Coast

If you’re a cyclist looking to do your first century ride, you have a big ally in the coastal plain: the closest things to a hill? Bridge overpasses. Couple your urge to log triple-digit miles with a good cause —  Ride to a Wish, which raises money to help kids battling serious illness a chance to fulfill a dream — and you’ve got Saturday’s Tour de Wish out of Columbia (on US 64 east of Manteo).  The Tour actually kicks off Friday evening with a Zombie Hash (appropriate dress required) pasta dinner at 7, followed by Saturday’s 8 a.m. ride, which winds through scenic (and flat) Tyrrell County. Stick around afterward for live music. 50- and 33-mile options as well.

Logistics: $20 registration fee and you must raise a minimum of $50, a nominal amount as these events go. (That's a minimum: last year’s event raised more than $30,000 and granted six wishes.). More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 90, 40 percent chance of rain.

Piedmont

It’s a full moon Saturday, and nighttime events abound, from paddles to hikes, including one aimed at kids at the Annie Louise Wilkerson MD Nature Preserve Park in Raleigh. “Many animals are active right around sunset or shortly after. Take a walk with a park naturalist to explore the woods and fields at this special time. Look for deer, foxes, coyotes, owls, moths and lightning bugs.” Nothing like a pair of beady eyes glaring at you from the forest’s inky depths.

Logistics: From 8-9:30 p.m., $2 person, all small persons must be in the company of an adult. More info on the preserve here.  Or call 919.996.6764.

Saturday forecast: Daytime high of 86, 50 percent chance of rain.

Mountains

This weekend, starting Friday, it’s the 15th Annual French Broad River Festival in Hot Springs, a classic combination of live music on two stages with outdoor activities, including the 8th Annual French Broad River Festival Mountain Bike Race on Saturday at 9 a.m. (route and other information provided at that time) and a 9-mile raft race, from Barnard down the French Broad to Hot Springs (including one Class IV rapid), also beginning at 9 a.m. You can also get tips on whitewater paddling from U.S. Freestyle Rodeo Team member Eli Helbert in a Paddle with the Pros clinic, and there are various outdoor activities for the kids.

Logistics: The Festival begins Friday afternoon. Fee structure varies: Festival ticket-holders participate free in all events, individual fees for the races. More information here.

Weekend forecast: Highs in the upper 70s, 40 percent chance of rain Sunday.

* * *

Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

* * *

Like us on Facebook and get health, fitness and outdoors news throughout the day.

GetGoingNC.com

Promote Your Page Too

Now when you want to find out where to rent a boat, you can just click on the "Paddling' link on the left rail of our home page.

Yesterday’s Weekend Plans section, in which we offer our thoughts on how and where you can have fun over the coming weekend, was a clean sweep for paddling. That made us realize that the paddling season is upon us, which made us realize that our helpful guide to 33 places where you can rent a canoe or a kayak (or a Sunfish-type sailboat) is buried somewhere in this Web site. That made us realize we needed to spend some time under the hood of this operation and make it easier for you to find certain key resources — such as those 33 places in the state where you can rent a canoe or kayak.

Far too many hours, a few panicked phone calls to those more familiar with Web software, and another too many bad words later, we are pleased to say “mission accomplished.”

No, really.

Look to the menu guide in the left rail and you’ll see the new entries of “Paddling” and “Climbing.” Drag your cursor over “Paddling” and you can click on a link to those 33 places where you can update a canoe or kayak in North Carolina (and if there are more not on the list, let us know and we’ll add them pronto). It’s a list we first published last June, updated as of April 27, 2012.

And so excited were we that we’d figured out how to make this happen that we went ahead and added a category for Climbing. Specifically, indoor climbing. Drag your cursor over this this activity and you’ll be presented with two options: “Learn to climb,” and “Climbing gyms,” a rundown of climbing gyms throughout the state.

Keep your eye on the left rail: We’ll be adding more activities in the coming days. If you have an idea for an activity you’d like to see added, leave a comment and we’ll get on it.

Classique paddling on the French Broad.

The weather’s warming, it’s time to hit the river trail.

Coast

We’re getting into prime paddling season at the coast: Not too hot, not too cold — really, just Goldilocks right. Making this a prime time to get in on Saturday’s kayak trip through the Roosevelt Natural Area at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. This trip takes in the tidal flats and mellow waters of Bogue Sound, between the aquarium and the mainland. A naturalist will explain this cool environment and explain why it smells like it does.

Logistics: $25, sign up at 252.247.4003. Starts at 9 a.m. More info on the Roosevelt Natural area here.

Saturday’s forecast: High of 79, 20 percent chance of rain.

Approaching Cliffs of the Neuse. (Photo courtesy WRAL/N.C. State Parks)

Piedmont

Ever wonder how Lewis & Clark might have felt as they rounded a bend on the Missouri River in Montana and saw a massive bluff looming ahead? You can get a sense of that “Holy Moly!” feeling Saturday on a guided canoe trip on the Neuse River at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. In addition to the 90-foot bluff towering above the south bank you’ll pass numerous springs, historic spring houses and some pristine riparian landscape. This trip isn’t offered often and it’s limited to 10 participants. Act fast.

Logistics: The trip is free, starts at 10:30 a.m. and preregistration is required, by calling the park at (919) 778-6234. Check the weather beforehand and dress appropriately, and bring a spare set of clothes, just in case. More details when you call to register.

Saturday forecast: High of 74 with a 30 percent chance of rain.

Mountains

A good reason to head to Asheville for the weekend: the French Broad River Classique Canoe & Kayak Race. The experts tackle an 18-mile stretch of the French Broad in Henderson County on Saturday, a 16-mile leg in Buncombe County on Sunday. Racing Saturday starts at 11:30 a.m., Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Also on Sunday: it’s time for the novices to shine on an 8-mile fun race from Westfeldt River Park downstream to the Asheville Outdoor Center. This stretch includes some Class I rapids. (Get a better feel for this stretch here.)

Logistics: Sunday’s fun race starts at 10:30 a.m. $10 to race, more info here.

Weekend forecast: Highs in the upper 70s, 30 percent chance of rain Saturday, 10 percent Sunday.

* * *

Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of event calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

Saturday: a good time on the Dismal Canal.

I know it’s just Tuesday, but what better time to start planning for the weekend ahead than while the memory of the weekend past is still fresh

Coast

Two great options at Dismal Swamp State Park this weekend. Saturday, it’s Bike to the Bull North Burn, an 8-mile round-trip bike ride to the site of last year’s Bull North Fire. There’s a 20-minute program at the site, followed by a box lunch. Brink your own bike or rent one on site (make arrangements when you call to register). Starts at 9 a.m.

Sunday, it’s Kayaking the Canal, a 1- to 2-hour paddle of the Dismal Swamp Canal. Paddle gear provided, you bring the sunscreen, bug spray, water and appropriate paddle clothing. Starts at 10 a.m.

Logistics: Saturday’s bike program is free (unless you need to rent a bike), helmets are required. Sunday’s paddle program is likewise free. Preregistration is required for both, by calling 252-771-6593.

Weekend forecast: Saturday: overcast early, then partly cloudy with a high of 77; Sunday: partly cloudy with a high of 79.

Leopard's Bane (photo courtesy Eno River Association).

Piedmont

Need a little extra incentive to get out and walk? How about the peak of the spring wildflower season? This 1.5-mile hike at Eno River State Park will go by in a flash as a naturalist fills you in on all the wildflowers filling out the forest floor. Bring a camera.

Logistics: Free, preregistration required, by calling 919.383.1686. Begins at 11 a.m.

Weekend forecast: 68 and partly cloudy.

Assault on the Carolinas

Mountains

Ah, the spring cycling classics. Not the pro European classics; rather, the classic spring mountain rides in North Carolina’s high country. Rides such as this Saturday’s Assault on the Carolinas out of Brevard. Put on by the Pisgah Forest Rotary Club, the ride is actually three rides: a 40K (25 miles), 60K (37 miles) and 100K (65.8 miles). The latter includes a classic Southeast climb, the six-mile grind up Caeser’s Head south of the border in South Carolina. Added incentive: training guru and Lance buddy Chris Carmichael will lead the 100K and raffle off a $1,000 Carmichael Training Systems camp session. Starts at 9 a.m. followed by live music until 8 p.m.

Logistics: Register online through April 11 for $40, race day registration, from 7-9 a.m., $50. More info here.

Weekend forecast: 75 and partly cloudy.

* * *

Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.
* * *
Like us on Facebook and get health, fitness and outdoors news throughout the day.

GetGoingNC.com

Promote Your Page Too

Monday — never an easy time for the outdoors enthusiast. After a weekend of adventure, returning to the humdrum work-a-day world can make one melancholy. To help ease the transition, every Monday we feature a 90 Second Escape — essentially, a 90-second video of a place you’d probably rather be: a trail, a park, a greenway, a lake … anywhere as long as it’s not under a fluorescent bulb.

Today’s 90-Second Escape: Pilot Mountain.

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I needed to be outside to do it. I needed a destination that wouldn’t restrict my options, one accommodating to the soul who couldn’t decide whether he wanted to hike or paddle, to be still and take in the wildlife, or to be about as wild as I get and go climbing. I also didn’t want to drive all day to get there.

That left one obvious option: Pilot Mountain State Park. Tag along for 90 seconds and see what I found.

* * *

Like us on Facebook and get health, fitness and outdoors news throughout the day.

GetGoingNC.com

Promote Your Page Too

Coast

Have the kids been pestering you to go to the beach? Have you been protesting that the water’s too cold? Compromise, fellow parents, by offering up a trip to the coast to hunt for Easter eggs. Emerald Isle kicks off the EE hunting season Sunday at high noon with an EEE (Easter Egg Extravaganza) at the Emerald Isle Parks & Recreation Center. Sidewalk chalking, face painting, music and more beginning at noon, the hunt at 1 p.m., with hunting in three age categories: 3 and under, 4-7 and 8-13.

Logistics: For additional details: asanderson@emeraldisle-nc.org

Weekend forecast: 69 with a 20 percent chance of rain.

Piedmont

Attention aspiring kayakers: remove the “aspiring” this Saturday at a guided paddle at Reedy Creek Nature Center in Charlotte. “If you have never been on a kayak and want to learn the basics this is the right program for you. We will go over the basic paddle strokes and safety before launching the boats on Dragonfly Pond where you can get familiar with the gear and experience nature on a new way.”

Logistics: Program is free, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. More info here.

Weekend forecast: 77 and sunny.

Mountains

Not that you need a good reason to visit Asheville, but here’s one anyway: Saturday’s Asheville YMCA Dodgeball Tournament. Yes, “Gather 8-10 teammates and enter a team. Each team is guaranteed at least 3 games, with free food, 1st and 2nd place trophies, goody bags, and tons of fun!” Winner walks away with King of the Dodge honors.  Competition in the 15-and-older category is from 6-10 p.m., the mini-dodge tourney for 12- to 14-year-olds is from 2-4 p.m. Dodebgall: Arrr!

Logistics: To register or for additional info, email jhart@ymcawnc.org or call 828.210.9622

Weekend forecast: Sunny and 76.

* * *

Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

Good times around the campfire, such as this one last year at Price Park, will resume soon along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I’ve been spending a lot of time along the Blue Ridge Parkway of late, exploring the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. I’d be spending even more time if the Parkway facilities, specifically the campgrounds, were open. Which they soon will be.

The National Park Service has announced 2012 opening dates for their seasonal facilities along the Parkway. I’m finding them useful for trip planning, figured you might, too. Here are some key locations for the pedestrian explorer, when they open and some thoughts for how these locations might play into your plans. For locations, go here for a Parkway map.

Campgrounds

Doughton Park, MP 240. May 11-Oct. 28. The Mountains-to-Sea Trail runs through Doughton Park as well, piggybacking on the Bluff Mountain Trail.

Hiking around Price Lake is good, so is paddling the mountain lake.

For the most part, this trail explores high mountain meadows offering great views. A spur trail to Wildcat Rock offers a great view way down into Basin Cove and a tiny, one-room cabin where the Caudill clan once lived. Four trails provide access to Basin Cove: Cedar Ridge, Bluff Mountain Primitive Trail (the shortest and steepest), Grassy Gap (the most mellow) and Flat Top Ridge. Several days of great hiking.

Julian Price Park, MP 297. May 11-Oct. 28. The Mountains-to-Sea Trail runs through the park. Take it south for hikes through mountain meadows past Holloway Mountain Road, go north for rugged hiking along (and in) Bee Creek and the larger Boone Fork. Also a nice loop trail around Price Lake and boat rentals weekends starting April 7 and 8, then daily May 1-Sept. 30, 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

Linville Falls, MP 316. Opens April 2, closes Oct. 28. Great base camp for exploring nearby Linville Gorge. Short trails out of the Linville Falls Visitor

The Mountains-to-Sea Trail, westbound from Mt. Pisgah.

Center (open April 27-Nov. 4) explore towering hemlock forests and the impressive Linville Falls, various trails off the Kistler Memorial Highway drop into the rugged gorge where you can hike the 13-mile Linville Gorge Trail and take the footbridge across the river to Table Mountain, The Chimney and Shortoff Mountain. This is a Wilderness Area; advanced wayfinding skills required.

Crabtree Meadows, MP 340. May 11-Oct. 28. The Crabtree Falls Trail is a nice hike, especially for a family (not too long at 2.5 miles and a great waterfall as a carrot). Plus, the campground is a 15-minute drive from Mountain Mitchell State Park and the Black Mountains. The crest of the Blacks, part of which is in the park, is the highest hiking on the East Coast with elevations generally above 6,000 feet, topping out at 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell. Hiking here is alpine and rocky, a much different experience than you’ll find elsewhere in the South.

After a day exploring Linville Gorge, it's a short drive to camp at the Linville Falls Campground.

Mt. Pisgah, MP 408. At nearly 5,000 feet, this is the highest campground along the Parkway. (Biggest benefit: Cool nights for sleeping are almost assured.) Again, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail comes through Pisgah and continues west along the Parkway, where you’ll find some of the best hiking in the state at Graveyard Fields and the Shining Rock and Middle Prong wildernesses. Also some of the most exposed hiking in the state.

Campsites are $16 a night, reservations can be made at RECREATION.gov or by calling 877.444.6777.

Note to cyclists: Note the spacing of Doughton Park, Julian Price, Linville Falls and Crabtree Meadows: respectively, they are 57, 19, and 24 miles apart. Their proximity could make for a good self-supported bike trip, especially for the newby. That first day, from Doughton Park to Julian Price Park, is long, but doesn’t have the climbing you’ll find farther south. Plus, if you’re of a mind you can supplement days two and three with side trips off the Parkway.

Other key facilities

These facilities can offer shelter, sustenance and diversion along the way.

Visitor centers

Linn Cove, MP 304. April 27-May 26, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m.; May 27-Nov. 4, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Linville Falls, MP 316. April 27-May 26, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m.; May 27-Nov. 4, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Gateway to Linville Gorge, with good selection of maps and guide books.

Craggy Gardens, MP 364.5. Weekends starting April 7 and 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; daily April 23-Nov. 4.

Folk Art Center, MP 382, open year-round. Featuring work from artisans and craftfolk from throughout the region. Plan to spend some time.

Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, MP 384. Open year-round.

Waterrock Knob, MP 451. April 27-Nov. 4, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Concessions

Northwest Trading Post Gift and Craft Shop, MP 258.8. May 1-Oct. 31, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Crabtree Falls, MP 339, May 1–Oct. 31, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Wifi!

Pisgah Inn, Restaurant, Gift Shop & Country Store, MP 408.6. Open through Nov. 4.

Note: The Bluffs Restaurant and Coffee Shop in Doughton Park is closed for 2012.

More info

For additional insight on exploring the areas and trails mentioned, check out "100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina" and "Backpacking North Carolina."

Monday — never an easy time for the outdoors enthusiast. After a weekend of adventure, returning to the humdrum work-a-day world can make one melancholy. To help ease the transition, every Monday we feature a 90 Second Escape — essentially, a 90-second video of a place you’d probably rather be: a trail, a park, a greenway, a lake … anywhere as long as it’s not under a fluorescent bulb.

Today’s 90-Second Escape: On the Water.

It’s been too long since I’ve held a paddle. Won’t be able to do it until the weekend, so until then I’ll do the next best thing: revisit paddles past. Grab a paddle and join me.

* * *

Like us on Facebook and get health, fitness and outdoors news throughout the day.

GetGoingNC.com

Promote Your Page Too

On track, on the Haw River Trail.

I thought we had lost the trail but in fact we were smack dab on course. The Haw River Trail was intended, it turns out to meander through the Glencoe neighborhood of restored mill homes.

Yet another attraction of this 70-mile work-in-progress that runs from Haw River State Park above Greensboro to its namesake river’s exciting conclusion — especially after a good rain — in Jordan Lake. In addition to showing off the natural beauty along — and in — the Haw — the trail is intended to showcase, and in the process help preserve, the remarkable human history that has evolved along the river. (Check out yesterday's 90 Second Escape along the Haw for a video perspective.)

The Haw River Trail (which includes a paddling alternative) is a decade-old effort that was galvanized in 2006 when 10 government agencies signed a memorandum of understanding basically indicating they would work together to preserve the Haw. At the same time, Burlington and Graham partnered with Alamance County, Elon University, Preservation North Carolina and the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation to fund a full-time position to coordinate conservation and trail efforts on the Upper Haw River. The Mountains-to-Sea-Trail piggybacks on the Haw River Trail from Haw River State Park through Alamance County, before heading east to Hillsborough.

The Haw River (Land) Trail.

So far, those efforts have resulted, in part, in 10 miles of on-the-ground trail, including the 4.3 miles we explored Sunday afternoon. (In addition, there’s trail in Haw River State Park, Swepsonville River Park, and along the lower Haw in the Lower Haw River State Natural Area, from Bynum downstream to Jordan Lake.) The trail runs downstream from Indian Valley Golf Course, through the old mill town of Glencoe, where Preservation North Carolina launched an effort in 1999 to restore the 1880s community. The Glencoe detour, up Back Street, down Front Street, satisfies both the historian (home restorations must adhere to period standards) and the real estate voyeur (generous front windows from back in the day offer a peak into what the Joneses have been up to). The trail also swings by the Textile Heritage Museum, which is worth a visit (if you’re there on a Saturday or Sunday between 1 and 4 p.m.). And while you can’t explore inside, the old Glencoe Mill and Carolina Mill a mile downstream, offer a fascinating outside look into the history of an industry that dominated life along the Haw from 1832 deep into the 20th century.

Haw River Land Trail
View Haw River Land Trail in a larger map

Elsewhere, the trail here at Great Bend Park spends most of its time snuggled up next to the Haw, an unusually rocky river for the Piedmont. In spots, the river is lake-placid. But you needn’t go far before those rocky drops make for a chatty companion.

It’s that mix of flat and white water that makes the Haw popular with paddlers. In Alamance County alone there are a dozen access points for paddlers. (Downstream in Chatham County there are at least three more.) Most offer access to whitewater, the intensity of which depends on recent rainfall. Three access points are located at dams, offering flatwater upstream and white down. Most of the river is considered suitable for beginners (though note that canoeists and kayakers putting in at Glencoe and Town & Country should have intermediate level skills).

Find directions and additional details about each put in on the paddle trail map below:

Haw River Paddle Trail
View Haw River Paddle Trail in a larger map

Checking out the outside of Carolina Mill.

Both of the above maps should help with planning a trip — by land or by water — on the Haw. You’ll find additional helpful information at the Haw River Trail Web site.

* * *

GetGoingNC.com

Promote Your Page Too

Monday — never an easy time for the outdoors enthusiast. After a weekend of adventure, returning to the humdrum work-a-day world can make one melancholy. To help ease the transition, every Monday we feature a 90 Second Escape — essentially, a 90-second video of a place you’d probably rather be: a trail, a park, a greenway, a lake … anywhere as long as it’s not under a fluorescent bulb.

Today’s 90-Second Escape: Spring blossoms along the Haw.

The Haw River: an emerging central North Carolina outdoors playground, worthy for its paddling, for its hiking, and its opportunities to walk back in time. Today, a quick video escape to the Haw. Come back tomorrow and we’ll clue you in on how to explore the Haw.

* * *

Like us on Facebook and get health, fitness and outdoors news throughout the day.

GetGoingNC.com

Promote Your Page Too