Coast

Have you been wondering how to combine your love of music, your paddling and Halloween? Probably not. But if you have, consider Saturday’s Spooky Sound PaddleFest 2015 in Wrightsville Beach.

Music: the event is sponsored by, and benefits, the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra. Paddling: the event itself is a non-competitive paddle open to canoes, kayaks, standup paddleboards and “other non-motorized craft,” starting and ending at Wrightsville SUP, with a turnaround at Palm Tree Island. Halloween: it’s on Halloween, with awards for best costume and strangest craft. If living to you requires a paddle in your hands, then this looks like a good way to launch your Halloween celebration.

Logistics: Spooky Sound PaddleFest 2015, Saturday, Nov. 31, 10 a.m. (check-in begins at 8:30 a.m., clinics and demonstrations at 9 a.m.), Wrightsville SUP, 96 W. Salisbury St., Wrightsville Beach. $15 ($5 for raffle tickets).  More info here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 69.

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Looking ahead: 5th Annual Surf to Sound Challenge, Nov. 6-8, Blockade Runner, Wrightsville beach. More info here.

Piedmont

Another thought you may or may not have pondered: as you’re walking down a trail, have you ever wondered about all the living creatures, flora and fauna, visible and non, around you?

Saturday at Medoc Mountain State Park near Hollister (which is northeast of Louisburg, which is not far from Wake Forest) follow a ranger on a 1.5-mile hike along Bear Swamp Creek to learn what’s in the creek, what’s along the creek, and what’s all the way up to the adjoining ridge … . Really, to learn about everything around you. Or as much as you can learn in an hour or so.

Logistics: Bear Creek Swamp Hike, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2 p.m., Medoc Mountain State Park, Hollister. Free. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 64.

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Looking ahead: Eno Quarry History Hike, Eno River State Park, Saturday, Dec. 26. More info here.

Mountains

Or, perhaps you’ve wondered if it’s possible to co-celebrate cycling and Halloween. Yes, Casper, it is possible. If you don’t mind heading to the high country.

The Asheville area has two such celebrations Saturday. Saturday morning, there’s the Bookwalter Binge Charity Gran Fondo in Black Mountain, with ride options of 30, 62 and 83 miles, while Saturday evening it’s the 9th Annual Asheville on Bikes Pumpkin Pedaller, a 9-mile ride in downtown.

Intrigued? Learn more in this article by Karen Chavez of the Asheville Citizen Times.

Logistics: Both rides are Saturday; again, for details consult Karen’s article, here.

Saturday forecast: Partly sunny with a high of 62, dipping down to 50 for the evening Pumpkin Pedaller

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Looking ahead: Naturalist Niche: Survival Skills, Saturday, Nov. 21, Chimney Rock State Park. More info here.

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

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The post This weekend: Trick or treat? Pedal or paddle? appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

A cool bike ride in the mountains or a leisurely day on the water in the Piedmont and coastal plain: Those are but three of your options this weekend in North Carolina.

Coast

What better place to spend a muggy, 90-degree day than on a river? And not just an hour or two of the day, but at least half of it.

That’s the plan at Lumber River State Park Saturday as they celebrate Lumber River Day with: “Canoe rides, canoe races, display booths, exhibits, fancy dancers, ol’ timey tractor parade, display of historic tractors, dulcimer lessons, blue grass music, Native American dancing and drumming, local artists at work, horseshoes, kids wet t-shirt races, kids fishing contest, casting contest, face painting, free prizes, giveaways, and more.” More?

Logistics: Saturday, July 20, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. More info: 910.628.4564 or here.

Saturday forecast: High of 90, 40 percent chance of afternoon rain.

Piedmont

Most park-sponsored, guided canoe trips are short. An hour, maybe two and that’s it. Saturday, though, is a different story on the Mayo River. They’ll be putting in at 10 a.m. and taking out sometime around 4 p.m. — six hours on a river you may not have paddled. Advises the sponsoring Mayo River State Park: prepare to wade, prepare to get wet.

Logistics: Saturday, July 20, 10 a.m. Free, all equipment provided. More info by calling 336.427.2530 or going here.

Saturday forecast: High of 88, afternoon chance of thunderstorm.

Mountains

This month’s Cycle to Farm ride in the high country originates in Black Mountain and begins with free locally roasted coffee courtesy Dynamite Coffee. That after three free yoga and stretching. Such a civil way to begin a ride.

Alas, the metric century is sold out but you can still get in on the 15-mile ride that hangs close to Black Mountain. Not a bad thing because that way you’ll get back to that free coffee all the sooner, not to mention the post-ride party featuring a locally sourced and produced meal of pizza, pasta, side dishes and desserts. Live entertainment, too. And, a musette bag full of “various goodies” from local sponsors.

Logistics: Saturday, July 20. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 82, 50 percent chance of rain in the afternoon.

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Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

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The post This weekend: Hot times in NC appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Since 1993 we’ve been setting aside the first Saturday in June to celebrate the nation’s more than 200,000 miles of trail. Throughout the year, our trails give us so much: a place to run, a place to ride, a place to escape to our thoughts. It’s only fitting that we set aside one day to give something back.

According to the American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day Web site, there are currently 23 events scheduled in North Carolina. I’ve include the list by location below; just click on the event and it will take you to the event-specific NTD site where you’ll find the what, the when, the where, the whatever (“whatever” including whatever incentives and enticements may be involved).

Incentives? Enticements?

Sure. For example, if you attend the Carolina Mountain Club’s workday on the MST along the Blue Ridge Parkway, you could win door prizes offered by the Mast General Store and the American Hiking Society. Pitch in at Blue Jay Point County Park and sponsor REI will provide water, snacks and lunch.

You could discover something new on NTD as well — like Carvers Creek State Park.

Carvers Creek State Park?

Carvers Creek State Park, a park-in-the-making near Fayetteville that will be the North Carolina’s 36th state park and eventually include more than 4,000 acres. Help build trail at the park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., then get a sneak peak of the property, not yet open for public exploration, on a ranger-led hike.

Not all NTD events involve rolling up your sleeves and and waking up Sunday with a sore back. In Greensboro, there’s an NTD Festival at Bur-Mil Park that includes geocaching, hikes, kayak demonstrations, bike clinics and rides, a vendor fair, live music, and a 5k trail run. In Lexington, you can hike or paddle Abbotts Creek and get an education in water quality. And in Black Mountain, you can explore this very cool town on a hike of their greenways.

Get out your calendar and make a date with a beloved trail for this Saturday, June 4. As an added perk: you needn’t bring flowers for this date. They’re already there.

Know of an National Trails Day event not on our list? Fill us in and we’ll add it to the list.

Mountains

Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Invasive Plant Removal
Robbinsville

Black Mountain Greenways Commission
Greenway Walk
Black Mountain

Carolina Mountain Club
MST Trail Building Work Day
Asheville

Carolina Mountain Club
MST Trail Construction
Waynesville

Friends of Panthertown, Inc.
Panthertown Valley Hike with Friends of Panthertown
Cashiers

Grandfather Mountain State Park
Grandfather Mountain State Park
Banner Elk

Jackson County Recreation/Parks Department
Breakfast at Pinnacle
Sylva

Montreat Conference Center
Trail Work
Montreat

The Swag Country Inn
Celebrate National Trails Day at The Swag
Waynesville

Piedmont

Alamance County Recreation and Parks
National Trails Day Hike
Elon

High Rock Outfitters, City of Lexington and Piedmont Triad COG
Finch Park Trails Day
Lexington

Historic Gold Hill and Mines Foundation, Inc.
Gold Hill Rail Trail Hike
Gold Hill

Yadkin River Greenway Council/Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail
Yadkin River Bank and Trails Cleanup
North Wilkesboro

Charlotte

Reedy Creek Nature Center
Reedy Creek Trail Days
Charlotte

Fayetteville

Carvers Creek State Park
Carvers Creek- National Trails Day
Fayetteville

Triad

City of Greensboro
National Trails Day Festival
Greensboro

Triangle

Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department
Grand Opening Morgan Creek Trail
Chapel Hill

FMST – Falls Lake
Falls Lake MST Workday
Raleigh

Friends of The Mountains To Sea Trail, Eno River Section
Eno River State Park Trail Construction and Maintenance
Durham

Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve
NTD Volunteer Workday
Cary

REI-Raleigh
Blue Jay Point County Park Trail Re-Route
Raleigh

Triangle Greenways Council
Walnut Creek Greenway Hike
Raleigh

Coast

Friends of Mackay Island, Inc.
Name the Eagle
Knotts Island, NC

The post Show a trail you care this National Trails Day appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Since we published that list we’ve heard from an additional 14 municipalities with greenways, from Whiteville’s four greenways totaling a mile in length to Rocky Mount’s 7-mile system to Pinehurst’s 11-mile. Not only we’re we pleasantly surprised that so many municipalities in North Carolina have greenways, but that so many have plans to expand. And not just the Raleigh’s, the Cary’s and the Charlotte’s. Havelock, for instance, will soon add more than 4 miles to its 1-mile system, Albemarle is working on a 3-mile rails-to-trails greenway that will connect its Rock Creek Park and Montgomery Park to downtown, and Sanford, currently with 2 miles, intends to build a 20-mile greenway that will run out to and along the Deep River.

In North Carolina, greenways are alive and growing.

As I’ve mentioned, we’re revamping GetGoingNC.com to include the most comprehensive greenway coverage in the state. Expect some news on that front by the end of May. Until then, the following list should help you track down any greenway in North Carolina. Keep it in mind as you travel the state. Find yourself in Jacksonville on business and in need of a run? Check out the 5.5-mile Jacksonville-Camp LeJeune Rails-to-Trails greenway. On your annual summer vacation to the Outer Banks and looking for a break from the beach? Take a bike ride on Manteo’s 8.8-mile greenway. And if you’re traveling any distance with kids, knowing where there’s a nearby greenway where they can stretch their legs (and burn some energy) can be invaluable.

Click on town names for details on their greenways.

* Indicates new listing from last week’s list.

Photo top: Raleigh’s Rocky Branch Greenway goes through the middle of the N.C. State campus. Here, it swings by the new softball field and State’s track.

Statewide

North Carolina Rail-Trails Includes a rundown of 28 rails-to-trails projects throughout the state as well as projects in development.

Coast

* Burgaw approximately 2.1 mile trail and greenway.

Greenville 3.3-mile greenway.

Jacksonville 5.5-mile Jacksonville-Camp LeJeune Rails-to-Trails greenway.

* Havelock 1.02-mile Greenway at the Recreation Complex off NC 101. Will be establishing a 4-plus mile Greenway on McCotter Canal soon.

Manteo 8.8-mile greenway.

* Whiteville Four greenways that connect and measure about 1 mile.

Piedmont

Triangle

Apex Three greenways, 6 miles.

Chapel Hill Six main greenways/trails.

Carrboro Includes 1-mile Libba Cotten rails-with-trails project.

Cary 47 miles of greenway.

Durham Eight greenways, including about half of the 22-mile American Tobacco Trail.

Morrisville One greenway.

Raleigh 68 miles of greenway with more under construction.

Smithfield 3-mile Buffalo Creek Greenway runs along the Neuse River.

Wake Forest About 8 miles of greenway in 9 sections.

Triad

Greensboro 32 miles of paved greenway.

Guilford County Overseeing the nearly complete 15-mile Bicentennial Greenway bridging High Point and Greensboro.

Winston-Salem 16 miles of greenway

High Point 9 miles of greenway

Wilkesboro 7.4-mile (and growing) Yadkin River Greenway.

Charlotte area

Mecklenburg County 35 miles of developed greenway

Carolina Thread Trail New effort to link greenways in 15 counties in the Charlotte area.

Gastonia One 2.7-mile greenway, one 1.7-mile rails-to-trails project

Kings Mountain 2.3-mile greenway

Concord 4-mile downtown loop.

Kannapolis 2-mile greenway.

Piedmont / elsewhere

* Albemarle Currently developing a 3-mile section of abandoned rail line into a greenway that will connect Rock Creek Park and Montgomery Park to downtown and to each other. About 1 mile is done, with grant funding being sought for development of the remainder.

* Archdale Approximately 3 miles of greenway trails in Archdale which begin in Creekside Park.

* Mount Airy 4.4 miles of greenway (2.2  miles on the Emily B. Taylor Greenway and 2.2 miles on the Ararat River Greenway). Ararat River Greenway also has water access. Three of four city Schools are connected to greenways.

* Pinehurst 6 miles of greenway, built since 2004.

* Rocky Mount About 7 miles of greenway. The longest: 3.1 miles of greenway trail along the Tar River.

* Sanford Two miles of greenway with the recent completion of a 1.4-mile section. Greenway eventually will reach to the Endor Iron Furnace on the Deep River. Long range plan: a 20-plus-mile loop from Sanford to and along the Deep River.

* Southern Pines Eleven miles with two more to be built.

* Statesville More than six miles of greenway with another 2.5 now being paved.

Mountains

Asheville 4.3-mile greenway with plans for 15-mile system with 12 interconnected corridors

Black Mountain More than a mile of greenway, with plans for three more greenways.

* Boiling Springs (Cleveland County) Fifteen to 20 miles of trail for equestrians, mountain bikers and hikers along with being the beginning of an awesome blue way. We are celebrating our 16th birthday this year.

Brevard 5-mile paved greenway links Brevard with Davidson River area.

* Fletcher 3.1 miles of greenway (mix of wood chip, pebble stone and concrete) in Fletcher Community Park running along Cane Creek and Hoopers Creek.

Franklin 4-mile, mostly paved, Little Tennessee River Greenway

* Lenoir Greenway runs 4.76 miles over approximately 25 acres

Morganton 3.8-mile Catawba River Greenway, with connecting .6-mile Freedom Trail.

The post Finding more greenways in North Carolina appeared first on GetGoing NC!.