I’d been hiking the ridge for five minutes, aware of the fading light filtering through the hardwoods. I was in the waning minutes of daylight and wasn’t about to pass without a memorable goodbye. So why was I still moving? I should take a minute to stop and take this in, I thought. So I did.

I was behind a low rock outcrop; the minimal understory was letting shafts of sun in here and there. Where it could, vivid orange strips lit the forest floor. I watched for about five minutes, an unusually long time for me to be still on a trail. But I had good reason.

When will I have this experience again? I wondered.

The following evening, it turned out.

I was in Asheboro for a conference and was eager to check out the (somewhat) new 5 miles of trail at the (somewhat) nearby Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area in Alamance County. Though the Peach Orchard Access opened nearly a year ago, I’d been remiss in visiting, unlike when the first two sections of Cane Creek opened.

The first section, the Pine Hill trailhead, had a curious opening in late spring of 2020. The 5-mile addition was especially welcome, coming at a time when the Pandemic was driving record numbers onto trails. Curious, in that social distancing was all the rage; numerous trail networks were closed to avoid the risk of hikers bunching up; Alamance Parks cleverly dealt with the dilemma by instituting a reservation system, setting hikers down the trail at given intervals.

The Oak Hill Trailhead, just up Bass Mountain Road from Pine Hill, opened a couple years later. In both cases I was sampling the tread within the week.

Peach Orchard was to reveal a different personality — at least at first. 

Pine Hill and Oak Hill waste little time introducing you to the “Mountains” element of Cane Creek. Though the compact relict chain, which is mostly confined to Alamance County, tops out below 1,000 feet, there is some good climbing; within a half mile on Pine Hill’s Northern Approach Trail, more quickly on Pine Hill’s Lookout Trail. Pulling into the Peach Orchard parking lot I though I was embarking on a hike on the coastal plains. 

That feeling continued as I began hiking, counterclockwise, on the connected Varnals Creek and Mountain View (“view” as opposed to “experience”) trails. Mature hardwoods with minimal understory, the occasional remains of a past life (a homestead foundation and crumbling chimney, an abandoned Studebaker) and numerous dry creek crossings. A mile and a quarter in a bench before a scrub clearing provides a comfortable view of twin peaks. This civil welcome lasted until the 2.5-mile mark. After stout but short (300 vertical feet in three-quarters of a mile), you achieve the ridge and, if you time it right, awesome sunset hiking.

About that timing. The hours here accommodate a visit in the gloaming, with the gates closing about an hour after sunset. Plan to hit the ridge maybe 10 minutes before official sunset, allowing you to enjoy another 20 minutes of the most civil twilight around.

Linger. Marvel over the bright orange strips that streak across the forest floor. Enjoy the brilliantly lit canopy. And, in late summer, appreciate the breeze that accompanies the shift change from day to night. Another plus: When you do begin your descent you’ll encounter some rocks and roots for a half mile or so, then smooth tread back to your car. Still, don’t forget the headlamp (and a backup).

The next evening, after conference festivities had concluded, I drove 15 minutes to the Tot Hill Trailhead at the northern tip of the Uwharrie National Forest’s Birkhead Mountain Wilderness. I wasn’t expecting a repeat of Cane Creek, but that’s what happened/

A mile to the top, then more of a plateau than a ridge for about a mile. Accommodating hardwoods allowed a similar sunset light show as I’d had at Cane Creek.

We’re all looking forward to fall. But there’s still, meteorologically speaking, about three weeks of summer left. 

Make the most of it.

***

Heading out?

For more information, click the appropriate link:

• Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area
• Birkhead Mountain Wilderness, Uwharrie National Forest