Welcome to the American Tobacco Trail, a 22-mile rails-to-trails greenway. This year, in 2023, we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Wake County portion of the trail opening! Starting at the southernmost point in Apex, the trail travels through Wake County, Chatham County, and Durham County before ending at the American Tobacco Campus in downtown Durham.
This trail was once a railroad corridor that stretched through the New Hope Valley, constructed in 1906 and abandoned in 1979. Today, the trail is used for transportation and recreation by people from all over the Triangle area, with over 445,000 patrons visiting the Wake County portion annually. It is maintained and improved upon by many individual volunteers and groups.
This series of train themed geocaches was placed in honor of the 20th anniversary of this beloved rail-to-trail section’s opening in 2003. Hike, bike, or ride along the 6-mile portion of the trail that lies in Wake County and answer trivia questions to complete this special geoart installation. For more fun activities and historical tidbits, see Wake County’s ATT Facebook page throughout 2023.
Answer the following question to reveal the actual coordinates for the geocache.
What caused the rail line to move from the New Hope River basin to higher ground?
- If the building of the New Hope Dam and Reservoir (now Jordan Lake), then N 35° 43.633' W 78° 55.936'
- If flooding from seasonal rains, then N 35° 43.633' W 78° 55.836'
- If a better view of the city, then N 35° 43.633' W 78° 55.736'