MADE X MTNS

Tuesday and Wednesday at the Great Trails NC Great Trails State Conference were jam packed with insightful content and excellent networking! Thank you to all who joined us as part of the "Building the Outdoor Economy" Track, and to every presenter, exhibitor, sponsor and organizer who made this event happen. We left Winston Salem extremely proud to be a founding member of the Great Trails State Coalition, and inspired to continue so many vital conversations and topics at next year's Outdoor Economy Conference.

The Great Trails NC Great Trails State Conference started today with a powerful coalition meeting, a wonderful message from Governor Josh Stein, a recap of how the Great Trails State movement has grown from co-leaders, Palmer and Iona, a welcoming keynote from David LaMotte, and an inspiring film fest! Excited to be here with so many partners, and looking forward to kicking off the Building the Outdoor Economy program track tomorrow & Wednesday!

Time to catch up on a few summer recaps before school starts!

We had a blast in July at Visit Smokies summer social, hosted at Endless River Adventures in the scenic Nantahala Gorge. The vibes were excellent and excitement was high around establishing a Smokies Chapter of Outdoor Business Alliance! Can't wait for the next get-together!

There's nowhere better than spending an evening in this special place, watching the rafts and kayaks go past, while a magical mist lifts up from the water and a chorus of summer sounds bounces off the mountains. There's still plenty of time to book your river or canopy adventures, so Go with a Guide, and make memories!

While you're in that direction, pop into Bryson City Outdoors or Nantahala Outdoor Center for your outdoor gear needs, and enjoy a pint while you're there, or jump on the road a little further to Hoppy Trout Brewing Company in Andrews.

TODAY! Head to Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Mills River's Lower Park for an Outdoor Fair with Trust for Public Land featuring live music, food & beer, local nonprofit partners, and Adventures Worth Protecting, a conversation about protecting and expanding access to the outdoor spaces we all love.

While you're there, try their collaboration, Trail Pass Lemon Radler!

From the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains to the riverbanks and rolling hills of the Piedmont to the stunning Carolina coastline, you'll find a series of communities that serve as homebases for outdoor adventure.

Outdoor NC calls these communities Trail Towns. Today, we are excited to share 108 Trail Towns across North Carolina, serving as gateways to 207 total trails. These Trail Towns are more than gateways to incredible outdoor spaces. They're also dedicated to caring for their natural beauty and cultural heritage.

Today, Outdoor NC is launching the 2026 Official North Carolina Trail Town Guide, a free digital resource highlighting these remarkable communities and the main trails you can explore in each area.

Give .nc a follow to catch a different Trail Town every over the coming weeks, and visit nctrailtownguide.com to explore the full guide and discover your next adventure.

At MADE X MTNS, we're thrilled to support Outdoor NC's Trail Towns, and the shared commitment to stewardship and outdoor economy growth in which the guide's participants are investing across our incredible state!

Did you know that Pisgah National Forest manages among the highest density of commercial guide and outfitter permits issued, nationwide?

This was one of many interesting facts we learned at last week's Outdoor Business Alliance social, co-hosted by Cradle of Forestry - Heritage Site & Discovery Center and FIND Outdoors in their beautiful Discovery Center space in the heart of PNF. We were treated to awesome informative presentations by U.S. Forest Service - National Forests in North Carolina Supervisor, James Melonas, and FIND Outdoors President and CEO, Carolyn Ashworth.

We learned a ton about the birthplace of forestry education in America. If you haven't been (or it's been a while), put it on your list and check out their packed calendar of upcoming special events.

Visit gofindoutdoors.org/sites/cradle-of-forestry for all the info!

See www.ashevillerecoverstogether.org for all info!

Happy 250th! 🇺🇸 If you're spending this July 4th weekend outdoors, we hope you've made memories with loved ones, and stayed safe and as cool as possible in this summer heatwave.