A ribbon cutting ceremony to unveil the Mountains-to-Sea Trail Eastern Terminus Monument will be held on Friday, September 29th at 10:00 AM at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head, North Carolina. The monument is built with materials representative of the area and designates the end or the beginning of the 1175-mile trail that spans across the state of North Carolina.
The doors to Jockey’s Ridge State Park’s Visitor Center will open at 9:30 AM. Guests will have the opportunity to tour the newly renovated center, meet with staff from Friends of the MST, purchase merchandise and enjoy light refreshments. At 10:00, the group will walk together to the terminus monument with the ceremony beginning at 10:30.
“Walking up the dunes at Jockey’s Ridge is either the beginning or end of a journey on the MST and having a place to reflect upon that moment has always been something we’ve wanted hikers to experience,” said Ben Jones, Coastal Crescent Project Manager with the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and designer of the terminus monument. “Even for those visitors who aren’t walking the entire MST, we’ve created a spot to pique their curiosity and inspire them to take their first steps along the trail.”
In addition to Ben Jones, speakers include Jockey’s Ridge State Park Superintendent, Joy Greenwood, Chair of Dare County Board of Commissioners, Bob Woodard, Director of the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, Brent Laurenz, and Director of NC State Parks, Brian Strong.
Friends of the MST, in partnership with Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Friends of Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Roanoke Island Woman’s Club and the Outer Banks Woman’s Club are excited to welcome everyone to this historic event and invite attendees to bring friends and family along for the unveiling.
The non-profit Friends of the MST brings together communities and volunteers to build, maintain, and advocate for an enduring footpath connecting North Carolina’s natural, historic, and cultural treasures and to ensure that all people feel welcome on the trail. The MST crosses North Carolina from Clingmans Dome in the Smokies to Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks.
In Segment 18, the route traverses many special places including Ocracoke Village, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Buxton Woods, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station, Pea Island Wildlife Refuge, Oregon Inlet, Jennette’s Pier and Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
For more information about the trail, visit mountainstoseatrail.org.