By Ward Swann, Yadkin River State Trail Coordinator
As many of you may be aware, It’s been my mission to bring more campsites to the Yadkin River State Trail. I’ve also been trying to find locations that are more than just a spot to set up a tent, but more of a welcoming space that speaks to a wilderness experience. Quality camping options will attract paddlers from multiple states away as they learn to see and experience the Yadkin River that we know and love. Over the winter two new Campsites have been added, and both are going to require a little grit to get there.
With MASSIVE appreciation to Piedmont Land Conservancy, the newly named Aquilla Islands are now part of the campsites along the Yadkin River State Trail. The name means Eagle in Latin and harkens to a creek that flows into the Yadkin beside the islands on the Yadkin County side. The frequency of eagles that nest in the area are just one more reason to name it so.
The Islands are at the 95 Mile mark, upstream from the water intake dam near Old 421 access.
My co-workers may think that I have been working on getting permission for the public to camp on these islands for a year and a half. Truth is that I have been occasionally suggesting this to the landowner for easily 10 years. Thanks to Yadkin Riverkeeper and Piedmont Land Conservancy we now have a plan to manage them jointly and can secure them for the paddling public. After talking to some Scout leaders, we have teamed up with some Scouts looking for Eagle Projects (or should we say Aquilla Projects?) to develop part of the islands for its camping potential. Stay tuned for pictures of hard work and smiles full of accomplishment.
Speaking of accomplishment, Cube Yadkin Energy has quietly completed a campsite on Tuckertown a little more than a year ago, and now they have finished a campsite at the newly re-routed portage around Narrows Dam. Chris Phelps has constructed awesome sites for Cube that have set the standard for every other campsite that are in the pipeline for the rest of the trail. The Tuckertown site is fairly easy to get to, but the Narrows campsite will require a bit of work, but ohhh… so worth it.
All of these sites can be found on the online map of the Yadkin River State Trail.
So get away from Netflix for a night and listen to the frogs.