The City of Morganton is excited to announce that starting Monday, July 21st at noon, Catawba Meadows Park and an additional portion of the Catawba River Greenway will be reopened to the public.
This comes after several months of assessments, cleanup, repair and inspections from Hurricane Helene damage making sure each area is safe for the public to use.
Catawba Meadows Park will be back open with a few areas of exception within the park. The softball and baseball fields will remain closed as well as Beanstalk Ziplines and its parking lot.
The Beanstalk Playground, beach volleyball court, disc golf course, picnic shelters and bathrooms will all be reopened.
The Catawba River Greenway will be reopened from the entrance at River Village Access (going toward Catawba Meadows under Highway 181) all the way to the wooden platform overlook approaching the Rocky Ford Access. The section of Greenway from the other side of the River Village Access to the Silver Creek Bridge is still closed due to the renovation of the boardwalk. The City is currently in the engineering and design phase and will reopen that section of Greenway when the boardwalk is complete.
The park’s normal operating hours are from daylight until dark. There are still areas in the park and the greenway that will be under construction in the future. Please use caution and be aware of your surroundings.
There are two maps that are accompanying this press release that show the open and closed areas. The areas in green are open and the areas in red are closed to the public. Anyone in the red areas will be considered trespassing.
Morganton Parks and Recreation Director Bryan Fish said, “After Hurricane Helene, our community was devastated with the damages done to our parks and recreation facilities. We faced loss, uncertainty, and a long road to recovery. Today, as we reopen Catawba Meadows and another portion of the Catawba River Greenway, we’re not just restoring a green space; we’re reclaiming a place of connection, healing, and hope.”
City Manager Sally Sandy said, “I want our community to know how much work and effort have been put forth for Catawba Meadows Park as well another portion of the greenway to reopen. This was a massive undertaking, and we still have a long way to go for the whole park to be fully functional. Please know that all of our Parks and Recreation facilities are just as special to us as they are to you. We will keep our community updated as we make progress towards completing other Parks and Recreation recovery projects.”
