Sylva accepts state grant for trail expansion at Pinnacle Park
The Town of Sylva owns one of the most unique pieces of real estate in all of Western North Carolina.
File photo
A popular hiking destination in Jackson County will soon see expanded access and new trail construction, thanks state funding awarded to the Town of Sylva.
At its July 10 meeting, the Sylva Board of Commissioners approved a resolution authorizing town staff to accept a $92,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Recreational Trails Program.
The money will fund construction of a 1.9-mile section of trail and a new creek crossing at Pinnacle Park, part of a broader effort to implement long-planned improvements to the park’s trail system.
According to the resolution, the trail expansion will provide access to what had been an unreachable waterfall and connect the existing West Fork and East Fork trails to form a loop.
At least part of the trail would follow an old logging road, said Jay Coward, a Sylva attorney and longtime park advocate.
“With an old logging road like that, you’re disturbing much less ground,” said Sylva Mayor Johnnie Phillips.
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To complete the project, Sylva must also contribute $23,000 in matching funds, which the board has already allocated in the town’s fiscal year 2025-26 budget. The local match will come from the Fisher Creek Fund — a revenue stream designated for projects within the Pinnacle Park area, much of which lies in the Fisher Creek watershed.
The project is a continuation of the Pinnacle Park Master Plan, which lays out a phased strategy for upgrading the 1,800-acre park located just a few miles from downtown Sylva. Created in 2024, the plan was developed through public input and technical guidance from trail designers and land management experts. It calls for the addition of looped trail networks, improved signage, water crossings, erosion mitigation and expanded public access to unique features — including the waterfall.
That waterfall, until now, has remained inaccessible due to a lack of established trails. The new construction will make it available to hikers for the first time, providing a draw for both local outdoor enthusiasts and visiting tourists.
Although much of Pinnacle Park’s terrain is rugged and steep, the new 1.9-mile segment will be sustainably built — a term used in trail design to describe routes that minimize erosion, manage water runoff and limit ecological disruption while remaining durable under heavy foot traffic. This approach has become a best practice among public land managers who aim to strike a balance between conservation and recreation.
The Recreational Trails Program, administered by the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, is funded through the Federal Highway Administration and provides financial assistance to develop and maintain motorized and non-motorized trails across the state. Projects funded through RTP often focus on improving access, safety and connectivity, particularly in rural or underserved areas.
Securing such a competitive grant is considered difficult. Applicants must demonstrate not only a compelling need for trail improvements but also a capacity to manage grant funds and deliver projects according to environmental standards.
Sylva’s award comes amid a broader state and national push to support outdoor recreation as a driver of both health and economic development. According to the North Carolina Department of Commerce, outdoor recreation has a $16 billion impact on the state’s economy — just over 2% of the state’s GDP — and supports more than 145,000 jobs.
Locally, Pinnacle Park plays a role in that economy — drawing hikers, backpackers, trail runners and nature photographers to an area known for its sweeping views and biodiversity.
Once a municipal watershed, the park has gradually evolved into a beloved public amenity since opening to the public in the 1990s and now hosts events such as the popular “Assault on BlackRock,” a seven-mile trail race with a staggering half-mile of elevation gain taking runners more than 5,800 feet above sea level.
While the July 10 resolution focuses on this single 1.9-mile trail segment and footbridge, town leaders view it as a key milestone in a larger vision for Pinnacle Park’s future.
In past meetings, commissioners have expressed support for expanding access to the park while preserving its natural beauty. Long-range plans also include potential educational components and the addition of interpretive signage to help visitors better understand the area’s ecological and cultural significance.
Construction timelines for the new trail segment have not yet been announced, but the resolution directs the town manager to begin formal steps toward hiring a trail builder. Once that occurs, permitting and environmental review processes may follow, depending on the final design and route.
Proposed trail expansion will make a loop, offering an alternative other than just an out-and-back. File photo
In a separate resolution passed later in the meeting, commissioners gave town administrators permission to bypass the usual qualification-based selection process of finding a firm to oversee the grant and handle bidding.
“We pretty much have decided that Eqinox [Environmental, an Asheville-based landscape architecture firm] is going to be the one that designs how we do this and contracts out for professional trail builders,” Coward said, adding that members of the Pinnacle Park Foundation, which manages the town-owned park, would help direct the trail builder though sensitive areas that had been identified in a 2023 botanical survey.
“It’s not only plants. There’s some old ancient sites where people actually lived that are archaeological sites that we want to protect as well,” Coward said. “It’s just going to make it a whole lot better, a streamlined process, to do it this way than it is to go through the rigamarole.”
Equinox conducted the recent master planning process and also submitted the $92,000 grant application on the town’s behalf.
“They’re very familiar with the project,” said Town Manager Paige Dowling.
