BROWN SUMMIT, N.C. — When the pandemic led to a national shutdown, many people turned to going outside as a source of exercise and relaxation.

The Piedmont Fat Tire Society in Greensboro says the use of trails went up 200%.

The Piedmont Fat Tire Society is building a new multi-use trail you can walk, run, hike or bike on. It’s called "Burl Oak" and it's designed to be self sustainable.

They’re using a $84,000 state grant to build the trail.

"The closer we get to the water, more problems that we can have with water on the tread or trail," said Michael Blackburn, Chairman of Trail Maintenance. And we tried to get it up on a hill, an edge like this, then we look at the topography and we think about the trail meanders and moves through the woods. It’s more fun to go around trees instead of everything being in the straight line."

Blackburn is a part of the Piedmont Fat Tire Society. Since, the 1990s, they have built more than 40 miles of biking and walking trails throughout Greensboro and Guilford County with the help of volunteers. It gives people a special connection to the trails.

"There’s a tremendous number of rewards that you receive from building and maintaining, and your sweat equity is put into the trail. And as you ride it you can say you built that, helped build that," Blackburn said.

Since the pandemic began, more people are outside and the use of trails has increased sharply.

"The way things are now certainly with COVID and omicron sneaking in as well. We need to be very concerned and conscious of inside buildings and things of that nature," said Blackburn.

Blackburn joined the society three years ago. He used to be a roadrunner before getting into mountain biking, he’s been riding over a decade.

"So, I wasn’t really familiar with the mountain bike trails at all. First time I did it I was a little apprehensive, but I thought wow this is really great, i’m really having a good time," Blackburn said.

And he wondered how the trails were being maintained.

"And when trees fall down and they cross over the trail, I would go to that same trail maybe a day or two later and that tree was gone. Like who cleared that, did the city clear that? And as I started digging in more and more, I learned it was the Piedmont Fat Tire Society,” Blackburn said.

And now he’s the chairman of the trail maintenance who manages and works on miles of trails with the help of volunteers and trail captains.

"I think it’s so positive to have so many people out in the woods building trails and connecting to nature. I think it’s a wonderful thing," said Blackburn.

The Burl Oak Trail is set to be open in spring 2022.