Locations
Addresses:
Stoney Creek Marina - 1785 Carolina Mill Road, Burlington
Red Slide Park – 389 Lang Street, Haw River
Stoney Creek Marina Operated By: Burlington Recreation and Parks Department, (336) 222-5030, http://www.burlingtonnc.gov/55/Recreation-Parks
Red Slide Park Operated By: Town of Haw River Parks and Recreation Department (336) 578 5600, http://townofhawriver.com/Facilities.aspx
From Stoney Creek Marina, continue on to the Sellers Falls Section, the newest 4-mile stretch of Haw River Trail/Mountains-to-Sea Trail. The trail meanders through mature hardwood forest with prominent views of the Haw River, ending at Red Slide Park. This section completes a total of 8 miles of contiguous trail from Indian Valley south to Red Slide. Parking is available at Stoney Creek Marina. From the parking area, follow Carolina Rd. past historic Copland Fabrics then cross the bridge over Stoney Creek and enter the forest to your right. Continue to follow the HRT trail blazes.
The trail crossing at Boyd's Creek (Trail Blaze: HRTL 4065) is via a rocky footpath across the water. If the water is high please use caution crossing or turn around. This section ends at Red Slide Park, a 15 acre park offering a paddle access, hiking trails, picnic areas, and a playground.
History of Red Slide Park
Red Slide Park opened in 2009. The park is named “Red Slide” after the historic name of the neighborhood it borders. Between 1911 and 1923, the southeastern corner of the park at the corner of Main Street and Lang Street was the eastern terminus of a streetcar that ran from Burlington and Graham.
The area surrounding Red Slide Park is perhaps the most historically important place in Alamance County. The area was a prominent river crossing on the Indian Trading Path that predates white settlement of the area. By the early 1700s, the area became known as “Piney Ford.” The Trollingers, a key family in the history of the Haw River, came to this spot in 1745 and began operation of a grist mill on the west bank of the river.
The mill that currently dominates the views from Red Slide Park is Granite Cotton Mill. Granite Mill was first built by General Benjamin Trollinger in 1844 and sold to the Holt family in 1858. In 1928, Cone Mills acquired the Granite Mill complex including Tabardrey Mill, located below the bridge on the east bank. In 1936, the Granite Mills produced 10% of all the cloth manufactured in the United States. By the late 1970s and early '80s, the mill produced more corduroy than any other plant in the world. The plant was closed in 1983.
