Mountain-sea trail to get master plan, hiker guide

By JONATHAN DREW
Associated Press

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — One day, parks officials say hikers will be able to take an off-road trail from one of Appalachia’s highest peaks and follow it through North Carolina to the Atlantic Ocean.

Next year, officials hope to make more headway on the 1,000-mile Mountains-to-Sea State Trail by commissioning a master plan and creating a comprehensive hiker’s guide. So far, 600 miles of trail has been completed, but it could take years to piece together the rest.

Meanwhile, the nonprofit group Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail says ambitious hikers – as many as 10 per year – are already making the journey by following country roads where trails haven’t been built.

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