Thanks for joining us at the 11th annual Piedmont Legacy Trails Summit
This year’s Summit was our largest yet. Trail leaders and advocates from across the Triad and beyond flocked to Salem Lake Marina Center to hear powerful stories and practical advice from speakers whose expertise range from trail planning and funding to construction and activation, including:
- Lessons on building transformational infrastructure from the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail in South Carolina
- Pros & cons of various trail surface materials for trails and greenways
- Tips on maximizing partnerships with government agencies (DOT, State Parks, DEQ)
- Stories of obstacles and successes in open space planning
- Insights into inclusive programming and designing welcoming spaces for a new wave of trail users
Sponsor the Summit
As a sponsor of the 2026 Piedmont Legacy Trails Summit, you’ll have the opportunity to showcase your brand while helping to educate and inspire action toward a better future for the Triad and all of North Carolina.
2026 Keynote Speaker
Ty Houck
Manager of Greenways, Natural and Historic Resources – Greenville County Parks, Recreation, & Tourism
With more than 30 years in parks and recreation, including 12 years with the South Carolina State Park Service, Ty has built a career shaping trails that transform communities. Since 2007, Ty has been leading the development and expansion of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail Network, one of the Southeast’s most celebrated trail systems.
Ty has helped grow this multi-jurisdictional network to more than 31 miles, linking communities, welcoming over two million users each year, and providing economic resiliency across the communities it connects. Ty is a frequent panelist on greenways and their impact on transportation infrastructure and economic development.
A Furman University graduate, ULI South Carolina Center for Sustainable Leadership alum, and Clemson University Walker Fellow, Ty continues to work closely with the private sector on creative opportunities to expand the trail network across Greenville County and beyond.
Presentation slides
Miss a session or want to review the highlights? Explore the presentation slides from this year’s Summit to revisit key insights, data, and takeaways from our speakers. Whether you’re catching up on a session you couldn’t attend or diving deeper into a topic that sparked your interest, you can browse the slides and keep the conversation going.
Legacy Awards
2026 Award Winners:
Local Elected Official: Forsyth County Commissioner Dan Besse
Funder Legacy Award: Duke Energy (accepted by Director of Government and Community Relations Jimmy Flythe and Recreation and Historic Properties Manager Christy Churchill)
State Elected Official: Senator Amy Galey
Outstanding Trail Organization: Dan River Basin Association (accepted by Recreation & Stewardship Manager Anna Wheeler)
Past Legacy Award Recipients
2025
Nolan Carter
Trail Project Award: Alamance County Parks & Recreation, Haw River Trail
Elizabeth Jernigan
Trail Project Award: City of Greensboro, Keeley Park Adaptive Mountain Bike Trail
Dabney Sanders
Persistence Award: Action Greensboro, Downtown Greenway
Jenny Edwards
Trail Advocate Award: Resilient Trails Network
2024
Rep. Kyle Hall
Government Leader Legacy Award: NC General Assembly
Uwharrie Trail Blazers
Legacy Group Award
Daniel White
Government Partner Award: Surry County
Reidsville Area Foundation
Funder Legacy Award
2023
Mike Simpson
Retired, Greensboro Parks & Recreation
Hope Haywood
Randolph County Commissioner
Andrew Sam
Friends of Alamance Parks & Alamance Mountains-to-Sea Trail Crew Leader
Winston-Salem Greenways
Outstanding Trail Project in Winston-Salem
2022
Mary Joan Pugh
Randolph County Trails Coordinator
Mark Gatehouse
Piedmont Fat Tire Society
Harry Clapp
North Carolina Rails-to-Trails Volunteer
Yadkin River Park
Outstanding Trail Project in Davidson County
2019
Greg Yahn
MST Crew Leader, Guilford and Alamance Counties
Haw River Trail
Outstanding Trail Project in Alamance County
2018
Roger Bardsley
Retired, Guilford County Planning
Elkin Valley Trails Association
Outstanding Trail Organization in Surry County
Presented By:
APA Credits Available
Attendees may be eligible to receive continuing education credits through the North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA NC) for sessions at the Piedmont Legacy Trails Summit. Credits will be submitted following the event; however, it may take several weeks before they are posted and available in the APA system. Participants seeking credit should check the APA website periodically to confirm session eligibility and when credits have been processed and made available.
2026 Sponsors
What is Piedmont Legacy Trails
Explore Past Summits
In 2025, trail advocates and outdoor recreation leaders came together to exchange ideas on strengthening outdoor culture, creating engaging programs, elevating trail-based tourism, and more. Attendees enjoyed a delicious lunch as we celebrated our Legacy Award honorees, recognizing their lasting impact on the trail community. The Summit concluded with an inspiring look into adaptive mountain biking, giving participants the chance to see the equipment up close and experience it in action.
The 2024 summit provided trail advocates and managers with strategies to secure funding and develop sustainable trail projects. Sessions covered engaging foundations, utilizing the Great Trails State Program, and accessing state and FEMA funding sources. A featured presentation discussed using school campuses for trails, using examples from Rockingham County to show how school trails support both recreation and outdoor education.
Panelists also emphasized balancing conservation with recreation, sharing real-world examples of sustainable trail designs and successful partnerships. The summit concluded with a lunch where four Legacy Awards were given to exceptional trail advocates.
On March 10th, 2023, we learned about best practices, exciting projects across the region, and connected with other professionals who are advancing trail development, ending with an optional trail field trip. Our keynote speaker Gary Vernon, Senior Program officer for Steuart and Tom’s personal foundation and is considered one of the leading experts in developing mountain bike trail systems, overseeing design and construction of over 600 miles of world class mountain bike trails and growing. His work includes the Oz Trails region of Northwest Arkansas as well as the Arkansas State Parks Monument Trail projects. In 2019 he was the recipient of the American Trails Chairman award for advancing trail design and changing the landscape for trail systems.
In 2022, the Summit hosted 4 virtual session: Engaging Volunteers, State & Regional Trail Planning, Innovative Strategies for Funding, and Case Studies of Effective Partnerships for Trails. The Summit also featured 4 field trips to trails in the Piedmont Triad. All sessions were recorded and can be watched on our YouTube Channel.
Held virtually, the 2021 Summit hosted sessions on Trail Funding, Community Health & Trails, Trails & Economic Development, and Trail Design & Building. The Summit also featured 4 field trips to trails in the Piedmont Triad. All sessions were recorded and can be watched on our YouTube Channel.
Due to the COVID 19 Pandemic, in 2020 the Summit was postponed and became a Virtual Conversation Series in the Fall. Recordings of sessions about The Greenway Imperative, Trail Tourism, Trail Advocacy, and Equity on Trails. All sessions were recorded and can be watched on our YouTube Channel.
