Tag Archives: Carolina Beach State Park

This weekend: Cool adventure

Winter is approaching, but the temperatures this weekend will be more autumnal. Perfect, in fact, for getting out and shaking the lethargy of a Thanksgiving feast. Carolina Beach State Park gives you good reason to head for the coast, there’s a rare opportunity to explore a Jordan Lake tributary in the Piedmont, and in the mountains, the trail less traveled could be the one yielding the biggest reward. read more

This weekend: A pre-winter special

Looking Glass Rock, the objective of Sunday's Carolina Mountain Club hike.

It’s not officially winter according to the calendar, but the leaves are gone, the sky crystal and the air crisp (although slightly warmer than normal). The perfect time to enjoy the natural world.

Coast

December marks the beginning — in our book, at least — of the winter season, especially at the coast. The air is brisk, the sky clear, the bugs at bay, all of which makes for great exploring. Hence our recommendation for Saturday’s Biological Wonderland hike at Carolina Beach State Park. A ranger takes you on a hike through the diverse habitats at Carolina Beach and explains what makes them good for the critters who live there. read more

The family that plays together stays in shape together

A family 5K can be enchanting for the kids.

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, sponsored by the American Heart Association and William J. Clinton Foundation and dedicated to battling childhood obesity, has issued eight ways families can get fit together. We list those eight ways below and go one step further, suggesting specific ways you can make this happen NOW! Meaning this week now. read more

It’s a good weekend to plan ahead

Flesh-eating plants at the coast, the perfect three that vanished in the Piedmont, fall color in the mountains. Take your pick.

Coast

Are we recommending this weekend’s back-to-back Carnivorous Plant Hikes just so we can use a picture of Seymour’s carnivorous creation? read more

Weekend plans? Hike to learn, run for fun

Cool weather returns to North Carolina this weekend, making for good hiking at the coast and the mountains, with frightfully fun running in between.

Coast

Mid- to late fall, in my humble opinion the best time to explore the coast. Temperatures have dropped enough that bugs — and snakes! — are less of a problem, yet they haven’t dropped enough to seriously affect the greenery. Lots to see, fewer things to distract you from seeing them. That’s why our pick for the coast this weekend is the Biological Wonderland hike at Carolina Beach State Park. Carolina Beach has a diverse plant community, from its pine savannas to its carnivorous plants. Let an in-the-know park ranger fill you in on this Saturday morning hike that leaves from the nature trail parking lot at 10 a.m. read more