Neusiok Trail's 50th Anniversary Celebration

On September 30, 2023, the Carteret County Wildlife Club celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Neusiok Trail, the longest hiking trail located within eastern North Carolina. The celebration, which took place at Newport Community Park, was attended by about 70 outdoor enthusiasts, and featured a barbecue lunch, including a trail-theme decorated cake.

The day began with three trail hikes, guided by wildlife biologists Deana Noble with Chris Kent, Manley Fuller, or Jon Altman. After hikers returned, Club President Ginger Motes introduced the speakers: Dennis Barber, Mayor of Newport, Jim Grode representing Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (FMST), Bob Tabor from the NC State Parks, and Roger Mays from both FMST and the Wildlife Club. Each emphasized the value that hiking trails provide for exercise, well-being, and appreciation of our natural surroundings.

The keynote speaker was Gene Huntsman who, in 1972, realized there were no formal hiking trails in the Croatan Forest, and suggested that the Wildlife Club rectify the deficiency. Subsequently, Huntsman presented the idea to Forest Ranger Ed Grushinski who offered the support of the Forest Service and helped map a provisional route. In January of 1973, three Wildlife Club members armed with machetes and plastic flagging tape, made the first foray into the Forest.

Mr. Huntsman detailed some of the challenges Club members encountered over two decades of work amid briars, swamps and biting bugs as they hacked a 22-mile path between the Neuse and Newport Rivers. At one point, a bulldozer from the Forest Service arrived to flatten the dense pocosin vegetation but got stuck in thick muck and required a second one to extract it.

Once the trail's path had been cleared, many boardwalks and bridges were needed. Several of the locations were too isolated for lumber to be carried in by hand or ATV. After some persuasion from Huntsman and District Ranger Lauren Hillman, the Marine Corps solved the problem by providing a helicopter to drop lumber at designated spots near the work sites.

Initially a portion of the trail lay on Weyerhaeuser property. Although the company welcomed the trail, Huntsman felt having a section on private property could become a problem. He approached Representative Walter B. Jones, Sr. to see if funds could be made available to purchase the land. Jones obtained money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the Forest Service to acquire approximately 1,000 acres from Weyerhaeuser and incorporate it into the Croatan Forest.

After most of the boardwalks were complete, three shelters with fire pits were added along the trail allowing hikers to get out of the weather, rest, or camp overnight. Hammock hanging posts were added next to the middle shelter as part of an Eagle Scout project.

At the end of his talk, Huntsman pointed out an unexpected bonus of the long labor. He said “The Club built the trail, but the trail also built the Club.” The years of working together changed the Wildlife Club from a casual shooting club to a cohesive group drawn together by the shared accomplishment of a common goal.

The Neusiok Trail covers a variety of habitats. They include sand ridges, longleaf pine savannas (with several species of carnivorous plants), swamp forest, pocosin, and the Neuse River beach. It is now one of the most popular features of the Croatan National Forest, providing recreation in the fall and winter when cold weather discourages hiking on other well-known trails.

Contributed by S. Huntsman, written 10-23-23