Before our GetBackpacking! trip last weekend on the 22-mile Neusiok Trail, we had a little hygiene talk: Share a little less on this hike, I advised. Handle your own water, resist the urge to sample a fellow hiker’s Cherry Cocoa Nib dehydrated breakfast. But I also said we would be spending the weekend in one of the safest places around: the wide-open spaces of the outdoors: few people, lots of room to breath in peace. Our typically worry-free playground seemed even more so in these uncertain times.

We seek solace and escape on the trail, and we seek it more than ever now. So take advantage of this relatively safe environment and be sure to get out this weekend. Some thoughts on how and where you can make that happen.

A quick note: If you elect to attend one of these events, double check beforehand to make sure it’s still a go. Word reached us late Thursday that the Triangle Land Conservancy has canceled its March in-person events. Other entities may follow.

Supplejack Spring Hike, Saturday, 11 a.m., Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills. Another thing I mentioned before our hike in the coastal Croatan National Forest: time’s running out to explore, on foot, at the coast. The temperature warms much more and you’ll be dealing with the pests, slithering and blood-sucking, that make a coastal outing less appealing. Thus, our recommendation for Saturday’s 2-mile hike on the Supplejack Trail, which winds through the dense vegetation common to a coastal woods. Degree of difficulty: easy. Learn more here.

Spring Hike: Naturally Wonderful Waterfalls, Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Stone Mountain State Park, Roaring Gap. When we head to the high country, we typically have two objectives: mountaintop views and waterfalls. The latter is the focus of this 1.2-mile hike to the top of Stone Mountain Falls, a 200-foot cascade with great access thanks to a wood staircase with several observation decks. You can achieve the second objective — views — after the hike by hiking a mile to the exposed summit of Stone Mountain. Learn more and sign up here.

Eno River Association Spring Series: Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve, Sunday, 2 p.m., Durham. Penny’s Bend boasts a bonanza of spring wildflowers, from Dutchman’s Breeches to Painted Buckeye, making this the spring wildflower hike of the season. This hike is mostly off trail, includes difficult terrain, and will last about three hours. 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

Today’s video is from our weekend GetBackpacking! trip on the Neusiok Trail. Learn more about our upcoming backpacking programs here, more about the Neusiok Trail 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!.

We’re finally in full leaf-out and had our first taste of summertime temperatures. Some thoughts on how you can get out and enjoy.

16th Annual Paddle for the Border, Saturday, 8 a.m., Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills. Picture one of those races where they release hundreds of tiny rubber ducks into a stream. Now, instead of tiny ducks, picture hundreds of paddlers. Crazy, no? That’s the craziness you’ll find this weekend as hundreds of paddlers make their way from the park up the Dismal Swamp Canal to the Virginia border. About a 7.5-mile paddle. Check it out here.

Canoe the Mayo, Saturday, 10 a.m., Mayo River State Park, Mayodan. Now picture 11 paddlers on the water and you’ll get an accurate picture of the more intimate paddle planned on the Mayo River.  Canoes, pfd, paddles are provided; it’s free, but participation is limited. Call 336.427.2530 to register. Learn more here.

Wildflower Hike, Sunday, 1 p.m., Elk Knob State Park, Todd. Figured you’d missed the best of the spring wildflower display? Then you didn’t figure on the mile-high Wildflower Hike on the Beech Tree Trail at Elk Knob. Learn more here.

GetHiking! this weekend

What are we up to this weekend? Lots!

Live the video

This week’s video was shot on a stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake, on what the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail refer to as Day-Hike Sections Q, R and S. It’s a nicely wooded 7.6-mile stretch that isn’t as physically challenging as some of the rest of the  MST along Falls Lake. Discover how you can discover the trail by going here.

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The weekend forecast calls for a little rain — but not of biblical proportions. With temperatures in the low 80s and upper 70s under mostly sunny skies, the weekend couldn’t be much different than last. So get out and enjoy.

First, though, before heading out on your own, keep in mind that some of our favorite outdoor playgrounds remain closed by Hurricane Florence. Check this post from earlier in the week  about checking ahead to see what is, and isn’t, open. For instance, most North Carolina State Parks from Jordan Lake southeast to the coast remain closed (with the exception of Fort Fisher State Recreation Area).

Now, a recommendation or three:

Fall Hike, Lake Norman State Park, Troutman, Saturday, 12:30 p.m. Did we mention it’s that Saturday is the first day of fall? What better way to enjoy the debut of autumn than with a hike along the shoreline of Norwood and Hicks creeks in search of the first signs of fall color. More info here.

Fall Wagon Ride, Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills, Sunday, 11 a.m. On the second day of fall, take a ride on an open air wagon down Canal Road and “See the park’s liquor still [presumably retired] and lighter boat replicas … .” Then stick around and hike or bike on the park’s 16.7-mile trail network. More info here.

Hike at Crowders Mountain: Kings Pinnacle Loop, Crowders Mountain State Park, Kings Mountain, Sunday, 8 a.m. Our GetHiking! Charlotte group gets an early start on a 6-mile hike exploring Kings Pinnacle. More info here.

Plus, you can also find more adventures right here, at GetGoingNC.com.

For information on the locations featured in this week’s GetOut! video, check out the sites for Eno River State Park and Umstead State Park.

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There’s swimming, of course. At your local pool (search for local parks and rec departments with pools at the North Carolina Recreation & Parks Association Web site), at a trusted swimming hole (find 76 in North Carolina at SwimmingHoles.org), at the coast (find Outer Banks beaches here, Wilmington area beaches here and assorted other beaches here.

There’s paddling. If you have a canoe or kayak, check out our list below of 21 state parks that have canoe/kayak access. If you don’t have your own boat, there’s always our trusty list of 35 Places Where You Can Rent a Canoe or Kayak in the state. If you’re up for a guided trip — from a quiet journey through a black water swamp to a rollicking romp down Class II, III and IV water, check out this list of outfitters statewide.

Or maybe you’re just looking for an excuse to go wading. Saturday, get your feet wet in the cool waters of the New River during and Aquatic Sampling program at 1 p.m. (336.982.2587 for details on this trip, which meets at the Wagoner Access Area), while Sunday at 2 p.m. at Stone Mountain State Park there’s Aquatic Wild, a chance to poke about the East Prong of the Roaring River for wet wildlife.

Whichever wet option you chose, don’t forget the sunscreen, a hat, protective clothing, bug spray, perhaps a snack or two. And fun, don’t forget to have fun.

Enjoy!

* * *

State Parks where you can float your boat

Piedmont

Eno River State Park – Canoe access, river fishing.
Falls Lake State Recreation Area – 10 boat ramps, privately operated marina nearby.
Hanging Rock State Park – Lake swimming and fishing, rowboat and canoe rentals; boat access to nearby river.
Jordan Lake State Recreation Area – Lake fishing and swimming, 32 boat ramps, privately operated marina nearby.
Kerr Lake State Recreation Area – Lake fishing, accessible fishing pier, 14 boat ramps, two privately operated marinas nearby.
Lake Norman State Park – Boat ramp, lake fishing. Rowboat, canoe and pedal boat rentals, swimming and fishing on 33-acre lake inside park.
Lumber River State Park – Central State natural and scenic 115-mile black-water river, 81 miles also designated national wild and scenic waters. Five canoe-in campsites, boat access.
Morrow Mountain State Park – Pool, boat ramp, lake fishing, canoe and rowboat rentals.
Pilot Mountain State Park – Two canoe-in campsites; river fishing, canoe access.
Coast/Coastal Plain

Carolina Beach State Park – Marina with concession area; river fishing from accessible dock. Boat ramps to river; intracoastal waterway and ocean minutes away.
Hammocks Beach State Park – Accessible only by boat: park operates a seasonal passenger ferry and there’s a canoe paddle trail.
Jockey’s Ridge State Park – Swimming, fishing, kayaking and sailboarding in Roanoke Sound.
Dismal Swamp State Park – Rent kayak and take a trip on the Dismal Swamp Canal.
Goose Creek State Park – Canoe access and trail, boat ramp, river fishing and swimming.
Jones Lake State Park – Lake swimming, fishing, canoe and pedal boat rentals. Access for boats with 10-horsepower motors and below.
Merchants Millpond State Park – Seven canoe-in campsites and three canoe-in group campsites. Lake fishing, canoe access, canoe trails, canoe rentals.
Medoc Mountain State Park – Canoe access, creek fishing.
Pettigrew State Park – Fishing pier, boat ramp.
Singletary Lake State Park – Lake fishing and swimming, canoe rentals.

Mountains

Lake James State Park – Two boat ramp areas, canoe rentals, lake fishing and swimming..
New River State Park – National Wild and Scenic River, more than 30 canoe-in tent campsites, canoe access, river fishing.

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Monday — never an easy time for the outdoors enthusiast, especially come summer. After a weekend of adventure, returning to the humdrum work-a-day world can make one melancholy.
To help ease this trying transition from out-in-the-Sun-day to Mon-I-wish-I-were-back-in-the-sun-day, we’re running a new feature every Monday, at least during the summer, called 90-Second Escape. Essentially, it’s a 90-second mini-movie of a place you’d probably rather be: a trail, a park, a greenway, a lake … anywhere as long as it’s out in the sun. Because there’s a good chance you might want to make such an escape yourself, we’ll include a resource list with each escape showing where and how to make it happen.

Today’s 90-Second Escape: Paddling Umstead State Park’s Big Lake.

As escapes go, this is about the cheapest 60 minutes you’ll find: At Umstead State Park’ Big Lake, $5 buys you an hour’s escape on the park’s somewhat whimsically named Big Lake. Whimsical because, at 55 acres, Big Lake is hardly that (nearby Lake Crabtree, for instance, is 520 acres, while Falls Lake  is 12,410 acres and Jordan Lake is 13,900 acres). But it does offer surprisingly big escape, especially considering it’s in one of North Carolina’s most popular state parks and borders busy Raleigh Durham International Airport.

The boat house is only open weekends and only from the first weekend of April through the second weekend of October. Rental hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

And if you can’t make it to Umstead, chances are you can get a similar deal on an escape at at state park near you: Eight parks in the North Carolina system rent boats: Cliffs of the Neuse, Dismal Swamp, Hammocks Beach, Hanging Rock, Jones Lake, Lake James, Lake Norman and Morrow Mountain, while Hammocks Beach rents through an outside organization.

In the meantime, enjoy this week’s 90-Second Escape.

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