*Pre-registration is required for this FREE event.

We are teaming up with the local history experts at the Gaston County Museum of Art & History for a two-part series exploring the emergence of the textile mills and civil war history in Gaston County. The South Fork Rail Trail is a 2.0 mile segment of the Carolina Thread Trail which meanders next to the bank of the South Fork of the Catawba River and through a section of the 325 acre Rhyne Preserve which is protected by Catawba Lands Conservancy. The trailhead is located just across the river from the historic Laboratory Mill (formerly the Lincolnton Cotton Factory) which has a fascinating history of transformation from cotton mill, to medicine factory, to event venue.

This is part two of this history hike series held with the Gaston County Museum. Part I will be held on June 30 at the South Fork Trail in McAdenville, NC. 

This hike is offered for FREE by Catawba Lands Conservancy (CLC) and Carolina Thread Trail (CTT) in partnership with the Gaston County Museum of Art & History. 

What is provided?

• Historian from the Gaston County Museum
• CTT trip leader
• First aid supplies

What should you bring?

• Full water bottle
• Comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots
• Snacks
• Camera
• Hat, sunscreen
• Small daypack