August 25th - Leadership and community members of the town of Lake Lure cut the ribbon on a newly-constructed parking and access area at Buffalo Creek Trailhead that more than triples available parking and links adventurers and outdoor athletes to the beloved and rugged bike and foot paths of Weed Patch Mountain and surrounding wild areas adjacent to Lake Lure and Chimney Rock State Park.
“Certainly our beautiful lake is what everybody thinks of, but there are so many opportunities that attract people to our area that are just becoming more known to people, such as climbing and hiking and biking,” said Lake Lure Mayor Carol Pritchett.
The project was funded through the support of matching donations of $40,000 from both the Town of Lake Lure and the Rutherford County TDA, as well as financial gifts from the Rumbling Bald Resort, and from proceeds from the annual "Rumble" bouldering competition held in the area by the Carolina Climbers Coalition. Wilderness trail access and the economic boon for Lake Lure and the surroundings are among the key objectives for those who have advocated for this and other projects in this part of Western North Carolina.
This trailhead parking project is one of more than a dozen envisioned in an ongoing cooperation between the municipalities in Rutherford County and the county's Tourism Development Authority as part of the Rutherford Bound initiative.
“I just want to say how wonderful it is to have a town that has a park like this that has hiking, it has biking, it has climbing," said Mike Reardon, Executive Director of the Carolina Climbers Coalition. "But you also have all of this conserved land that's behind us–hundreds of acres of untouched forests and streams–that now we can go in and enjoy.”
The redesigned trailhead area also provides areas for picnicking equipped with ADA-compatible picnic tables.
“In the three short months I've been here I continue to be impressed with this community and the amenities we're able to provide residents and visitors," said Lake Lure Town Manager Hank Perkins.
