We’ve got another gift-of-fall weekend coming up. There might be some rain Sunday, but at this point Saturday looks ideal, with lots of sun and temperatures in the upper 50s to upper 60s. So many ways to take advantage of weather like this, weather that won’t be around a lot longer. And as today’s video shows, there’s finally good color moving into the Piedmont.

Some thoughts on your weekend adventure plans:

Friends Hike: Rumbling Bald Ridge, Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Chimney Rock State Park, Chimney Rock. Several reasons to love this hike: 1. Fall color will be in full swing, and the conditions have been good in the Hickory Nut Gorge area to make this year’s show especially vibrant; 2. This is a section of the park you likely haven’t explored: from Rumbling Bald to Party Rock; 3. If you’re wondering why seven hours are allotted for a 3.8-mile hike, well, you’ll just need to sign up to learn the answer. And you will have to sign up, because space is limited: 828.625.1823. Learn more about the hike here.

7th Annual Dismal Day, Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills. “Dismal Day” — just the name makes you want to show up to see what it could possibly be about. What it’s about, as a spoiler, is music, arts, crafts, games, and a 5K. A Dismal t-shirt to commemorate your hopefully not-so-dismal day in the swamp. Learn more here.

Fall Color Hike, Sunday, 2 p.m., Pilot Mountain State Park, Pinnacle. For just as the Saura Indians once stood watch atop mighty Jomeokee for the first sight of intruders, a park ranger will conduct a summit sentry in search of the first signs of fall color encroaching from the west. Vigilance! Learn more here.

GetHiking! this weekend

What are our GetHiking! groups in North Carolina and Virginia up to this weekend? Plenty, thanks for asking … .

Live the video

James M. Johnston Nature Preserve … . Not ringing a bell? How about the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail? A slight tinkle, maybe? The two are attached and make for about 3 miles of unique hiking on the east side of Hillsborough. The Occoneechee Speedway Trail is actually a 1-mile dirt oval that, a half century ago, hosted NASCAR races. Today, nature has reclaimed much of the track, but the bleachers and some outbuildings remain. Next door is the James M. Johnston Nature Preserve, through which a mile-long stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail passes. It’s a surprisingly rugged stretch as well, with a good hill climb, lots of rock outcrop and some deep coves. A worthy weekend destination that you can learn more about here.

More weekend options

Looking for more options for weekend adventure? Check out our GetOut! Find An Adventure resource page here.

The post GetOut! Your Friday Nudge for Weekend Adventure appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

My senior year in high school I went to a new school. In football, we went 0-9, in basketball, 0-18. I always wondered how our cheerleaders could muster the enthusiasm, the optimism, to encourage us to push on. 

I find myself in a similar situation, facing a rainy weekend, wondering how to encourage y’all to put on a happy face and head out the door for a weekend of adventure. So … well, grab your rain gear and let’s head out! Some options …

• Discovery Hike, Saturday, 10 a.m., Jones Lake State Park, Elizabethtown. We love the loop hike around Jones Lake because it’s so diverse. Start at the lake, a Carolina bay whose shallow, tanic waters resemble sweet tea, continue through a pine savannah, then round the far end of the lake and enter a dense, coastal forest. Your ranger guide describes what’s going on. Learn more and sign up here. 
• Spring Hike, Saturday, 11 a.m., Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills. If your chances of finding spring anywhere this early in this rainy end of winter, it’s at Dismal Swamp, about as coastal as it gets in North Carolina’s state park system. A little spring, a few stills (retired) — sounds like a hike to us! Learn more and sign up here.
• Amateur Photography Hike, Sunday, 2 p.m., Carvers Creek State Park. Wish your photos even remotely resembled what you see in the wild? This class won’t solve all your problems, but it should help you figure out what to look for in your shots and how to frame them. Learn more and sign up here.

As always, you can find more opportunities this weekend here:

• North Carolina State Parks have a variety of adventures planned for the weekend. Check those options here.
• North Carolina Environmental Education Centers has an extensive calendar of what’s happening at its affiliates; check it out here.
• You can also find more adventures right here, at GetGoingNC.com

GetHiking! this weekend

What are we up to this weekend? 

• GetBackpacking! Intro to Backpacking. For starters, we’ll be graduating a class of backpackers at South Mountains State Park through our GetBackpacking! Intro to Backpacking program. While it’s too late to matriculate with this group, we have another class starting April 13. Learn more about that class and sign up here. 
• GetHiking! Winter Wild Off-Trail Adventure to the Birkhead Mountain Wilderness. This trip is full, but there’s still time to get in on our next Winter Wild adventure, at Raven Rock State Park. Learn more about that March 16 trip and sign up here.

Live the video

Indeed, this week’s video was shot last weekend, just as the sun was poking out after that week’s long run of rain. Maybe there’s hope for this weekend. If so, we highly recommend exploring the Horton Grove Nature Preserve, a Triangle Land Conservancy property in northern Durham County. Learn more here.

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Rainy today, partly sunny tomorrow: Isn’t that how the adage goes? Or something along those lines? If not, well, so be it. That’s the forecast we’re dealing with, and it’s a pretty darn good one: clouds and rain move out overnight Friday, partly sunny skies and temps in the low 60s move in — perfect weather for a weekend of exploring60Some options:

• State Park Days at the Coast, Saturday, daylong, Dismal Swamp, Jones Lake, and Merchants Millpond state parks. The last weekend in October appears to be the time to celebrate our coastal state parks, for three of them are having their Days: Dismal Swamp State Park (including a 5K as part of Dismal Day) from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Jones Lake State Park (with Friends of the Bay Lakes Fall Festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Merchants Millpond State Park (with Millpond Day) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Click the links for details.
• State Park Day into Dusk Hikes, Saturday, Carvers Creek and Cliffs of Neuse state parks. Here’s another apparent State Park theme: hikes at dusk. At Carvers Creek near Fayetteville a 3-Mile History Hike leaves at 6 p.m., in the waning light of day, to explore the park’s historic farm buildings and wide-open coastal plain terrain. At 6:30 at Cliffs of Neuse State Park near Seven Springs, they’re waiting ’til after sunset to embark on their Ghost Hike.
• Fall Foliage Hike, Sunday, 2 p.m., Hanging Rock State Park, Danbury. Fall color makes its way to Hanging Rock. Check it out on a 1-mile hike around the lake.

More options

You can find more opportunities this weekend here:

• North Carolina State Parks have a variety of adventures planned for the weekend. Check those options here.
• North Carolina Environmental Education Centers has an extensive calendar of what’s happening at its affiliates; check it out here.
• You can also find more adventures right here, at GetGoingNC.com.

Interested in the stars of today’s 49-second feature attraction? Learn more about them below:

• Umstead State Park
• Falls Lake State Recreation Area
• Duke Forest (Note: The section in the video is in the Korstian Division, accessed via Gates 24 and 25. And if you plan to explore Duke Forest, we highly recommend getting the $8 Trail Map.)

The post GetOut! Your Nudge for Weekend Adventure appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Yeah, it’s still hot. But over the past couple of weeks we’ve had delightful dalliances with low humidity. Low meaning less than 50 percent, but low enough to put a little bounce in your step. This weekend, we hope to help you get the most of that bounce with a suggestion or two on what you can do.

Night Hike Adventure, Saturday, 8:30 p.m. Mount Jefferson State Natural Area, West Jefferson. Hike at night: that’s something you typically can’t do (legally, at least) in a state park. Saturday is the exception, when a ranger takes you on a tour of the trails atop Mount Jefferson. Sans clouds you’ll see the day’s fading light on some of the Southeast’s most notable peaks. Bring a flashlight for the times you’ll be hiking and not gawking. More into and register here.

Canoe the Mayo, Saturday, 10 a.m. Mayo River State Park, Mayodan. Paddling a river can be a bit of a production even if you have a boat, costly if you don’t. Just one reason we like this periodic paddle trip at Mayo River State Park. The Mayo is a fairly intimate river that’ll you get to spend 4 to 5 hours on (depending upon water levels). Free, put you will need to make your own arrangements to get back to your car at the put-in. More info and register here.

Bike to the Burn, Sunday, 9:30 a.m. Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills. Notice this this is called Bike to the Burn, not Bike ’til you Burn, the key distinction is this won’t be like that spin class you tried at the gym a couple years back. Rather, you’ll pedal with Ranger Joe out to the site of the swamp’s last wildfire (a wildfire in a swamp — that alone is incentive to attend). About 17 miles total, with no one screaming at you to climb out of the saddle and PUSH! No bike, no problem; you can borrow one. More info and register here.

You can also join our GetHiking! group on a pair of hikes this weekend:

Hike the MST Cheek to Creek, Saturday, 9 a.m., Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake. 5 miles. We hike a section of the MST we haven’t hiked in a while, the 5-mile run from Cheek Road east to just past Little Lick Creek. Not as hilly as much of the MST along Falls Lake, and a tight-wire crossing of Little Lick Creek. An easy to moderate hike, depending upon how much you’ve been hiking. More info and register here.

A Mellow Meander at the Confluence Natural Area, Sunday, 10 a.m., Confluence Natural Area, Hillsborough. Earlier this year, the Eno River Association opened the Confluence Natural Area, a 200-acre preserve at the confluence of the East and West branches of the Eno River in Orange County. We’ll hike two mellow miles and get to know this new preserve. More info and register here.

You can find more opportunities this weekend here:

• North Carolina State Parks have a variety of adventures planned for the weekend. Check those options here.
• North Carolina Environmental Education Centers has an extensive calendar of what’s happening at its affiliates; check it out here.
• You can also find more adventures right here, at GetGoingNC.com.

And learn more about where we spent last weekend, featured in the video, by visiting the web sites for Little River Regional Park and Eno River State Park.

The post GetOut! Your Nudge to get out this weekend appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Another hot, summery weekend is on tap, which means you have two choices for outdoor fun: get wet or go high.

Coast

Not that you need a reason to visit the Great Dismal Swamp, but if you did …

Saturday, join a ranger on an intimate Summer Paddle of the Dismal Swamp Canal at Dismal Swamp State Park north of Elizabeth City. Everything you need — boat, paddle, PFD, basic instruction — is provided. That last part — basic instruction — should be even more incentive for those of you who’ve never paddled.

About the “intimate” part: though the trip is free, it’s limited to eight boats. Pre-register — before it’s too late.

Logistics: Summer Paddle, Saturday, July 8, 10 a.m., Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills. Free, but pre-registration is required because there are only eight boats, by calling 252.771.6593.

Saturday forecast: Mostly sunny and a temperature of 84 at 10 a.m.

* * *

Looking ahead: Too short of notice? This summer paddle will be repeated next Saturday, July 15. More info here.

Piedmont

Too hot for a hike? How about a boat race — using tiny boats you craft out of recycled materials?

First, at Saturday morning’s Build-a-Boat at Eno River State Park, you’ll craft a boat out of recycled materials — bring your own or they’ll have some on hand. Then, you’ll race against other boat builders in the cool waters of the Eno, at Fews Ford.

Logistics: Build-a-Boat, Saturday, July 8, 9 a.m., Eno River State Park (meet at the Piper Cox House at the park’s Fews Ford Access. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, with a 9 a.m. temperature of 79.

* * *

Looking ahead: Can’t make Saturday morning’s Build-a-Boat? The event repeats Saturday, July 29 at noon. More info here.

Mountains

D’ja ever wonder about the weather on top of a mountain? About the highest wind gusts ever recorded? Lowest temperature? Most snow?

Likewise, who hasn’t wondered how they record that information? Saturday is your chance to have these questions answered at Mount Jefferson State Natural Area. Setting out from the picnic area, you’ll make the short clime to MJ’s 4,683-foot summit, home to a North Carolina Climate Office data collection tower, where the mountain will reveal her climatological secrets during the Mount Jefferson’s Climate Tower program.

Logistics: Mount Jefferson’s Climate Tower, Saturday, July 8, 2 p.m., Mount Jefferson State Natural Area, West Jefferson. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Mostly sunny with a high of 76.

* * *

Looking ahead: Can’t make Saturday’s hike, but intrigued all the same by Mount Jefferson? Then consider the Rock Outcrop Hike at the park on Saturday, July 29. More info here.

* * *

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

Coast

The post This weekend: Get wet, go high  appeared first on GetGoing NC!.