Climbing the Mountain – Spencer Mountain Trail Development
Meet Spencer Mountain, the Charlotte region’s third highest peak at 1,250 ft., just behind the Kings Pinnacle and Crowders Mountain within Crowders Mountain State Park. The mountain is located just north of Gaston County’s 344-acre George Poston Park that contains ball fields, a dog park, 10-miles of natural 3 ft. wide trail, and a lake.
Spencer Mountain is the northern terminus of the iconic 23-mile planned Matthews-Belk South Fork River Corridor trail. While on your future Spencer Mountain adventure you will be able to enjoy vast views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the skyline of Charlotte. It has been a goal of our organization to obtain public access to the mountain for decades. Thanks to a partnership with the local CBS affiliate, WBTV, the Catawba Lands Conservancy and Carolina Thread Trail were able to sign an agreement permitting the public to access Spencer Mountain and its summit!
The mountain will have over 3 miles of Carolina Thread Trail (CTT) including approximately an:
- 1.5-mile natural surface multi-use (hiking, cycling, etc.) trail around the base of the mountain
- .8-mile natural surface trail to the summit dedicated for hikers and people with mobility limitations
- .7-mile gravel road for cyclists to access the summit
- .2-mile natural surface trail offering a future connection to the Town of Ranlo
CTT’s goal is to make the trails on Spencer Mountain as accessible as possible. Therefore, allowing people with mobility limitations that may or may not use assistance devices (i.e. hand cycles, track chairs, etc.) and/or young children to also have the opportunity to enjoy a mountain oriented trail experience. The Spencer Mountain trail project also includes several planned overlooks along the trails. This includes a small park at the summit that will offer the best views of the Charlotte skyline in our region.
You might not be aware that there are very few opportunities for mobility limited trail users to partake in a similar experience to Spencer Mountain in North Carolina. Many similar experiences restrict the trail user to a paved or developed facility like a parking area with an overlook. CTT desires to create a trail system on Spencer Mountain that attains balance between adventure and accessibility, allowing trail users of various backgrounds, identities, and degrees of physical ability to experience nature in a way that suits their desired comfort level.
CTT is thrilled to work alongside our partners including Gaston County, WBTV, and the Town of Ranlo, and many others to create an experience unlike any other in North Carolina. The Spencer Mountain trail project is currently undergoing final design and engineering. For example, two 40-50 ft. bridges will have to span a ravine and the overlook platform at the summit is intended to cantilever over the edge of the mountain.
Progress is being made quickly and construction could be right around the corner. We hope to open trails on Spencer Mountain by 2026. The biggest barrier we face to completing the project is funding. CTT asks that you consider making a gift to support this one of a kind project. Please share this post with your networks and make sure others are aware of this exciting opportunity!