director Beth Heile was recognized as a founding member of the Great Trails State Coalition, highlighting a statewide trail partnership that began before BRTA itself was formed. Heile became involved with the Coalition in 2020 while representing Friends of the Valdese Rec and Friends...

What does the Burke River Trail Association really do? We are not just trail builders - we are community builders!! We use trails as a catalyst for stronger communities, economic opportunity, and quality of life across Burke County. That means you'll find us... Organizing Litter Gitters to care for our shared spaces. Reading stories and leading conservation crafts with...