Fonta Flora Loop Trail
Posted By auntie on June 22, 2021
3.74 miles; 418 ft. total ascent; Morgantown, NC
Was looking for something a bit less strenuous, and this hike fit the bill. It’s a lollipop loop that starts from a little county-owned park in Morgantown and heads down to the shore of Lake Saint James, then circles back.
It’s actually a tiny section of a proposed 100-mile trail that will eventually go from Morgantown to Asheville, and the name Fonta Flora comes from the… Imma let the state of North Carolina give you the deets:
It is named after the local settlement of African-American sharecroppers, whose homes were flooded when the Catawba River was dammed to create Lake James. The feather icon of this state trail was inspired by our national bird, the bald eagle. Artwork incorporating the feather has been used along the trail and at the trailheads, particularly in Burke County.
Gosh. How odd that the only place they could find to put a lake/reservoir was on top of a settlement of African-American sharecroppers! I’m sure they looked everywhere else first…
Here’s the link to the trail website. I basically did section #2 on the map, plus to and from the trailhead.
The Trail
It’s a really lovely trail that hugs the shore of Lake James. Mostly flat and level, with a hill here and there but nothing strenuous.
Feather Blaze
It’s also quite well blazed with these feather blazes mentioned in the excerpt from the website, above.
Excellent signage
This trail system hooks up with the 20-mile Linville Gorge Trail in a couple places. And again with the feather motif.
Pretty Bridge
All in all this is a lovely, well-maintained and marked trail system. If it’s any indication of the future Fonta Flora Trail, I can’t hardly wait!
You can find out more about this trail from the above-linked website. For info on Lake Saint James State Park, see this website. And as always, click the image above for details about this hike and to download the gps track.
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