Weekend Festival opens new adventure near Edenton

JoeMiller — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 20:22:20 +0000

We get excited over the opening of a new trail, so imagine our excitement over the opening of a new park. Then multiply that by two because two new parks are actually opening. It’s all happening this Saturday as part of the Year of the Trail Weekend Festival in Edenton.

Actually, it’s the Grand Opening for just one of the parks; the other is more of a sneak preview.

Officially opening for good is Bertie Beach, a 147-acre tract of wildness (pictured at top), also referred to as Tall Glass of Water, that sits on the Albemarle Sound in Bertie County. Bertie Beach gets its name from the 2,200-foot sand beach that eases into Albemarle Sound, the nearest beach for miles. But the tract has so much more:

Hiking. There’s a 2-mile trail that weaves through the coastal woods and wetlands that dominate the tract. Flat hiking that exposes you to a land reclaiming its natural state after years of agricultural use. Eventually, there will be 7 miles of trail.
Swimming. The beach marries the best of the natural world with modern convenience, including restrooms, outdoor showers, a water bottle refill station and a picnic pavilion.
Primitive camping. A good cool-weather option at the coast.
Canoe and kayak access. In addition to access, there’s also a kayak storage kiosk.

Much of this will be open or partially open Saturday.

A Big Canoe

As if this weren’t enough of a draw, you can also get a sneak peek at the new Salmon Creek State Natural Area, which adjoins the Bertie County property.

If you haven’t heard of Salmon Creek, it’s no surprise. In short succession, the original 1,000-acre tract, which surrounds its namesake creek, was purchased in 2017 by the N.C. Coastal Land Trust, which realized that the land’s natural beauty and archaeological attributes (native Algonkin artifacts have been found at the site) far outweighed in importance the threatened 2,800-unit development with a 212-slip marina planned for the site. The site was given to the State of North Carolina in December 2018, and in July 2020, the Coastal Land Trust threw in another 297 acres. Combined with the Bertie County site, that’s more than 1,400 continuous acres of exploring.

Saturday morning, N.C. State Parks is hauling its two Big Canoes — Hellbender and Loggerhead — to Salmon Creek for your exploring pleasure. Both canoes seat about 12 folks and will be able to navigate a ways upstream. Trips depart at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Again, Salmon Creek has not officially opened, so this is a rare opportunity to explore without, technically, trespassing.

I should mention, too, that there will be paddling Friday afternoon on Bennetts Millpond, Friday evening on Pembroke Creek, and Saturday afternoon into evening on Edenton’s Queen Anne’s Creek. The latter coincides with Edenton’s Sounds of Summer Music Festival at the waterfront Colonial Park: enjoy live music from the water!

For more information on Edenton’s Year of the Trail Weekend Festival, go here.

It’s a great way to spend a sultry summer weekend.

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Explore the Albemarle Sound region

JoeMiller — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 14:30:36 +0000

There’s never been a better time to sample the breadth of great paddling to be had in the Albemarle Sound region.

Yes, we’re usually about hiking. But we’re always about exploring, and this three-day Year of the Trail celebration of paddling by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Hometown Strong initiative and local entities, you will get a good introduction to the joys of exploring this region. Among other things, you’ll paddle a mill pond (Bennett’s), take evening paddles on Pembroke and Queen Anne’s creeks, and explore the Roanoke River State Trail and the new Salmon Creek State Natural Area, the latter in Big Canoes, no less. We’ll also expose you to the newest park in Bertie County, where you can paddle, hike, and swim. And then there’s Saturday’s Sounds of Summer celebration at Colonial Park on Edenton’s waterfront, which features vendors, food and live music, featuring the Band of Oz.

Here’s our agenda for the weekend. Click the link for additional information.

Friday

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Roanoke River Lighthouse Tour. Learn about the lighthouse on the waterfront in downtown Edenton in a guided tour. $2.50 per person. Learn more here.

3-5 p.m. – Bennett’s Millpond Paddle. Bennett’s Millpond offers about 5 miles of paddling beneath cypress, past beaver lodges, and through duckweed. A leisurely, scenic paddle. Learn more and sign up here.

6-8 p.m. – Guided Paddle on Pembroke Creek, Edenton. Enjoy a leisurely guided paddle up Pembroke Creek, heading west and enjoying the late-day sun as it lights the tree-lined creek banks. Guided option if you have a boat, guided with boat if you don’t. Learn more and sign up here.

Saturday

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Roanoke River Lighthouse Tour. Learn about the lighthouse on the waterfront in downtown Edenton in a guided tour. $2.50 per person. Learn more here.

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Bertie Beach Bash. Celebrate the completion of the first phase of Bertie County’s Bertie Beach with this day-long celebration that includes:

Hiking on 2 miles of new trail
Swimming
Kayaking (bring your own or loaners will be available) on Salmon Creek
NC Wildlife Resources Commission Wildlife Discovery Trailer
Information for the search on the Lost Colony in Bertie County

Learn more here.

9 a.m. — Big Canoe Paddle on Salmon Creek. N.C. State Parks brings its two Big Canoes – Hellbender and Loggerhead – to the Salmon Creek State Natural Area for paddling on the natural area’s namesake creek. Each boat is 29 feet long and can accommodate up to 14 people.. Learn more and sign up here.

11 a.m. — Big Canoe Paddle on Salmon Creek. N.C. State Parks brings its two Big Canoes – Hellbender and Loggerhead – to the Salmon Creek State Natural Area for paddling on the natural area’s namesake creek. Each boat is 29 feet long and can accommodate up to 14 people. Learn more and sign up here.

2-7 p.m. — Sounds of Summer Music Festival, Edenton Colonial Park on the waterfront. Vendors, kids’ activities, food trucks, live music featuring The Band of Oz. Enjoy the music from land or on the water. Learn more here.

3-7 p.m. – Paddle Queen Anne’s Creek. Kayak rentals will be available from 3 -7 p.m. to paddle on Queen Anne’s Creek out of the Edenton harbor, and to enjoy the festival and live music from the water. $15. Learn more here.

Sunday

9 a.m. – Paddle on the Roanoke River State Trail. The Roanoke River is the crown jewel of recreational paddling in the eastern part of the state, in large part because of the efforts of the Roanoke River Partners to create more than 20 camping platforms and expand river access. We sample a part of the river on this 2-hour paddle. Details tba.

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Albemarle Sound Archives - GetGoing NC!

Weekend Festival opens new adventure near Edenton

Explore the Albemarle Sound region

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