North Carolina’s Next State Trail?
View the full plan below
Envisioning a World-Class Trail
- The process began with extensive outreach to public land managers to determine pre-existing levels of support for the trail.
- After a thorough research phase, DbD created a strategic brand platform to guide all communication about the trail.
- Finally, we created a visual brand system, website, and an educational video to carry the NPT vision into the public, and to affiliated landowners and stakeholders.
These efforts resulted in vital support and strong community buy-in before the planning process even began.
Site Furnishings


The Challenge
An undertaking like the Northern Peaks Trail does not come without its challenges. The High Country region is home to a diverse ecological environment that can be sensitive to even the slightest disruptions. With that reality in mind, the DbD team knew that the preservation of existing natural assets must be carefully considered when assessing the viability of the proposed Northern Peaks Trail. The following guiding question was instrumental in our plan: How do we allow public access while still conserving some of the state’s most important natural and biological resources?


Compromise and Cooperation
Through our process of compromise and unification, DbD developed a cutting-edge plan for destination-quality recreation that provides public access while also protecting highly sensitive ecosystems. At its core, this plan is routed in unity. DbD makes it a priority to connect people and places in all the work that we do. This guiding principle is especially critical in a region like the High Country where the bonds between nature and its admirers are so strong. In addition to fostering a “oneness” between the region’s natural assets and the people who seek to enjoy them, the proposed Northern Peaks Trail plan will also help unify key regional stakeholders. The plan unifies county jurisdictions, environmental groups, and recreational organizations in the region, in addition to the meaningful connections that will result from bridging vast areas of natural wonder with the downtown centers in Boone and West Jefferson.Visual Brand Development
