Cannon Day, Monday, July 4, five demonstrations from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fort Macon State Park, Atlantic Beach. What says the 4th more than the firing of one of the biggest fireworks around — a cannon! Learn about the various cannons at this installation that dates back to 1747 and efforts to protect English settlers from Spanish raiders. At the end of each demonstration, they fire a cannon1 (It’s a blank, but still … .) Work in an ocean walk during your visit. More info here. 

Sunset on the Ridge, Monday, July 4, 7 p.m., Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Nags Head. Get bummed every Fourth of July because you have to choose just one fireworks display? That won’t be the case at Jockey’s Ridge, where, from atop a dune, you can catch the shows from Corolla to Ocracoke. Learn more here.

Festival for the Eno, Saturday, July 2, and Monday, July 4, West Point on the Eno city Park, Durham. It’s back! After a pandemic hiatus, this popular fundraiser for the Eno River Association returns with two days of music, food, crafts, paddling and hiking. More info here.

Wildflower Walk, Saturday, July 2, 10:30 a.m., Elk Knob State Park, Todd. Miss the wildflower show this spring in the Piedmont — or just crave more? They’re still popping in the high country, and you can catch it with an informed naturalist/ranger on this morning walk. And since it’s a bit of a drive up Meat Camp Road, we suggest adding a hike, the challenging but oh-so-rewarding 1.9-mile hike to the summit of Elk Knob. The mountaintop view is grand (see photo), but don’t overlook the craftsmanship of the trail on the way up. Learn more here.

Holiday Hike, Sunday, July 3, 2 p.m., Weymouth Woods State Natural Area, Southern Pines. Check out the rare longleaf pine stands on this 1.5-mile hike, then spend time wandering through downtown Southern Pines. Learn more here.

Enjoy your freedom this weekend! GetOut! And explore!

The post GetOut! 5 ways to explore this holiday weekend appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

I ran into an old camping acquaintance Sunday in the Wilson Creek area Sunday and we spent a few minutes updating one another on our travels. Among her recent exploits: a February visit to Roan Mountain.
Roan Mountain in February? I thought. Risky business being above 6,000 feet in the dead of winter. A better time, I thought, would be … right now.
Massive Roan Mountain straddles the North Carolina/Tennessee line, and is popular for many reasons: its vast balds, sweeping views, and endless skies. What it’s best known for outside hiking circles are its expansive rhododendron gardens. These effusive pink blooms have come and gone in other parts of the state, but because of the higher elevation at Roan Mountain, the rhododendron are just now exploding — and just in time for the July 4 holiday weekend now upon us.
There are multiple ways to explore Roan beyond the traditional two-mile drive to the top ($3 entrance fee) and short walk to the actual gardens.
Here are four adventurous ways to celebrate the Fourth in Roan Highlands.

1. Hike to the gardens. Park in the lot atop Carver’s Gap, (elevation 5,500 feet) and hike south on the Appalachian Trail 1.5 miles to Roan High Knob. This is a more intimate, tree-enveloped hike: you won’t experience Roan’s great views on the way up, but you will, cloud-cover permitting, from 6,285-foot Roan High Knob. Between the elevation and the tree cover, this is an especially good hike option on a hot day. 3 miles out-and-back, moderate to strenuous.
2. Hike the balds. Also starting from Carver’s Gap, hike north on the AT. You’ll gain elevation quickly, passing through an isolated spruce-fir stand, then emerge into vast grassy balds offering 360-views of a who’s who of Southeast peaks. Round Bald (5,826 feet: 300-foot vertical gain in three-quarters of a mile) is your first stop, and you’d be justified if you wanted to plop down and spend the day here, marveling. Jane Bald (5,807 feet) beckons, just three-quarters of a mile beyond (a stretch where rhododendrons and flame azalea will be ablaze). Continue on to Grassy Bald (hanging a right turn off the AT) and top out at 6,189 feet. Now, you can kick back and settle in (though keep an eye on the sky; the weather here can change in an instant). 5 miles out-and-back, moderate.
3. Long hump to Hump Mountain. The Roan Highlands is defined as the ridge running from Roan Mountain north to 5,587-foot Hump Mountain, another stellar bald offering panoramic views. This option is for the hiker who wants to put in more mileage: 11 miles total. Start from the modest AT access point off US 19E and hike the AT north, gradually gaining elevation through a mellow draw. About four miles in, the trail gets rocky for a half mile or so, then emerges into open meadow for the climb up Hump Mountain. Return the way you came. 11 miles out-and-back, moderate to strenuous.
4. Short hump to Little Hump. Like the idea of experiencing a less-visited stretch of the Roan Highlands, but not so much the idea of hiking nearly 11 miles? From US 19E in North Carolina take the entertaining and ever-dwindling Roaring Creek Road north for about five miles to the Yellow Mountain Gap Trailhead. From there, it’s a quarter mile up an old dirt road to the AT. Go right (north) on the AT, initially through tight vegetation then emerging into yet another grassy expanse and the climb to 5,460-foot Little Hump Mountain. You’ve hiked about two miles so far (four miles roundtrip), another two gets you to Hump Mountain (eight miles roundtrip). Return the way you came. 4 miles out-and-back, moderate to strenuous.

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If you go: I’ve never had the good timing to be on Roan Mountain at peak rhododendron bloom. If you go, help the rest of us live vicariously and share a photo or two on our Facebook page.

The post Four ways to celebrate the Roan Highlands appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

Looking for incentive to start moving? How about a distraction, in the form of a historic carrot? Saturday, exert your independence from a sedentary lifestyle by signing up for one of two Guided Walking Tours of Wilmington: through the Forest Hills neighborhood (Wilmington’s first car-oriented suburb) and the Streetcar Suburbs of Carolina Place and Carolina Heights, the city’s first two suburbs. Sponsored by the Historic Wilmington Foundation, the tour is one of a series telling the story of Wilmington’s architectural, social and cultural history by examining its architecture. The morning tours last about an hour and a half each.

Logistics: Saturday, July 4, 10 a.m. $5 for Historic Wilmington Foundation members, $10 for nonmembers. For meeting places and to register, call 910.762.2511.

Saturday forecast: High of 90, chance of thunderstorms.

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Planning ahead: Next Saturday is the 33rd Annual Tri-Span 10K and 5K in Wilmington. $30 if you register now, $35 if you dawdle. More info here.

Piedmont

Picture spending the day Saturday white water rafting, climbing, mountain biking, hiking, zip lining — all to the backdrop of live music. Then, without having to go anywhere, enjoy a cold one and fireworks.
Some July Fourth celebration, no?
That’s the plan this weekend at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte. The festivities start at 3:30 p.m. Friday — including live music and fireworks — and resume at 3 p.m. Saturday, again, concluding with a fireworks extravaganza.

Logistics: Friday, July 3, 3:30-10 p.m.; Saturday, July 4, 3-10 p.m. Call 704.391.3900 for pricing, or visit the center’s website.

Friday, Saturday forecast: Highs in the upper 80s, chance of thunderstorms.

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Planning ahead: Saturday, July 11: BioDiversity Hike at Mount Mitchell State Park. True, this isn’t in the Charlotte area, but it originates in Charlotte, at the Reedy Creek Nature Center & Preserve. $12, call 704.432.6460 for information.

Mountains

Planning to spend the Fourth of July weekend in the mountains and got a hankerin’ to run a 5K?
You’re in luck, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times: seven races are slated for Saturday, from the Brevard Rotary Club Firecracker 5K and 10K to the Weaverville Kiwanis Club of North Buncombe’s Firecracker 5K. Freedom to choose a course, baby! That’s what it’s about.

Logistics: For a rundown of July 4 5K options, check out the Asheville Citizen-Times, here.

Saturday mountain forecast: A typical summertime mountain forecast, according to Ray (of Ray’s Weather, for the uninitiated): highs in the low 80s with a chance of thunderstorms.

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Looking ahead: Perhaps you’ve found yourself sitting around lately saying, “Gee, it’s been a while since I’ve done a mud run.” Remedy that situation on Sept. 12 at the Mountaineer Mud Run in Boone. Details here.

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

The post This weekend: Be free (to choose from some great adventures) appeared first on GetGoing NC!.