Canoeists paddle the Little River 



"Canoeists can easily spend two 

 weeks on the trails, but they don't have 

 many places to camp," Potter says. "Of 

 course, they can stay in hotels and bed- 

 and-breakfast inns — that's great for 

 the local economies, and we encourage 

 it — but they should also have the 

 option to stay on the rivers." 



Even more ambitious is Potter's 

 goal of a trail system for the eastern 

 third of the state. He says that agencies 

 and individuals below the Albemarle 

 region have expressed an interest in the 

 same opportunities now available in the 

 northeastern part of the state. 



"I want to do the same thing for 

 the whole Coastal Plain — it's in the 

 planning stages. Hopefully the system 

 will be completed in the next couple 

 of years," Potter says. "I can very 

 easily see 800 to 1,000 miles or even 

 more that could be signed." 



Included in those plans are trails 

 along the Neuse River and areas in the 

 southeastern part of the state as well 

 as many other waterways. 



Though both the Albemarle trail 

 system and the more extensive 

 proposed system can be used by 

 kayakers as well as canoeists, Potter 



also plans to develop kayak trails in the 

 open waters of sounds and larger rivers 

 and on the inland side of the Outer 

 Banks. He's currently seeking experi- 

 enced kayakers to offer advice and 

 ideas for planning these trails. 



So far, interest in the Albemarle 

 region trails has been encouraging. 

 Potter has fielded calls from curious 

 canoeists up and down the East Coast. 



For more information about the 

 trail system or a copy of the regional 

 brochure, contact Potter at 919/778- 

 9488 or Johnson at 919/482-7437. □ 



COASTWATCH 11 



