Cannon Day, Monday, July 4, five demonstrations from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fort Macon State Park, Atlantic Beach. What says the 4th more than the firing of one of the biggest fireworks around — a cannon! Learn about the various cannons at this installation that dates back to 1747 and efforts to protect English settlers from Spanish raiders. At the end of each demonstration, they fire a cannon1 (It’s a blank, but still … .) Work in an ocean walk during your visit. More info here. 

Sunset on the Ridge, Monday, July 4, 7 p.m., Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Nags Head. Get bummed every Fourth of July because you have to choose just one fireworks display? That won’t be the case at Jockey’s Ridge, where, from atop a dune, you can catch the shows from Corolla to Ocracoke. Learn more here.

Festival for the Eno, Saturday, July 2, and Monday, July 4, West Point on the Eno city Park, Durham. It’s back! After a pandemic hiatus, this popular fundraiser for the Eno River Association returns with two days of music, food, crafts, paddling and hiking. More info here.

Wildflower Walk, Saturday, July 2, 10:30 a.m., Elk Knob State Park, Todd. Miss the wildflower show this spring in the Piedmont — or just crave more? They’re still popping in the high country, and you can catch it with an informed naturalist/ranger on this morning walk. And since it’s a bit of a drive up Meat Camp Road, we suggest adding a hike, the challenging but oh-so-rewarding 1.9-mile hike to the summit of Elk Knob. The mountaintop view is grand (see photo), but don’t overlook the craftsmanship of the trail on the way up. Learn more here.

Holiday Hike, Sunday, July 3, 2 p.m., Weymouth Woods State Natural Area, Southern Pines. Check out the rare longleaf pine stands on this 1.5-mile hike, then spend time wandering through downtown Southern Pines. Learn more here.

Enjoy your freedom this weekend! GetOut! And explore!

The post GetOut! 5 ways to explore this holiday weekend appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

I used to get lost. Now I just get turned around.

The difference?

I no longer panic when I discover I’m not where I thought I was — or should be. And the reason I no longer panic is because I learned how to use a map and compass.

Let’s get something straight up front: I am no Meriwether Lewis. I’m more a Ponce de Leon: eager to go in search of one thing, only to be distracted by something else.

When I decided to start leading people into the woods on hikes, I realized I needed to stay more focused. With a bunch of hikers in tow, I quickly discovered how embarrassing it was to think you’re in one place but are actually some place totally different. Just ask Columbus. So I started carrying a topo map, learned to use a compass, and I worked hard at figuring out how the map related to the terrain I was traveling. I learned that the squiggly lines are called contours; that the closer they are, the steeper the terrain, that as they emanate away from water, that means the terrain is rising. Those simple basics made figuring out where I was and where I was headed so much easier. And, for the most part, made it so much easier to figure out where I was when I discovered I wasn’t where I thought I was.

Where the heck am I?

Tuesday, for instance, I decided to take a lunch break hiking Eno River State Park. The Cox Mountain Trail is one of my favorites, and at 3.75 miles, I can get it done in a little over an hour. Hiked clockwise, it has a nice climb at the beginning, a generous descent on the backside of the mountain, a long return along the river. Just before reaching the loop portion of this lollipop, however, I noticed a narrow clearing — maybe 15 feet wide — that headed into the woods for maybe 75 yards, then vanished around a bend. The path was relatively clear … what the heck, I thought.

Another reason to become familiar with a map and compass is so that when you do come across an opportunity like this — an old roadbed, a fisherman’s trail that’s not on your map — you’re more apt to check it out. Eno River State Park, like many state parks, wasn’t always a place of escape. In the Piedmont, most state parkland was actually farmland until the early 1930s, when the federal government began buying up overworked land and selling it to the state, cheap, for parks. Even though it’s been nearly 90 years in some cases, remnants of the cultivated past remain: a rock foundation, a stone boundary marker, ancient oaks signaling an old homestead, these roadbeds. Take one of these long-abandoned paths, pay attention, and you’ll be treated to a decaying blast from the past.

Ponce gets distracted

Which I did. And, as often happens, I got caught up in searching for the past while neglecting the present. After a half hour or so, I found myself headed down a rocky tributary that I was sure would deposit me down at the Eno. Then I noticed I was following the tributary upstream.

“This won’t work,” I mumbled aloud.

Out came my map and compass.

First, I took in the surrounding terrain: an intermittent creek (appearing as a broken blue line on the map), a healthy slope to my left (tight contours), a generous floodplain to my right (no countours) and a steep draw straight ahead (tight, converging contours). Where I thought I was on the map didn’t look anything like this. I began searching the map for contours that matched my location, slowly scanning upstream until — bingo! And holy cow! I was nearly a half mile west of where I thought I was.

Lost — and found

But now I knew exactly where I was and how to navigate my way down to the river (which actually involved hiking atop a bluff rising 60 feet above a sharp bend in the river).

Was I worried? Only that I’d be back from lunch a few minutes late.

Learning to use a compass and make sense of a map isn’t genetic, it’s not an ingrained skill that either you can do or you can’t (like pole vaulting). Most of the folks who go through our GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods class show up saying they have zero sense of direction. And usually after we spend a half hour or so going over how to read a map and how to use a compass, they still haven’t a clue. But as we head down the trail (and off), as we stop every so often and ask them to try and figure out on the map where we are, they almost always have an “Aha!” moment. The map suddenly makes sense, the compass no longer carries the mystique of a devining rod. Suddenly, their love for being outdoors isn’t overshadowed by their fear of getting lost in it.

Knowing how to use a map and compass doesn’t guarantee that you’ll always know right where you are in the world. But it’s a good bet it’ll keep you from getting lost. Only turned around.

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Find Your Way with us

Love the trail but uncertain about your wayfinding skills? This three-hour session goes over basic map and compass skills, then hits the trail to offer key tips on how to follow and stay on the trail, how to find it again if you stray, and how to explore off trail. We’ll start with a 30-minute map-and-compass introduction, then use that map and compass — and some Daniel Boone skills — to find our way in the woods. We’ll also do some off-trail exploring, with the goal of purposefully venturing off the trail, then rejoining it again. Our goal is to make you confident hiking alone or taking a novice friend on the trail.

We have two GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods classes coming up.

• GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods: Saturday, July 16, 9 a.m.-noon, Eno River State Park, Fews Ford Access. Learn more and sign up here.
• GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods: Sunday, July 17, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., White Pines Nature Preserve, 548 South Rocky River Road, Sanford NC. Learn more and sign up here.

The post Lost, or simply turned around? appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Here are 5 events for the weekend that mark a great way to kick off the season:

Spring Flowers, Saturday, 10 a.m., Carvers Creek State Park (or not), Spring Lake. Or not? Indeed, this hike will gather at the nearby Smith Lake Recreation Area- Q, 5144, Smith Lake Road in Fort Bragg, the “start location.” We’re guessing this is the case because the hike leader wants to focus on the area with the best spring flower bloom at the time, not the area they suspected would have the best bloom when they scheduled the hike. Show up and be surprised. More info here. 

Barrier Island Beach Hike, Sunday, 11 a.m., Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro. What’s so special about a beach hike? I mean, don’t we all do it when we vacation at the beach? True, nearly everyone walks the beach on holiday, but not a beach that’s undeveloped and that can’t be reached by car. This hike commences from the Bear Island Bathhouse and covers a half mile in search of “evidence of past storms, fossil rock outcrops, geology, and barrier island migration.” You’ll either need to paddle out (see photo) to the island or take the ferry ($6 for adults, $4 for kids 3 to 12 or 62 or older). More info here. 

Slippery, Slidey, Slimy Salamanders, Saturday, 10 a.m., Blue Jay Point County Park, Raleigh. Have trouble getting your little kids excited about going outdoors? We’re guessing that’s part of the marketing strategy behind the name of this event aimed at kids 5 and up. Part of the park’s Family Wildlife Series, the focus here is to “Find out how these special amphibians compare with their reptile cousins and learn about the amazing adaptations that have let them remain relatively unchanged for 150 million years!” Also: “…kids are not required to attend.” Learn more and register here.

Guided Canoe Adventure, Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Staunton River State Park, Scottsburg, VA. Just over the state line in Virginia’s Staunton River State Park, you can satisfy your curiosity about canoeing on this ranger-led adventure on Edmund’s Lake. All paddling equipment provided, you just need to dress appropriately and wear sunscreen. There is a small fee for this event. Learn more and register here.

Fairy Stone Hunt, Saturday, noon, Fairy Stone State Park, Stuart, VA. Also just over the state line there’s a treasure hunt, of sorts, on Saturday. Fairy Stone State Park gets its name from the curious Stauroilte crystal in the shape of a cross found throughout the park. This event starts with a short presentation covering the stone’s legend and what to look for before heading out in search of said stone. Parking fee applies. Learn more here.

As for the weather, a delightful melange of spring and summer is on tap: temperatures in the low 80s under mostly sunny skies.

GetOut! And Enjoy.

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Planning ahead

Summer Weekends Hiking the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. We have three weekend hiking trips, all in the mountains on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Each weekend includes about 20 miles of guided hiking, camping, and meals. The trips are:

• Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Doughton Park, June 10-12, go here.
• Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Mount Pisgah, July 22-24, go here.
• Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Price Lake, Sept. 9-11, go here.

The post 5 Memorable Events for this Memorial Day Weekend appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

1. Canoe Hike, Saturday, 10 a.m., Jones Lake State Park, Eizabethtown. Jones Lake, that 224-acre Carolina bay southeast of Fayetteville, begs for attention on a hot day. Take the guided paddle trip, then spend the rest of the day on the beach, enjoying the clean, tannic waters of the lake. A perfect summer adventure. Learn more and register — the paddle is free, but space is limited — here.
2. Canoe Hike, Saturday, 5 p.m., Carvers Creek State Park, Spring Lake. Says the event description: “We will be learning the basics of canoeing and then trying out our new skills by maneuvering through the Cypress swamp.  This is a slow and calm canoeing experience and great for beginners or if you want to get a closer look at the Cypress trees.” Again, free, but space is limited and you must register in advance. Learn more here.
3. Stone Mountain Stream Safari, Saturday, 4 p.m., Stone Mountain State Park, Roaring Gap. Even better than being on the water? Being in it, which you’ll be on this 1/2-mile hike in a park stream learning about bugs that live in water and water quality. Learn more here.
4. Jordan Lake Bald Eagle Paddle, Saturday, 8:30 a.m., Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, Apex. Seeing bald eagles is cool, even more so when you realize, according to outfitter Frog Hollow Outdoors, the “re-introduction of Bald Eagles has been one of our states shining legacies as a true environmental comeback. Due to DDT use in the 70s Bald Eagles had completely disappeared from NC by the early 80s. However, the year following the release of juveniles in Eastern NC, a nesting pair found their home near Jordan Lake. Since that time in 1984, the population of Bald Eagle in NC has soared. Jordan Lake is now considered one of the largest summertime nesting areas for Bald Eagle in the southeastern US. Join us as we paddle the northern reaches of Jordan Lake in search of its majestic residents.” Passage is in sea touring kayaks, eagle sighting is not guaranteed. $55. Learn more and sign up here.
5. Stargazing paddle, Saturday, 8 p.m., Saxapahaw Lake, Saxapahaw. Says outfitter Haw River Canoe & Kayak, “There is no better way to see the night sky in Central North Carolina than on a dark night with a new moon, while floating on Saxapahaw Lake. Guests will paddle out to the middle of the lake, and adjust their eyes to the night sky. As the stars become brighter, guests will ‘raft-up,’ lay back, and identify stars and constellations. Single kayaks, tandem kayaks, and canoes are available for use. Suitable for all skill levels.” $40-$80, depending upon the boat. Learn more here.

This weekend, tolerate the heat by embracing water. 

The post GetOut! 5 Adventures for a Steamy Weekend appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Here are our 5 recommendations for the weekend.

Tanawha/Nuwati Wildflower Hike with a Park Ranger, Saturday, 2 p.m., Grandfather Mountain State Park, Banner Elk. This hike allots plenty of time (3 hours) to cover about 3 miles in search of spring wildflowers. You’ll want that time, too, to learn about the diverse terrain this hike covers along the southeastern flank of Grandfather Mountain. The hike begins at the Boone Fork Parking Area off the Blue Ridge Parkway (MP 299.9) and is limited to 15 hikers. Learn more here (including how to register).

Canoe Hike, Saturday, 2 p.m., Jones Lake State Park, Elizabethtown. Jones Lake is one of a half million Carolina bays in the Southeast, curious oval depressions whose existence has yet to be explained. Most of those bays have long since filled in, most of the remaining water-filled lakes are small, often less than 500 feet long. Jones Lake, however, is about 8,000 feet long and covers 224 acres, providing lots of room for exploring on this ranger-led paddle. All equipment is provided, participation is limited to 11 people, the first 11 people to register by calling 910.588.4550. Learn more here.

Naturalist Day Hike 2022, Saturday, Low Water Bridge Preserve, Montgomery County. The Low Water Bridge Preserve is in the Uwharrie Mountains, on the Uwharrie River just west of Ophir. On this hike, you’ll walk about 3 miles, with the main attraction the various neotropical migrating birds — warblers, vireos, tanagers, waterthrush and more — you’ll see along the way.  Your odds of seeing, or at least hearing, them? Darn good, since the hike will be lead by folks who know how to call a bird. Learn more here.

Lake Johnson Park Nature Explorers, Sunday, 1:30 p.m., Lake Johnson Nature Park, Raleigh. You know what most guided hikes lack? The chance to be a kid again, to flip logs and see what’s under them, to dig into the leaves and soil and see what’s going on, to see what’s living in creeks and streams. That’s the beauty of the Lake Johnson Nature Explorers events, because you can do all that and more with naturalists who can tell you what’s what. Learn more and sign up here.

Blood Moon Night Hike, Sunday, 8 p.m., Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro. We love night hikes for several reasons. For starters, there’s the light: this hike starts about 5 minutes before official sunset, then continues into the gloaming, with diminishing light for the next 25 minutes or so. Walking through dusk lets you participate in the natural world’s shift change, as daytime critters make way for their nocturnal cousins. You’ll also enjoy cooling temperatures, which becomes increasingly important as we head into summer.  And, of course, there’s the night sky on a night hike; on this particular night you’ll get to hike under the Blood Moon, a full moon that earns its distinction by occurring during a total lunar eclipse, which causes the moon to take on “a copper or reddish appearance.” This hike covers a half mile. Learn more here.

Again, a good weekend to GetOut! And explore.

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Night hike, anyone?

If Sunday evening’s Blood Moon hike tweaks your interest in evening hiking, then check out our upcoming GetHiking! Wednesday Night Hikes series, which begins Wednesday, May 18, and runs for 10 weeks. The hikes start at 6:30 p.m. and cover about 3 miles, wrapping up by 8. Apres hike frozen concoctions follow. Learn more and sign up to join us here.

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