2025: A Year of Momentum

Rashawn King
3 hours ago
3 min read

Across the Triangle, 2025 was a year of powerful advocacy, meaningful community gatherings, and major steps forward for regional connectivity. Triangle Trails Initiative and its partners brought people together, protected critical projects, and launched new tools that help residents and visitors experience the region’s growing trail network in new ways.

Policy and advocacy wins: Big Branch leads the way

One of the most important stories of the year was the fight for Raleigh’s Big Branch Greenway Connector—a 3.5-mile trail that will link neighborhoods, parks, and key destinations while closing a major gap in the city’s greenway system. Throughout the fall, Triangle Trails played a visible leadership role in a region-wide advocacy campaign as a small group of opponents attempted to delay or derail the project. Triangle Trails and its partners issued clear calls to action, urging residents to email the Raleigh City Council, attend Parks Board and Council meetings, and show up in green to demonstrate broad public support.

That sustained, coordinated effort helped build a powerful coalition of residents, advocates, and organizations who spoke up for safe, accessible greenway connections for everyone.

By November, the advocacy paid off. City leaders moved key segments of the Big Branch Greenway Connector forward, keeping Raleigh’s top-priority trail—and the only new greenway project funded in the 2022 Parks Bond—on track. The campaign became a defining example of how organized, positive voices for trails can shape the future of the Triangle.

Community on the trail: Celebrations across the Triangle

On June 7, Triangle Trails joined local partners and residents in Cary to celebrate National Trails Day, highlighting the role trails play in supporting health, community, and a strong sense of place. The event reinforced a simple truth seen again and again this year: when people experience trails together, they become champions for them.

In May, a ribbon cutting marked the opening of the Mingo Creek Trail connection between Knightdale and Raleigh—a milestone that brings communities on the east side of Wake County closer than ever. The celebration emphasized how a single trail segment can unlock new opportunities for walking, biking, and exploring across city lines.

Triangle Trails helped host Pedals, Paths, and People at Old Reedy Creek Trailhead in Cary. On March 18, the trailhead transformed into a festival-style gathering, bringing together community members, outdoor advocates, and local vendors to celebrate bikes, trails, and the outdoors—showcasing trailheads as vibrant hubs of local culture and activity.Planning for the long term

Strategic Planning session was a great success

On March 4, Triangle Trails convened regional leaders for a full-day Strategic Plan Meeting focused on the future of the 15-county Triangle Trail network. Participants tackled questions of long-term connectivity, funding priorities, and implementation strategies, ensuring that today’s project-level wins contribute to a cohesive regional system.

New tools: Wander connects people to places

Working with Visit Raleigh and municipalities including Wake Forest, Zebulon, and Apex, Triangle Trails helped launch Wander, a regional trails discovery app that debuted in late summer. Wander makes it easy for residents and visitors to find greenways, parks, and nearby destinations through a single, user-friendly platform.

Looking ahead

From defending the Big Branch Greenway Connector to cutting ribbons at Mingo Creek, from celebrating at Old Reedy Creek to planning the next decade of connections, 2025 demonstrated what is possible when a region rallies around trails.

Save the date: Triangle Trails Summit: April 23, 2026

Register now on Eventbrite to reserve your spot.

On April 23, regional leaders, planners, and passionate advocates will gather at Dix Chapel for the Triangle Trails Summit—a day dedicated to shaping the future of the Triangle’s growing network of greenways and trails. More information to follow.