If you love fall, you’ll adore this weekend.

After a little rain on Friday, the skies clear, the temperatures drop and it’s fall again. Look for a temperature when you wake up Saturday in the upper 30s, look for daytime highs both days in the 60s, look for lots of sunshine. And look for something that’s starting to reappear after a long hiatus: programs at North Carolina State Parks. 

Ten programs are scheduled this weekend, seven Saturday, three Sunday. They include:

• Fall Wonder Hike, Saturday, 9:30 a.m., Morrow Mountain State Park, Albemarle. Fall color is beginning to bloom in the Uwharries; join a ranger who will take you to the park’s best color and also tell you what it is you’re looking at. To register, please email alden.early@ncparks.gov. For information on Morrow Mountain State Park, go here.
• Canoe Hike, Saturday, 10 a.m., Carvers Creek State Park, Spring Lake. Never canoed? No problem. On this trip you’ll get basic paddling instruction and get to paddle one of the coolest waterways for exploring: a cypress swamp. Participation is limited to 10; free, but registration is required, by going here. Learn more about Carvers Creek State Park here.
• Creek Side Hike, Sunday, 2:15 p.m., Umstead State Park, Raleigh. This is a cool hike, in part because a good bit of it is off-trail. From the Reedy Creek parking area (off I-40 at Harrison Avenue), Ranger Billy will lead the group down to Reedy Creek, then venture off-trail down Reedy Creek to Reedy Creek Lake and a return up through Camp Whispering Pines. Free, but registration is required, by going here. Learn more about the hike and Umstead State Park here.

In addition, there are two night hikes, both on Saturday, both starting at 7 p.m.: a Star Party at Medoc Mountain State Park near Hollister, and the Creepy Critter Night Hike at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park near Goldsboro.

And if you’re keen on checking out fall color in the Blue Ridge, check out our Wednesday blog on 5 places to find great color and few people.

It’s the weekend! GetOut! and enjoy!

The video

Busy next weekend? If you’re a backpacker, we’ve got one spot remaining on our GetBackpacking! 4-day trip to the Standing Indian area of the Nantahala National Forest west of Franklin. The video is from a trip last year in August; you can be in our video of this year’s trip by going here to learn more and snag that last spot.