While Elon is closer than ever to having its own skatepark thanks to a grant from the N.C. Parks and Recreation and Trust Fund, Alamance County has “followed the money” to an entirely different destination along the banks of the Haw River.
Among the nearly $10 million in grants that the trust fund announced Friday is $500,000 for the development of a trailhead on some 763-acres of riverfront property that the county owns near the unincorporated community of Saxapahaw.
Located off of Austin Quarter Road, this land has been dubbed, somewhat confusingly, the “Alston Quarter Tract” in honor of an erstwhile property owner. The county initially acquired this property in December in order to create a “new public outdoor recreation destination” – the first phase of which is to be bankrolled, in part, by the trust fund’s six-figure largesse.
The county’s ultimate vision for this tract was previously laid out when its recreation department applied for the newly-approved state allocation earlier this year.
“The project,” the department explained at the time, “will include the construction and design of a trailhead with a restroom facility, campsites, and a network of hiking and mountain bike trails, expanding access to both the Haw River State Trail and Mountains-to-Sea Trail. This park will introduce the first dedicated mountain bike trail system within Alamance County, addressing a critical recreation need and drawing visitors from across the region.”
