For the last few decades, recreation has been a hallmark of the Roanoke River and the surrounding region. A nonprofit organization established in 1997 helped shape the natural and cultural heritage of the area and worked to boost and promote ecotourism for the local communities. Now, those efforts by Roanoke River Partners are coming full circle.
The Roanoke River State Trail is the first North Carolina state trail to be fully designated, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation recently announced.
Authorized by the N.C. General Assembly in 2021, the paddle trail begins in Roanoke Rapids and follows the river to the Albemarle Sound, extending northward to additional accesses in Chowan County. There are 15 designated access points along the approximately 215-mile scenic wilderness trail.
Each state trail has a designated managing partner, and for the Roanoke River State Trail, that is the nonprofit organization Roanoke River Partners Inc., which includes members from each of the six counties in the Roanoke region — Halifax, Northampton, Bertie, Martin, Chowan and Washington. It is supported by 15 municipalities along the river and also operates and manages more than 20 paddle-in camping platforms on the river.