Heritage Partners

Heritage Partners

Benefit the community by strengthening its sense of place

Fund-raising for the care and maintenance of your River Walk is a constant need. You can help.

Our major , ongoing project is the Murphy River Walk & Canoe Trails.  All the costs are funded through grants and from generous donations from folks like you!

Please help us maintain and expand our beautiful trails!

Your tax deductible contribution is gratefully accepted at any time.

100% of you tax deductible donation goes towards this community project.  You can mail a check to the address at the bottom of this page, or you can donate online by CLICKING HERE FOR PINEY KNOB.
CLICK HERE FOR MURPHY RIVER WALK EXPANSION.

River Walk
attn: Heritage Partners Treasurer
P. O. Box 1152
Murphy NC 28906

Springtime rains have caused the rivers and streams in the Appalachian Mountains to overflow their banks. The Valley River, shown here on a misty foggy early morning, is swollen with fresh spring rainwater. The trees that are normally on the very edge of the river are knee deep in water which makes for beautiful photography subjects with their reflections. The old rowboat sits in the calm waters, a perfect mirror to the trees that are full in bright green foliage.
A Footbridge Over the River [photo courtesy of Nic Oliver]
"Down by the River" by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan... The slow moving Hiwassee River just after dawn, at the confluence of the Valley River is encircled by the Smoky Mountains... A touch of fog dances on the still water of this pretty river, mists floating over the reflective water. An old tree, long tangled roots exposed after the high waters recede after Spring and Summer rains have ended, is just a gnarled stump now. The morning light shines on the glistening mossy bark, a lovely glow accenting the curves and shapes of the roots. The cliffs at the opposite shore are called Lovers' Leap, a high granite stone face of rocks that rises suddenly from the shallow river's edge. Captured in Murphy, North Carolina in early autumn in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Smokies...
Front Cover-2
"Magnolia Overlook" by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan... The river is flooded after the Spring rains, captured at nightfall on the Valley River in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina... This overlook, framed by large magnolias in the Spring, is known as the Leech Place. Perfect reflections on a silent evening at sunset, the sky capturing the colors of the late day glow. These black willow trees grow in the marsh, now part of a lake flowing slowly downstream as the Valley River meets the Hiwassee River in a convergeance along the River Walk trail. This is the sweet Blue Ridge mountain town of Murphy in the western Appalachian mountains... Www.CelebrateLifeGallery.com
"Fishing Under the Trestle" by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan... A beautiful Spring morning on the river, fog rolling in under the trestle. These fishing buddies, a man and is dog, are cruising around the swollen river on this pretty misty dawn. This is the Valley River where it meets the Hiwassee River just beyond the fog in the convergeance curve in the river. Fresh leaves hang on the branches along the edge of the stream. Sunlight breaks through the cloudy mist to light up the sycamore and willow trees along the banks... Enjoy our big gallery of fine art photography images! Www.CelebrateLifeGallery.com
Cherokee County Courthouse
"Rays over the River Walk" by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan... A foggy morning in the middle of Spring at the River Walk... Beautiful sunrays burst through the mists and through the foliage of the trees, creating a gorgeous spiritual mood. The wooden walkways are bathed in light and the grasses in the forest are lush and wet with the night's rain. The air is cool and the early morning silent as the trees along the trail lean into the day... Www.CelebrateLifeGallery.com
"River Beauty" by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan... The river is flooded after the Spring rains, captured at sunrise on the Valley River in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina... Perfect reflections on a silent and foggy morning at sunrise, the sky filled with the mist of the morning's glow. These black willow trees and cypress grow along the river's edge, now part of a lake flowing slowly downstream as the Valley River meets the Hiwassee River in a convergeance along the River Walk trail. This is the sweet Blue Ridge mountain town of Murphy in the western Appalachian mountains... Www.CelebrateLifeGallery.com
The Boardwalk
"The Old Bridge" by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan... Along the River Walk trail, deep in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, is the old rock pilons bridge supports for the old road going through town. This is in Murphy, North Carolina near the borders of Tennessee and Georgia. The river is the Valley River in a spot right next to the old L&N Depot railroad station. The vintage trestle is just a short walk down river, near to where the Valley River converges with the Hiwassee River. The trees are tinged in autumn tones, yellows and golds at the start of fall color. The stream runs slowly past the trail and railway line, now abandoned. Enjoy te small town feel of the way things used to be in our Appalachian mountain images!
"The Park" by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan... The boardwalk in Konaheeta Park along the Valley River in Murphy, North Carolina is so very pretty especially in the autumn. Shown here on a foggy morning, the beech trees are tumbling and lay like confetti on the warm wood of the walkway. The old trestle can be seen in the distance, an abandoned railway that used to connect the Lexington and Nashville line... This trail is called the River Walk and winds along the river and through the park for nearly 3 miles one way... Enjoy and Share our beautiful Appalachian Blue Ridge mountain images!!
"Train's A'Comin'" by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan... Deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, this vintage trestle spans the Valley River in the little country town of Murphy, North Carolina. Captured in the early morning just after sunrise, when the fog and mist was hanging over the still water of this pretty stream, the reflections are perfect. The trees are lush with early fall foliage surrounding the old metal railroad trestle. The granite block pilon supports are on the edge of the river which runs much higher in the Spring and Summer. In the autumn months, the dams are opened and the water recedes to expose the clay banks of the riversides. Clouds hang low, joining the morning fog and touching the autumn color in the oak, maple, willow, sycamore, and poplar trees in the Blue Ridge mountain forest.
An abandoned railroad track in Murphy, North Carolina is shown here on a misty autumn morning meandering along the Valley River and under the old highway through town. .The historically important Murphy Branch is the western most part of what was the Western North Carolina Railroad, later the Richmond and Danville, Southern Railway and today the Norfolk Southern Railway. The branch runs between Asheville, North Carolina in the east and Andrews in the west. It roughly follows Interstate 40 and the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway. The railroad branch was constructed with convict labor between 1881 and 1894. Today the section of the branch between Asheville and Sylva is owned and operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway. The tracks between Dillsboro and Andrews are owned and operated by the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, a tourist excursion railroad. Although the Murphy Branch is today divided between two separate companies, it is still a continuous rail line between Asheville and Andrews. The tracks between Andrews and Murphy are still in place but have not been in use since the late 1980s after Norfolk Southern decided to close the leg because of a lack of freight traffic. When the railroad began eying the rest of the Murphy Branch past Dillsboro for closure the state of North Carolina stepped in and purchased the tracks to keep the right-of-way alive. It later sold the tracks to the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad which had leased them from the state for a number of years. This section of the Murphy Branch has the distinction of being the first stretch of track the state ever purchased in modern times and began a long running practice for the state of North Carolina that eventually became the state's "Rails to Trails" program which maintains railroad rights-of-way for future use. The Murphy Branch was extremely important to Southwestern North Carolina in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as it opened up the isolated and rural mountains west of Asheville to t
"Winding Path" by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan... Old beech, cypress, and willows in full autumn splendor grace the trail along the River Walk in the Blue Ridge Mountains... A grove of river willow trees stand along this beautiful, twisted, Gothic trail with the mountains on the other side of the river bank. The Valley River runs through the town of Murphy, North Carolina where it meets the Hiwassee River in a gentle convergeance right by the old vintage trestle. Enjoy our Smoky Mountain scenes of the Appalachian Mountains in our gallery! www.CelebrateLifeGallery.com