BCHET celebrates initiative and perseverance

Published 8:34 am Wednesday, June 12, 2019

On Saturday, June 8, the Back Country Horsemen of East Tennessee (BCHET) and the Roan Mountain Recreation Foundation (RMRF) celebrated the initiative and perseverance of Outpost #3 with a ribbon cutting of the “Happy Trails Park” on 135 Old Railroad Grade in Roan Mountain. Over 50 people from over a dozen organizations attended the ribbon cutting of this newest multi-purpose park in the Carter County Park system.

There is something for every person who likes the outdoors at the Happy Trails Park. There is parking for horse trailers and nearby access to over 40 miles of horse trails in Carter County. It also provides parking for bicyclists, especially families, to use the Carter County Tweetsie Extension which is a paved route along the old Tweetsie railbed (Old Railroad Grade Road) to Bear Cage Road. The park provides upstream access to the Doe River for paddling enthusiasts as well as one of the stops on the newly established Doe River Fishing Trail. Last, it includes an information kiosk on the Overmountain Men who passed by in 1780. The ribbon cutting marked the culmination of initiative and perseverance.

The idea for this park originated in our Outpost #3 in the winter of 2016. Recognizing the need for improved parking and access to trails in the White Rocks Mountains they began a search for suitable government land in which to build a parking lot large enough to accommodate horse trailers. After investigating several opportunities they settled on a parcel of land owned by Carter County located near the juncture of Highway 19E and Railroad Grade. The idea caught fire with the Carter County Planning office and the Carter County Parks and Recreation Board. Several other entities who also had ideas for the property but not the resources to build a park joined in.

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Then we needed perseverance. Over the next two years Outpost #3 partners with the Roan Mountain Recreation Foundation, the Carter County Parks and Recreation Board, and the Carter County Planning office. First they developed the concept and cleared the land. Then we needed funds to build to the park. BCHET was proud to provide seed money for the project and then Outpost 3 and the RMRF secured nine other sponsors for the project. The outpouring of sponsors for this newest park was tremendous. Sponsors who provided $1,000 or more include: The Back Country Horsemen of East Tennessee, Northeast Community Credit Union, Carter County Bank, Carter County Parks and Recreation Board, a private family from Roan Mountain, The Roan Mountain Citizens Club, The Roan Mountain Recreation Foundation, The United Way of Carter County, The Elizabethton Carter County Chamber of Commerce, Mountain Electric Operation Pocket Change and Grow Carter County. These sponsors stepped forward to greatly improve recreation opportunities for the citizenry of Carter County.

Bill Watson said it best. “The Happy Trails Park is a great example of our County Offices, our businesses and our community organizations coming together to make the wonderful place in which we live even better.”