Connecting High Country Communities Through Nature and Art
Editorial By Julie Matthews
Images supplied by Leila Jackson – Blue Ridge Conservancy
The Middle Fork Greenway is a scenic multi-use recreational trail threading through parts of the High Country for all to enjoy the outdoors. From running and walking to rollerblading and skateboarding to cycling and strolling, the greenway trail’s paved and gravel pathways offer a safe and convenient way to move around the region in the beautiful outdoors. (Note: Wheelchairs are the only motorized vehicles permitted.)
With the goal of “Connecting Blowing Rock to Boone Naturally,” the Middle Fork Greenway, a Blue Ridge Conservancy project, is a partnership between the Town of Boone, the Town of Blowing Rock and Watauga County. Years in the making, the greenway trail is still in progress with approximately two miles of the trail currently open, including five trailhead pocket parks, and plans calling for the completion of an additional 2.5 miles of trail by 2028, with the trail eventually totaling about 6.5 miles when fully completed. The goal is for the trail to connect with top destinations such as the Mountains to Sea Trail and Blue Ridge Parkway, and a number of area attractions.
Along with providing access to nature and recreation, the greenway trail also features interesting public art. In partnership with the Watauga County Arts Council, Art in the Outdoors is a project that integrates art into the Middle Fork Greenway. Keep a lookout for these pieces, listed on the right, while on the trail.
Coming soon to the trail: Boone Gorge Park will feature a new art installation featuring metal from a 100-year-old metal truss including a pipe for Boone’s hydroelectric power generator, which the Boone Gorge Project recently removed. Sculptors and Appalachian State fabrication students are working on repurposing the metal into a piece of art emphasizing the importance of the town’s getting electricity in the early 1900s.
“These pieces foster community identity and make beautiful art, whether mosaic, sculpture, mural, or another medium, accessible to everyone who uses the Middle Fork Greenway,” says Leila Jackson, director of communications at the Blue Ridge Conservancy. “We are thrilled that the partnership between Blue Ridge Conservancy and the Watauga Arts Council exists to highlight the ecology, history, and culture of the High Country. We look forward to upcoming collaborations, including the truss in Boone Gorge Park, which will be the largest public art installation in Watauga County.”
A welcoming experience for all ages and interests, be sure to explore the Middle Fork Greenway during your next visit. Learn more by visiting MiddleForkGreenway.org.
