Trails are found throughout North Carolina, from the mountains to suburbs to the coast. Palmer McIntyre is the coordinator of the Great Trails State Coalition and a conservationist with a passion for celebrating the outdoors. She shares about the Coalition’s work, the 2023 NC Year of the Trail, and the importance of trails in our communities.
Segment Highlights:
- Palmer McIntyre is an author, conservationist, and Coordinator of the Great Trails State Coalition in North Carolina.
- McIntyre fell in love with the outdoors through hiking, backpacking, and canoeing with her family.
- She co-authored Trails and Treats with Hollie Oberlies, a guide highlighting NC’s best trails and good food.
- McIntyre helped launch the Great State Trails Coalition in 2021, created to promote the trails of NC.
- 2023 was NC’s Year of the Trail, a statewide celebration promoting our trails & encouraging outdoor activity.
- Data on All Trails, a free trail finding app, showed significantly higher engagement in NC’s Year of the Trails.
- In 2024, the brand of the “Great Trails State” was introduced for NC.
- Trails are economic drivers that generate development and create opportunities for exercise and recreation, connection with friends and neighbors, and safe transportation.
- McIntyre anticipates that the demand for trails will continue increasing as NC’s population grows.
Things You’ll Learn by Listening:
Learn about the Great Trails State Coalition and North Carolina’s Year of the Trail in 2023. Palmer McIntyre shares more about her work in promoting trails in NC, creating the Year of the Trail Celebration, the Great Trails State branding, and the importance of trails in our communities.
If you Missed This Story:
Listen to Part Two to learn more about McIntyre’s conservation and trail promotion efforts in North Carolina.
Palmer McIntyre’s book, Trails and Treats, is available at Jesse Brown’s. Come in to check it out, and find hiking boots, packs, and accessories for your next hike!
