We get so much from our trails in a year. Is it too much to ask that we give a little back on just one day? That day being this Saturday, June 5?
For a few decades now, the first Saturday of June has been National Trails Day. It’s a day when we celebrate our trails, sometimes by doing maintenance, sometimes by simply taking a hike. In North Carolina this National Trails Day, 15 events have been registered with the American Hiking Society, which sponsors the annual event.
Probably the biggest event is the N.C. Trail Days Festival in Elkin. Guided hikes, horseback rides, paddle trips, and a trail dedication are among the events scheduled for the trail town of Elkin (it’s on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail as it makes its way from the mountains to Piedmont). Learn more here.
A variety of work days are scheduled, from Stone Mountain State Park to Eno River State Park, from the Mountains-to-Sea Trail to the Carolina Thread Trail. Odds are you don’t need to look for from where you are to find an NTD event. Find the NTD events listed on the AHS site here.
Not every NTD event in the state is listed on the AHS site. For instance, there are four hikes with National Trails Day in the title in North Carolina State Parks on Saturday, including hikes on the Profile and Nuwati trails at Grandfather Mountain State Park. Check out the National Trails Day hikes in our N.C. state parks, here.
There’s a good chance you’ll also find NTD events are you local and county parks, as well as at nearby nature preserves. In fact, Saturday is also Land Trust Day. As it has every first Saturday since 1992, Great Outdoor Provision Co. will donate 10 percent of sales on Saturday to the work done by local land trusts. So if you need new boots or a pack, it would be advantageous to make that purchase Saturday. Learn more about that effort at the Great Outdoor Provision Co. website, here.
As for the weather, after a rainy Thursday and Friday, the weekend is looking warm and sunny, with temperatures ranging from the upper 60s to mid 80s. There’s still time to make it a camping weekend — even if you have no camping gear. Check out our GetCamping! program for details.
This weekend, GetOut! And enjoy.