Labor Day Saturday - August 30 Lake and Land Festivities Noon to 9:00 pm with Lake Hickory Pub and MarinaCopper PennyTown of Rhodhiss An unforgettable day celebrating community, lake life, and pure summer fun. Schedule: 12:00-3:00pm - Lake Hickory Pub and Marina - Live Music w/ Nice Marmot Lake Hickory Pub is located at 6706 Limbaugh Ln, Hickory, NC 28601 - on the north...

From Litter Gitters to Leaders: BRTA Inspires Exceptional Clean-Up Crew What started as a simple effort to keep our trail towns clean has sparked something truly special. BRTA’s Litter Gitters — a volunteer program providing vests, grabbers, gloves, and bags for roadside, shore line and trail cleanups — has not only helped beautify Burke County’s outdoor spaces, but has now inspired...

In the heart of Rhodhiss, a small mill town in Burke County, stands Old Glory Mill — once a thriving textile hub where fabric for the American flag that flew on the moon was woven. Today, the mill is poised for a new chapter. With community determination, the Town of Rhodhiss and the Burke River Trail Association are working with development partners to transform this 1914 structure into a...

Lift Off for Rhodhiss: Old Glory Mill Launches at Investor Convening On August 20, Burke River Trail Association had the honor of representing the Town of Rhodhiss and our Old Glory Mill project at the Opportunity Appalachia Investor Convening in Asheville. The convening brought together community leaders, developers, and mission-driven investors from across Central Appalachia to highlight...

BRTA Bringing the Public for Public Input As a member of the Steering Committee for the Western Piedmont Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan, BRTA was proud to play a key role in shaping the regional vision — and in getting the public to the table. When the Burke County public input session rolled around, BRTA stepped up once again — promoting the event widely, reaching out to members,...

Burke River Trail Association started working with Destination by Design in July 2024. The first step was the logo and brand released in November 2024. Then came the family of signs to use along the road, at trailheads and along the trail - those designs were completed in January 2025. From there, we went into the design of panels for five kiosks that included downtown maps for interested towns...

A new one mile section of Burke River Trail is on the way!! Congratulations to City of Morganton on receiving a $374,000 Great Trails State Program grant. The new section will start at Rocky Ford Access on Lenoir Rd and extend east for a mile toward Riverview Apartments. It will be 10 feet wide crushed cinder/gravel. The application was approved in August 2024 by city council and the grant...

Burke Trails Summit - June 2025 - Organized by Beth Heile, BRTA Burke County Trails Summit: Stronger Together With a national historic trail, four state trails, two state parks, two regional parks with trail systems, numerous municipal paths and greenways, plus our rivers, Burke County offers an impressive 290 plus miles of trail experiences. These miles collectively serve hikers, bikers,...

This summer, BRTA partnered with Burke County Public Library and NC State Parks for three unforgettable events that helped kids explore nature, local history, and even the role of park rangers. From scavenger hunts and swinging bridges to animal skulls and rescue drills, these hands-on programs brought over 100 kids and families to the Burke River Trail. See photos and highlights from each...

Building Bridges — and Ramps: A Growing Partnership with Walkin’ Roll In the ongoing work to create a truly inclusive Burke River Trail, we’ve been fortunate to partner with many incredible organizations — and one that stands out is Walkin’ Roll, led by the passionate and tireless Sharon Elliott. Our Executive Director, Beth Heile, first connected with Sharon a few years ago...