July 22, 2009
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. – Did you know that when Stuart Auditorium at Lake Junaluska was built, the structure was open-air and had sawdust floors? Starting this August, visitors to Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center will learn little known facts about Lake Junaluska when they receive free copies of the Lake Junaluska Walking Trail Guide. The guide includes historical information about Lake Junaluska, sites seen while walking the trail around the Lake, as well as information about additional facilities on Lake Junaluska’s campus.
“We are proud to offer this guide to visitors and residents at Lake Junaluska. In June, we celebrated our 96th year of service to the community. This walking guide embraces and explains the rich heritage that Lake Junaluska has, much of which has not been common knowledge until the guide’s release,” said Jimmy L. Carr, Executive Director of Lake Junaluska.
A 2.6-mile walking trail circles Lake Junaluska’s campus. Many members of the local community and visitors enjoy daily walks around the Lake. Not only can people enjoy the beautiful scenery the trail offers, but now they can learn a little about the area’s heritage and why it is important to remember and preserve the Lake’s and trail’s history.
“The map of the Lake Junaluska Walking Trails is a great addition to the Haywood County Greenway system,” commented Joe Moody, Chair of the Haywood Greenway Advisory Council. “I am sure it will be welcomed by the many Haywood County residents (including my wife and me) and those visiting Haywood County who enjoy these trails.”
Advantage Printing of Asheville, NC generously provided the funding and resources to print 10,000 copies of the walking trail guide, while the SEJ Heritage Center, Art Swarthout, and Bill Lowry were invaluable in gathering the Lake’s history for the guide. Until recently, Lake Junaluska’s history sat uncatalogued in the SEJ Heritage Center archives. Over the past few years, Bill Lowry and Art Swarthout catalogued and organized the entire history of Lake Junaluska. Without their help, the information included in the guide about Lake Junaluska would still be in boxes.
For more information about the Lake Junaluska Walking Trail or to download a guide, visit www.lakejunaluska.com/laketrail.aspx.