Coast

We may sound like a broken record, but one of the best adventure bargains going is canoeing at Merchants Millpond State Park. For just $5 an hour (and $3 for every hour thereafter), you can take out a canoe and explore this rambling, 760-acre millpond pocked with bald cypress, tupelo gum and the the assorted mysteries of a southern swamp.

It’s made even better Sunday afternoon when a park ranger leads Canoe 101. No paddling experience? No problem: the ranger will start you off with the basic strokes, then lead you on a paddle tour of this intriguing ecosystem. Best of all: there’s no fee. There are a limited number of boats available, though; sign-up ASAP to insure a spot (see below).

Logistics: Sunday, May 24, 2:30 p.m., Merchants Millpond State Park, Gatesville. Free, but space is limited; reserve a spot by calling 252.357.1191.

Sunday forecast: High of 82, mostly sunny.

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Looking ahead: Historical Southport Bicycle Tour, Saturday, May 30, 9 a.m. $20/$25. More info here.

Piedmont

What to do on a sunny Sunday morning on a cusp-of-summer day when the daytime high will only reach the low ‘80s?

Take advantage of one of the last days amenable to hiking in the Piedmont before fall. Which is the plan for our GetHiking! Triangle crew as it takes on a 10-mile stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along the Eno River. The group will start at West Point on the Eno City Park in Durham, hike upstream through rocky passages, past signs of Durham’s past, around the inviting Eno Quarry and through a thicket of mountain laurel atop a bluff en route to the Pleasant Green Access.

Logistics: Sunday, May 24, 9:30 a.m., meet at the Pleasant Green Access to Eno River State Park. For more information and to sign up, visit GetHiking! Triangle.

Sunday forecast: Mostly sunny, high of 82.

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Looking ahead: Volksmarch from the N.C. Museum of Art to Umstead State Park, 6.2 miles, Saturday, June 6, 2 p.m. More info here.

Mountains

As Karen Chavez with the Asheville Citizen-Times puts it, this weekend’s 15th Annual Mountain Sports Festival “celebrates all-things outdoor-recreation” Friday through Sunday. Based in Asheville’s Carrier Park in the River Arts District, the MSF truly covers just about every active mountain activity you can imagine, from whitewater kayaking and cyclocross to Ultimate Frisbee, Inline Hockey and knot-tying. If you want to experience it, you can experience it here.

Check out Karen’s account of the event here. Then, check out the Mountain Sports Festival site below for more detailed information.

Logistics: Friday-Sunday, Carrier Park in Asheville. For details, consult the Mountain Sports Festival website.

Three-day forecast: Highs in the mid 70s to low 80s, mostly sunny.

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Looking ahead: Blue Ridge Bicycle Club’s Fletcher Flyer, June 7, 8 a.m., Oskar Blues Brewery, 342 Mountain Industrial Drive, Brevard. Full century, metric century, half century, and half metric rides; post-ride party. $45 until May 24, $55 after.

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

The post This weekend: Make it a memorable one appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

This weekend offers a reprieve from the recent run of summerlike weather. With highs no higher than 75 forecast statewide, the weather should be good for just about any pursuit, from birding at the coast, to hiking in the Piedmont to ride in the mountains.

Coast

We find the outdoor experience is enhanced when we know a little more about the outdoors we’re exploring. When we’re exploring the coast, which is especially rich in flora and fauna, that can be a real challenge.

That’s why we’re recommending Sunday’s Birding on the White Oak River. Actually, becoming more creek-smart is just one reason we suggest this event. Also: 1) it’s on the White Oak River and Bogue Sound, which goes from intimate to expansive in a short distance, enhancing its intrigue; 2) it benefits a worthy organization, the N.C. Coastal Federation, which does a great job protecting our coastal resources; and, 3) it’s led by local birding expert Joanne Powell. The trip is on a covered ferry.

Logistics: Sunday, May 18, 10 a.m., Swansboro. $20. More info at 252.393.8185 or here.

Sunday forecast: High of 74, mostly sunny skies.

Piedmont

The Piedmont hiking season will soon draw to a close: somehow, warm, muggy summer weather fails to inspire a soul to hike a cobweb-crossed trail.

But this weekend, the weatherpeople have given us a reprieve: a cold front arriving shortly will drop weekend temperatures into the mid-70s under sunny skies — perfect weather, in our opinion, for a hike. A long hike. Which is what GetHiking! Triangle has planned for Sunday: as part of its ongoing celebration of Mountains-to-Sea Trail Month, the group will hike a 15-mile stretch of the MST along Falls Lake, from NC 50 west to Santee Road. (Shorter options of 7 and 11 miles are available).

Added attraction: Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail Executive Director Kate Dixon joins the group to answer any question you may have about the MST and its march to become an 1,150-mile statewide trail, linking Clingman’s Dome on the Tennessee line with Jockey’s Ridge at the coast.

Logistics: Sunday, May 18, 7 a.m., Santee Road Access. For more information and to register, visit GetHiking! Triangle.

Sunday forecast: High of 75, mostly sunny skies.

Mountains

Mountain rides can be intimidating, in part because most are centuries that offer, as an “easy” option, a metric century. Sixty-two miles in the take-no-prisoners Appalachians may be easier than 100, but still a heck of a challenge, especially for those of us residing in the more casually undulating terrain of the Piedmont and coastal plain.

That’s one reason we recommend Saturday’s Joyride out of Carrier Park in Asheville. Yes, it’s got a monster 77-mile route and a slightly less monstrous 50-mile version. But for those of us yet to get our climbing legs under us, it also has a civil 25-mile option. (There’s also a much shorter Fun Ride for kids.)

The other reason we recommend it is the cause it supports. For that, we refer you to Karen Chavez, outdoors editor of the Asheville Citizen-Times, who covered the ride in yesterday’s paper. Read Karen’s story here.

Logistics: Saturday, May 17,  1 p.m., Carrier Park, Asheville. $5.15 for the Fun Ride, $51.50 for the longer rides (Karen’s story explains the curious pricing structure). More info: rdudasik@ymcawnc.org, 828.210.9607 or 828.210.9622, or go here.

Saturday forecast: High of 61, 40 percent chance of rain.

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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: Great weather, great times appeared first on GetGoing NC!.