Tag Archives: Elk Knob State Park

This weekend: Shoot for the shooting stars

photo courtesy the-shooting-star.com

No matter where you are, head out Friday night and take in the Geminid meteor shower at its peak. And during the light of day you’ll find lessons to be learned about snow.

Coast

The Geminid meteor shower is expected to peak Friday evening — and you can have a prime seat at the Dismal Swamp State Park in South Mills. If the conditions are prime, you should be able to see 50 to 100 meteors per hour! This park program starts at 7 p.m. read more

This weekend: Welcome, October!

A mighty longleaf pine, at Weymouth Woods. (Photo courtesy NC Parks)

A mellow downtown bike ride at the coast, an audience with a survivor from the days of Mary Queen of Scots and hankie hike up in the hollow. An interesting weekend of choices in North Carolina.

Coast

We love a good organized bike ride. And we have a special fondness for those that don’t cater to the hardcore cyclist capable of riding 100 miles. Or 63. Or even 25. We like the short, leisurely rides that just about anyone could do — even someone without a bike. read more

This weekend: A proper September sendoff

The Scuppernong. Photo courtesy Mike Dunn

Say goodbye to September with a coastal paddle, a Piedmont adventure race, or a day in the mountains with your heads, thoughtfully, in the clouds.

Coast

Perhaps we’ve mentioned this a time or three before; if so, forgive us. But one of our favorite paddles in the state is on the Scuppernong River upstream from Columbia. Wide and open as the river is at Columbia, shortly before giving it up to Bull Bay and the Albemarle Sound, the river just upstream, where it becomes part of Pettigrew State Park, is close and intimate. Perfect for a fall canoe trip. read more

This weekend: GetHiking! with us

You could practically hear the wolves start to howl as the sun sets over Lake Waccamaw — if there were wolves at the lake.

Start your weekend Friday evening with a Friday the 13th evening wander around Lake Waccamaw, then spend what promises to be a glorious Saturday high in the mountains at the Elk Knob Headwaters Community Day, or join us in Raleigh at Umstead State Park and get hiking — with our new GetHiking! Triangle program. read more

This weekend: Paddle, hike, RunRunRunRunRun

Lake Waccamaw (photo courtesy N.C. State Parks)

The second weekend of summer is perfect for paddling a Carolina Bay, for a taking a high-country hike and for running five races in one.

Coast

Summer is ideal for paddling. But it you don’t have your own canoe or kayak, a leisurely day on the water takes on potential hassles. First, you have to find a place to rent a boat (which we’ve made easy with this handy list). Then you have to get the boat to decent place to paddle (again, we’ve got help with that). And you have to watch the clock to make sure you get the boat back on time (sorry, no help there). read more