NC MST Segment 15

Segment 15 of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail runs for 90.5 miles from Pender County through Jones County.  Also called The Onslow Bight and Jacksonville, this segment traverses the Onslow Bight, where the coast makes a bend between Cape Lookout and Cape Fear.  It is one of the most ecologically diverse areas in the state.  Additionally, the segment runs through the military town of Jacksonville.  This trail segment includes about 53.3 miles on paved roads, 19 miles on forest roads, 5.7 miles on greenway trails, 3.5 miles on trails and 9 miles along the beach.

Route:

Segment 15 starts at Holly Shelter Game Land and follows roads through the area to US-17.

It crosses to the barrier island at Surf City and follows the beach to North Topsail.  The trail then passes through Snead's Ferry and Stones Creek Game Land.

Following roads to Jacksonville, the MST piggybacks on the Jacksonville Greenway through town right along Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base.

The final leg of this segment then follows roads to the eastern trailhead in Stella.

External Links:

Mountains-to-Sea Trail website: https://mountainstoseatrail.org/segment/15/