Meet North Carolina's Equine State Trail

Attention Trail Riders and Carriage Drivers:

Bring your horses and mules to Carvers Creek State Park on September 20, 2025, to ride, drive, and find out more about North Carolina's Equine State Trail. During this special event carriages are also welcome.

Meet representatives of the NC Horse Council, NC State Parks, and Hometown Strong | NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and others who will be there to provide information on this plan that envisions an equestrian use and hiking trail that loops over 300 miles through Chatham, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, and Richmond Counties, with opportunities to connect Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, Weymouth Woods State Natural Area, Carvers Creek State Park, and Raven Rock State Park.

Specifics:

• Saturday September 20, 2025 (Rain date Saturday September 27) 9 a.m. to noon for the guided ride of 5 to 6 miles ride in the Carvers Creek Sandhills Access. You also may ride on your own on the sandy trails.
• We ask carriage drivers not participating in the guided ride to depart no earlier than 11 a.m. and return before 5 p.m. Trail routes will be recommended on the day of the event.
• Refreshments from local food trucks will be available from noon to 3 p.m.
• Important note about the location: McCloskey Road can only be accessed from Ramsey Street/US 401. Please confirm your route if using navigation apps such as Google Maps.

Registration: The event is free, but we ask that you register by September 15 so we can plan for adequate horse trailer parking.

About the Equine State Trail:

In 2023, the General Assembly authorized the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to add the Equine State Trail to the State Parks System. State Trails are linear corridors that are protected from vehicular traffic and provide iconic experiences in North Carolina's natural landscapes. Once authorized, the trail becomes a unit of the North Carolina State Parks System, giving the parks system responsibility and authority to plan within the general corridor where the trail will be located. The Partner Organization for the Equine State Trail is the NC Horse Council, a 501©5 organization that represents and furthers the common interests of the entire NC equine industry through education, communication, and representation. Upon completion, the Equine State Trail will provide ample mileage for long distance and multi-hour trail rides and help fill a gap in the North Carolina State Park System. The trail could include opportunities for equestrian camping along the route, and support a large variety of equestrian recreation.

Host or Publisher NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources