Heritage Partners

Heritage Partners

Benefit the community by strengthening its sense of place
"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 Old Bridge
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.
After the Rain on the Valley River
bridge
bridge
"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...
Down by the River
"Forest Beauty" by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan... Captured along the River Walk in the Appalachian Mountains, these beautiful black river willow trees and poplars grow near the wetlands at the edge of the water. The trees are in their autumn colors in the misty fog as the sunrise color adds drama to the morning, dressed to impress the hikers and river folk who happen by. There are so many beautiful trails in the Smoky Mountains. This area is in Murphy near the Cherokee National Forest of North Carolina, very close to Tennessee and Georgia. This river meets the Valley River in town and floods during the Spring and part of the Summer months. Enjoy our fine art images of the Blue Ridge mountains in our gallery here! Www.CelebrateLifeGallery.com
Forest Beauty
"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
Fishing Under the Trestle
"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
Rays over the River Walk
"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
River Beauty
"River Boardwalk" by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan... Captured at the River Walk along the Valley River in the little Smoky Mountain town of Murphy, North Carolina... The trail follows the river to the point where the Valley converges with the Hiwassee. The path has forest areas, meadows, and boardwalks, along with a couple of overlooks. These trees in this image are sycamores with huge leaves that look a lot like maples. The sycamore bark peels and reveals white beneath the brown. Captured during a misty rain in the Smokies, the wood of the path wet with rain, dew, and a bit of misty fog. Enjoy the River Walk in our Blue Ridge mountain town and the rest of our images in our gallery here!
River Boardwalk
"River Trail at Sunset" by Debra and Dave Vanderlaan... A quiet evening on the river, just before sunset, a slow-moving ghost of fog settling on the Valley River as a special tree looks on. Long branches of misty trees in late summer greenery lean out over the stream, encircling the rural scene as the after-the-rain fog drifts past. The river trail is just adjacent to the slow-moving stream, a pretty path through the forest in the Smoky Mountains. The marsh grasses are lit up by the evening sunset light in the pasture. The Hiwassee River joins the Valley River just beyond the old vintage metal trestle. This is Murphy North Carolina in the western edge of Cherokee County. The Blue Ridge mountains are alive with waterfalls, streams, trails, and nature. Please enjoy it all in our photography images!
River Trail at Sunset
"Spring on the River" 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, and boaters going out to find the best spot to make a catch. 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
Spring on the River
"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!!
The Park
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
Under And Over
"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
Winding Path
More Information

Initiated as a multi-phase master plan concept in July of 2002, the Murphy River Walk project was formally endorsed by the Mayor & Town Council of Murphy, and by the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners, in January 2003. Phase 1 opened in the fall of 2003 at Konehete Park, and a master plan for its future phases was completed by the fall of 2004. Step by step, the River Walk was completed all the way in to the Old L&N Depot on Railroad Street at the Hiwassee Street river bridge in 2010.

Enhancement and improvement activities continue on with the trail surfaces, native landscaping and interpretive markers along the way. The approximate 3-mile trail carries the potential of far reaching benefits to the community- health and recreational enhancements to Konehete Park and the Wellness center facility, economic renewal stimulus for the historic town center, eco and heritage tourism, environmental conservation, cultural and historic preservation, native plant and wildlife education, and more.

 

The project master plan has been completed from Konehete Park all the way to the Old L&N Depot in town. The approximate 3 mile walking trail (6 miles round trip, or however you wish to take it) follows the Hiwassee River and the Valley River, which meet to form the back waters of Lake Hiwassee and surround the historic town center of Murphy, the Cherokee County seat.

As the seasons change, and as the river and lake waters rise and recede, the River Walk & Canoe Trails tend to change character as well. You’ll find it a beautiful connection with native plant life, bird and fish species, and the waters of two rivers meeting to form a lake. The natural wonders are breathtaking any time of year.

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

You can help.

Your tax deductible contribution is gratefully accepted at any time, and in any amount, payable to:

River Walk

attn: Heritage Partners Treasurer

P. O. Box 1152

Murphy NC 28906

Student Projects – Earth Day on the River Walk – photo collage courtesy of Phil Mattox

Watch for the continued progress, as in addition to ongoing trail maintenance and enhancement activities the project team has been focused on the following projects:

•New in 2015-16: Native Landscape Enchancements – in partnership with the Dub & Murray Martin Foundation (grant), and the Hanging Dog Valley Nursery (Johnny & Pam Strawn), you will be seeing even MORE beauty in the River Walk’s natural/native landscape. After all, it’s what the River Walk, and its benefits to this community, is all about.

 

•New in 2015: Outdoor Performance Pavilion – in partnership with the Cherokee County Arts Council (CCAC), the River Walk is proud to announce the NEW outdoor performance pavilion, located behind the Old L&N Depot and Old Hackney Warehouse. WOW! The June Arts, Rivers & Music festival was its first public event use – the performers and crowd loved it!

 

•New in 2014-15: On Trail Directional Signage– constructed from re-claimed cedar from trees lost from the Doyle’s Cedar Hill Restaurant property in the tornado that hit a few years back, on-trail directional signage has and continues to be added for identification and way-finding on the various trail segments. The signs are hand-crafted and installed by volunteers.

 

•New in 2014-15: Covered Bridge, a TVA project on the River Walk – constructed in 2014 by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) under the direction of Kemmy Garrett is the new covered bridge connecting the Fisherman’s Loop with the main trail. The River Walk assumed responsibility for staining the new bridge, as well as its continued maintenance and upkeep.

 

•3rd printing in 2014: River Walk Map Brochure – with the first and second printings gobbled up, funds from The Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) were secured for a trail map brochure update and reprint. The latest brochure/maps can be found here on line (top left links), or in hard copy at the Murphy Visitors Center downtown on Tennessee Street, the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce on the 4-lane, or at the Hiwassee Valley Pool & Wellness Center at Konehete Park, in Murphy.

 

•New in 2013-2014: The Fisherman’s Loop – clean up of this area just below the Health Dept. was completed in 2013, with an access trail to the Valley River that followed, making way for a new trail loop on the Valley River and a connecting bridge to the trail down the road.  Thanks to the Dub and Murray Martin Cherokee and Clay County Trust for the start up grant in 2013 towards the cost of this project.


A Footbridge Over the River [photo courtesy of Nic Oliver]

•New in 2012-2013: Confluence Loop & Hiwassee River Overlook Construction – the Confluence loop at the convergence of the Valley and Hiwassee rivers forming Lake Hiwassee is one of the most beautiful scenic areas on the trail. An overlook deck out on to the Hiwassee River also has been completed, not far from the Old L&N Depot trail head. Grants were awarded by the Dub and Murray Martin Cherokee and Clay Counties Trust toward the cost of these projects.

 

•New in 2012: Interpretive Signage Stations – The River Walk now features both heritage and ecological interpretive signage along the trail. A grant was awarded in 2011 by the OEO Small Growing Opportunities grant program for the project, and a prior grant from the Cherokee Heritage Foundation for the Leech Place overlook signage.