The official site of the North Carolina Horse Council

Trail Information

Information on NCHC Trail Ride &Super Trail Horse Challenge

Hill Forest Recreation Plan Being Developed:

The NCSU College of Natural Resources (CNR) is conducting a project to develop an outdoor recreation management plan for the Hill Forest. Issues involving erosion, safety, vandalism, and interference with educational, research and timber management objectives have led to the decision to develop a recreation plan. Faculty and students from CNR's Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, as well as from the College of Agriculture and Life Science's Natural Resources Leadership Institute will conduct the study. NCSU envisions an adaptive management plan that calls for immediate actions to address pressing concerns while gathering information on visitation rates, environmental impacts and stakeholder perspectives that will guide future management of the Forest. One phase of the study will involve interviewing members of the equestrian community who utilize the Hill Forest (many of whom attended the initial 2006 Hill Forest meetings), and setting up facilitated discussions as to how the various types of recreation might be accommodated within the framework established by the College's forest managers. The project started in March, 2007, and the discussions are expected to be held in late spring and early summer, 2007. The College plans to have the plan in place by early fall, 2007. The NC Horse Council appreciates NCSU's effort to conduct this study and hopes that the value of the Hill Forest to area equestrians can be preserved while supporting NCSU's management plans for the forest. Written comments may be submitted to Dr. Steve Smutko, steve_smutko@ncsu.edu.

Attention Hill Forest Users:

NC State University and the Hill Forest Management have officially introduced their policy for recreational use in Hill Forest during hunting seasons, and also have introduced the new fee system for recreational use, including equestrian use. An introductory letter and the permit application are attached below for your use.

The current policy is much more "friendly" to recreation than earlier drafts, which would have prohibited equestrian access entirely for nearly four months. The NCHC and many other Hill Forest users have collaborated to influence Hill Forest management and produce the current policy, and we hope to continue working with the land managers to maintain and improve recreational access in the future. Please continue to visit the NCHC website to get updates on how you can help.

The introductory letter from NCSU emphasizes the environmental sustainability of Hill Forest, and the importance of this cannot be underestimated. The NCHC urges all equestrians to ride responsibly, tread lightly, and remember that riding in Hill Forest is a privilege.

Link to Hill Forest Application for Permit

Link to Hill Forest Letter

Trails in North Carolina

National Forests in North Carolina - The link below offers a wealth of information on trail etiquette and horse trails in our Federal Forests.

http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/horsetrails.pdf

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