2023 marks the Year of the Trail in our state.

So since we are exploring the Lake Norman area, we thought we'd try out a popular trail in Cornelius, it's called the Emerald Necklace and it's a great way to get some exercise plus see a little bit more of the town.

[upbeat music] [upbeat music continues] [upbeat music continues] [water gurgling] - The Emerald Necklace was developed by Frederick Law Olmsted, that was for Boston, Massachusetts, where he had a vision of linking the city's parks via what he calls an emerald necklace or greenway system and he ended up completing that vision back in the late 18 hundreds altogether.

So it's a very endearing term in parks and recreation and we just so happen to borrow it here in Cornelius in order to set our vision.

[upbeat music continues] We have 13 miles of trails that will connect a majority of our parks throughout Cornelius and what we like to say is that our Cornelius Emerald Necklace connects where people live to where they work, congregate and recreate.

- The vision of the Emerald Necklace, try to stay to be able to get on the greenway and if you need to do some shopping or if you want to go to one of our local micro breweries to stop and meet up with some friends after work for maybe a drink or two, safely, provides that opportunity to do so in a safe environment.

Obviously, then you'll be able to work off the calories.

- [Parks & Rec Employee] So Antiquity Greenway is probably the best bang for the buck if you're looking for a short walk with a lot of scenery along it.

We have an elevated boardwalk that puts you about 25, 30 feet up into the trees so you can literally look into the crowns of the trees, see all the birds and wildlife up in through there, taking you from downtown Cornelius, down into the creek bed area and then within a short half mile distance, you're at the Covered Bridge which is an iconic bridge in Cornelius.

It's much like the old New England covered bridges that everybody has seen before and it really is a neat photo spot for folks.

We have many folks going there to take pictures whether it's for an engagement or new baby.

They go there to take pictures because it's such a scenic place.

[water gurgling] - So if you come to The Cycle Path, we are able to help you out with all sorts of rentals, including beach cruisers which are typically 25 bucks a day.

You just come in, fill out some paperwork, we get you in and out within 10 to 15 minutes and you can go and hit the greenway system.

Lot's of good site and it's just nice and relaxing.

A good way to spend time with the family.

There's a lot of that small town flare that's here, especially within the cities and near Davidson College.

So it's nice that these greenways kind of network around the area in a way that you can stop and enjoy the local restaurants or maybe any other type of shop that's in the local area.

Just have some ice cream maybe and then hop back on a bike, get on the greenway and go through some more nature like sections, see some ponds and wildlife and then circle back through and see what else you can find.

I just like the whole exploration fact that it has.

It's neat to just kind of go out on the greenways and see what you get into.

[gentle music] - All these greenways were built with grant funds from North Carolina Department of Transportation and one of the requirements is that they all be ADA accessible.

So we really took that to heart to work hard to make sure that they were accessible.

So the elevated boardwalk at Antiquity, it would've been easy just to follow the terrain of the land, but instead in order to make it accessible, we had to do that elevated boardwalk and the end result was not only an accessible facility, but a really neat feature for folks to be on.

This is an investment, not only for today, but for the future.

These greenways are here and they're here to stay.

As development continues to build up and around the Lake Norman area, these greenways will order a reprieve for people to get out from the hustle and bustle and commune with nature.

[gentle music continues] [gentle music continues] - [Deborah] To find out more about the Emerald Necklace Greenway Network in Cornelius, visit the towns website at cornelius.org and look under your government-parks and trails and to learn more about the Year of the Trail, go to greattrailsnc.com.