NC Mountains to Sea Trail

Even though Howard Lee isn’t from Pender County he has been monumental in the creation of the NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail which runs through Pender County and the Holly Shelter Game Lands. Lee is considered the ‘Father’ of the 1,200 mile trail which stretches across the state in Segments. Howard Lee first purposed the idea in 1977 as secretary of what is now the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Pender County is featured in Segments 14 and 15 of the MST beginning at the Pender/Bladen County line and traversing all the way to Surf City at the Pender/Onslow line. Hikers from all over the state and beyond travel through our county on a regular basis to experience Pender’s history, wildlife and many ecosystems. We can't mention the Mountains to Sea Trail without giving him the proper thanks and gratitude he deserves. To learn more about Howard Lee and his contributions and accomplishments watch this video that was featured on Spectrum News. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usHL8cPwXfA. For more information as well as starting points for the MST trail visit https://mountainstoseatrail.org/