The General Assembly is considering designating a new state trail, the Charlotte region's first.
It would follow the South Fork of the Catawba River, which helped power a textile boom in North Carolina's southern Piedmont. The river's banks are now home to 3,600 acres of protected land that lawmakers say is perfect for paddling, hiking and biking.
A bill to establish the 60-mile South Fork Passage State Trail unanimously passed the Senate on Thursday. The route would pass through Catawba, Lincoln and Gaston counties, ending at Lake Wylie on the state's southern border.
"This will be the first state trail or (state) park in the greater Gaston area. Some people might refer to that as the greater Charlotte area," said Sen. Brad Overcash, a Catawba County Republican.
Overcash authored the legislation, Senate Bill 329, which will be sent to the House next.
North Carolina's state trail network spans more than 3,900 miles, though not all are complete.
Existing trails along the South Fork Passage route cross 15 miles on land and 10 miles by water, the bill says.
State trails must be beautiful and long enough to attract non-local visitors. They must also have some significance, whether it's cultural or natural or scenic. Large roads and intrusive developments may disqualify a place.
Overcash said the South Fork has several structures still around from the 1800s and 1900s, its textile mill days. It's also home to Revolutionary and Civil War history, he said.
The river and its banks are home to wildlife including bald eagles, bigleaf magnolias, seagreen darters, bog turtles, monarch butterflies, Schweinitz's sunflowers and Santee chubs, according to the bill.
