A new year brings new opportunities to be active: go birding with seasoned birders on the Outer Banks or learn the sport of curling. Or, stick to the tried-and-true with a good ol’ winter mountain hike, courtesy the Carolina Mountain Club.
Coast
We adopt a three-day weekend for the purposes of this week’s recommendations in order to alert you to the weekly bird walks held every Friday at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. Pea Island is home to about 400 species of birds, and now is a good time to catch a good mix of year-round residents and migrants down for the winter from Canada and other points north.read more
A polar bear plunge, a 5K, a hike, a kayak tour, a clinic — all good ways to end 2012 and usher in 2013.
Coast
Looking for a good reason to make one last trip to the coast in 2012? Try the five-day Crystal Coast Countdown, which begins Friday and runs through New Year’s Day (Tuesday). A range of activities are scheduled for North Carolina’s mid-coast area; those of most interest to active types include: Friday, 9 a.m.: Guided Kayak Tour in the Pine Knoll Shores area; Saturday, 8:30 a.m.: Resolution Run (1-mile fun run and 5K) in Beaufort; Tuesday, 10 a.m.: Guided hike at Fort Macon State Park in Atlantic Beach; Tuesday, 1 p.m.: Penguin Plunge, in the Atlantic, from Atlantic Beach.read more
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
There’s lots of outdoor adventure to be goblin’ up this last weekend of October: a spirited run in Wilmington, a haunted night hike at Jordan Lake, a hike into history in the Great Smokies.
Coast
Tis the weekend of the pumpkin run, and while they abound across the state the Trick-or-Treat Trot in downtown Wilmington rises to the top of our list. In large part, that’s because it’s in downtown Wilmington. Run your choice of race — Monster Mile, 5K or 10K — at 9 a.m., then have the rest of the day to kick around Wilmington. Hang downtown, head over to Carolina Beach State Park and do some exploring, hit the beach (the water temperature at Wrightsville Beach as of Tuesday was 71.6).read more
Translation: Sunday will bring us our first true fall hiking of the season. So get done what you need to get done on Saturday and reserve Sunday for a day in the woods.read more
