Gold Hill Rail Trail/National Trails Day

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#336633" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gold Hill Mines Historic Park / Rental I">Gold Hill Mines Historic Park / Rental Info</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Education/Tour Info">Education/Tour Info</A></div> <div> <B>Gold Hill Rail Trail/National Trails Day</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Album">Photo Album</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events">Events</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gold Hill Ghost ">Gold Hill Ghost </A></div> <div> <A HREF="eh_montgomery_general_store.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="E.H. Montgomery General Store">E.H. Montgomery General Store</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Art Series">Art Series</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Village of Gold Hill/Stamp Mill Cafe ">Village of Gold Hill/Stamp Mill Cafe </A></div> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us/Contact Us">About Us/Contact Us</A></div> <div> <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Driving Directions">Driving Directions</A></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Become a Fan on Facebook</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1251497710#!/pages/Historic-Gold-Hill-North-Carolina/163269537038650" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1"><B><IMG SRC="4a42c2c0.jpg" border=0 width="44" height="44" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </B></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1251497710#!/pages/Historic-Gold-Hill-North-Carolina/163269537038650" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1">Historic Gold Hill, North Carolina</A></FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> © 2001-2011 </div> <div>  Vivian Pennington-Hopkins</div> <div> All rights reserved</div> </td> <td valign="top" width="100%" BGCOLOR="#336633" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Historic Gold Hill</FONT> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#3366FF" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>   |   <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC00" FACE="Arial" >  <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Historic Gold Hill">home</A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gold Hill Mines Historic Park / Rental I">Gold Hill Mines Historic Park / Rental Info</A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Education/Tour Info">Education/Tour Info</A>   |   Gold Hill Rail Trail/National Trails Day   |   <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Album">Photo Album</A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events">Events</A>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gold Hill Ghost ">Gold Hill Ghost </A>   |   <A HREF="eh_montgomery_general_store.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="E.H. Montgomery General Store">E.H. Montgomery General Store</A>   |   <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Art Series">Art Series</A>   |   <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Village of Gold Hill/Stamp Mill Cafe ">Village of Gold Hill/Stamp Mill Cafe </A>   |   <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us/Contact Us">About Us/Contact Us</A>   |   <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Driving Directions">Driving Directions</A></div> <div> Gold Hill Rail Trail/National Trails Day   </div> <div> ***Hike with us in celebration of 'National Trails Day' Saturday June 2, 2012***  Scroll down for more info on this year's hike!!</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="4df0b5a0.jpg" border=0 width="779" height="602" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="33df79f0.jpg" border=0 width="247" height="415" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     <IMG SRC="3423a9f0.png" border=0 width="314" height="415" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">    <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG SRC="4a10c9e0.jpg" border=0 width="268" height="414" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Stop in at the E.H. Montgomery General Store to request a guided tour or to pick up the Rail Trail Tour Booklet to hike on your own.</div> <div> The self-guided tour booklet is priced at $2.50 and benefits the historic foundation.</div> <bR> <div> A trip along the Gold Hill Rail-Trail through this historic village will transport you back to a time when North Carolina was the country's top gold-producing state. Signs posted every few hundred feet along the mile-long dirt and gravel path detail the history of mining in the state. Gold was officially discovered here in 1824 following a US geological survey in 1823. Spawned by the1799 gold strike at nearby Reed Gold Mine, in its glory days Gold Hill was the richest mining property east of the Mississippi.</div> <bR> <div> Using the Self-Guided Booklet and Park Map, enter the trail at the parking area at Mauney's Store in the Village. Locate the Trailhead sign at the rear of the parking lot. Instead of taking the trail to the right, take the trail to the left toward the Barnhardt Shaft. This is site #1 on the self-guided tour. Using the trail guide you purchase at the E.H. Montgomery you can follow the numbered sites along the pathway and rail trail through the park.</div> <bR> <div> The original trailhead is actually located about 100 yards past the junction of St. Stephens Church Road and Baptist Church Road at the NW entrance to the park, at the entrance to Miner's field and the Powder House.  This NW entrance is just northwest of the Log Barn and rock wall. </div> <div> The map and guide book will bring you to this point after passing by sites and landmarks through the park. From here the trail will follow the old mining roads. At #13 Powder House site backtrack to the ball field and enter the woods at the chain link fence enclosed north shaft . Circle around the fence and cross the ravine and then find the gravel trail and continue toward the Randolph.</div> <bR> <div> On completion of the 20 sites posted in this area of the park, you will end up right back at the village. Find the sign again at the rear of Mauney's Store parking area and this time follow the trail to the right.</div> <bR> <div> Much of the onward trail on this end passes through forest, so keep watch for such wildlife as deer and broadtail hawks. There are a few swampy patches, so be prepared for a muddy trek if you visit following a rainstorm. It may appear the trails ends when the gravel ends, but the trail actually extends beyond this point. You will be at a ravine where the old railroad trestle was. Future signage will encourage hikers to scale the ravine and up the left side to continue on the trail to end at the old Union Gold and Copper Mine Site in Cabarrus County. Hikers must stay on the trail, so as not to trespass on private property.</div> <bR> <div> Back in the village, check out the various historic buildings that have been restored as cafés, antique shops, and museums. The E.H. Montgomery is your destination for a history lesson with a great pictorial display with descriptions and interpretations as well as artifact displays. </div> <bR> <div> Self-Guided Map of the park and rail-trail sites and landmarks within the park.  </div> <div>  <A NAME="map"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="4e0b3160.jpg" border=0 width="691" height="534" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="4df0b5a0.jpg" border=0 width="779" height="602" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="4f5995c0.jpg" border=0 width="665" height="860" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>