This summer, though, in deference to the heat, we’re mixing in some paddling trips. Beginner-oriented, on lakes and otherwise still water, one in an area where we hike (the Three-Rivers area of Falls Lake, which abuts Day-Hike Section S of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail), one where we don’t (Saxapahaw Lake). 

The paddle trips make for a nice diversion when the weather gets hot, and it colors our 5 picks for adventure fun on this, the first weekend of summer.

Canoe Hike, Sunday, 6 p.m., Carvers Creek State Park, Spring Lake. This half-mile paddle is through a Cypress swamp, with the benefit of having a ranger guide two-fold. One, you’ll learn about swamp life, and two, if you have no previous paddling experience, you’ll get basic instruction at the start. Canoe, paddle, PFD are provided; you’ll need to bring water, sunscreen, bug spray and appropriate water clothes and shoes. Free, but preregistration is required because of limited space (10); call 910.436.4681. More info here.

Farrington Point Self-Guided Paddle, Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Farrington Point at Jordan Lake, Apex. Maybe you’ve paddled a time or two and feel comfortable on the water. Now, if only you had a boat! Saturday, Frog Hollow Outdoors brings its Traveling Outpost to Farrington Point on Jordan Lake, where from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. you can rent a kayak for $40 and paddle a secluded finger of the popular lake. For more info and to register, go here.

Saxapahaw Mill Race to Union Bridge, noon, Saturday, Haw River Canoe and Kayak, Saxapahaw. When most of us think about whitewater kayaking, we think of being tucked and crammed into the snug cockpit of a teeny, tippy boat. Not the case with this trip from Saxapahaw downstream 5.5 miles on a stretch of the Haw with Class I and II rapids. Not the case because this trip is on sit-on-top kayaks: you flip here and you simply stand up (the water is rarely much more than a couple feet deep), get back on the boat and proceed. Some paddling experience is recommended. $50, includes boat, paddle, pfd and shuttle back to car. More info here.   

Preserve-Park Paddle Trip, Saturday and Sunday (call for times), Dan River, Hammer-Stern Wilderness Preserve/Hanging Rock State Park, Danbury. Up for something a little more adventurous, like paddling a mountain river — but don’t have time to drive to the mountains? You’ll get a similar experience on this trip in the northern Piedmont, on the Dan River, as it makes its way 6.5 miles through the Sauratown Mountains. $50, including boat, paddle, pfd and shuttle. Learn more here, at the Dan River Company.

Tree ID Hike, 11 a.m., Saturday, Eno River State Park, Durham. OK, we need at least one hike, and this being the Year of the Tree in North Carolina State Parks, we’ll make it a Tree ID hike at Eno River State Park, specifically, on the Eno Trace Trail at the Fews Ford Access. Learn more and sign up here.

Some good options for the first weekend of summer. 

GetOut! And enjoy!

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Explore with us!

Like the idea of a hiking/paddling combo come summer? Check out our GetHiking! Summer 2022 Blue Trails hiking package, which includes eight hikes (on Sundays and Tuesday evenings) and two paddle trips. Learn more here.

The post 5 Weekend Adventures (4 with paddles) appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Sunday, we expanded our horizons for safe-distance recreation: we took a paddle trip. 

We’ve been walking, walking, walking our neighborhood for the past little bit (check out our Morning Walk with Joe on Facebook Live every morning at 7:30). But Sunday, the weather was grand — sunny, with temperatures in the mid-80s — and it seemed that time on the water would be restorative. And a safe and responsible way to get out.

It was, and it was.

Some of the most peaceful times I’ve known have been on the water. You’re paddling a lake on a summer’s day, you pull up in a shaded cove, put the paddle down, flop your legs up onto the boat deck, close your eyes. A light breeze, the water gently lapping your bow, that feeling of warmth that flirts with but doesn’t achieve sweaty heat. Your mind drifts in a variety of directions, none of them, in my experience, disturbing. It’s one of nature’s best avenues of escape. 

It was safe and responsible as well. We put in at the Eno River boat access off Red Mill Road in Durham. We love this spot because you can paddle upstream or down. Paddle downstream and shortly you meet the Flat River on your north and the confused beginnings of Falls Lake. Though the lake appears well defined on a map, it’s actually a morass of small islands intertwined with tight passages through choking vegetation giving way to small pocket lakes. Scenic, but remember to take a map and compass (or have Google Maps at the ready).

Upstream is how I usually go. Up the Eno, under Red Mill Road, past a couple of collecting points, to the Little River and it’s journey from the north, to Old Oxford Highway and Penny’s Bend, where progress is typically thwarted by the first of several rock gardens that mark Eno’s transition from backed up flatwater to spritely and mischievous creek. We paddled just past Red Mill Road, hung out in an eddy for a while, then slowly let the current helps us back to the boat ramp. It was just the relief we needed.

The boat ramp, both putting in and taking out, was busy with a mix of paddlers and folks fishing from power boats. It was also one of the most socially distanced places I’ve recreated during the pandemic. People were patient about not overcrowding the boat ramp, either to put in or take out. People were also good not to dillydally at the ramp: do your business, move on. And why lose patience, anyway? We were all just glad to be out in a world familiar to us that hadn’t changed. A world we hope remains open.

Where to, how to

A few quick things if you’re interested in getting out on the water during this time of Social Distancing.

NC Wildlife Resource Commission boat ramps. So far, the only COVID-19-related closures have been to restroom facilities; the boat ramps remain open (unless they’d been closed for unrelated reasons). Find the location of the WRC’s more than 200 boat access points here. You can also find a list of accesses closed for other reasons at this same site.

N.C. State Parks. It takes a little more digging to find out what boat access points remain open. As of Sunday, March 29, 25 state parks had completely closed. Some parks, with boat access, remain open. Merchants Millpond, for instance, still appears to allow access to the 760-acre millpond. You’ll need your own boat, though: the canoe rentals are closed. Jordan Lake in the Triangle area has four boat access areas open: Ebenezer Church, Seaforth, New Hope and Robeson Creek. Check the NC Parks website, here, for the latest.

Municipal and county access. Again, it’s a mixed bag. Parks across the state have been required to close their main facilities: rec centers, restrooms, pools, boat houses. In some cases (Durham, for instance), they’ve also closed boat access points. In others, there’s still access, but with modifications. In High Point, for instance, you can still put in your own boat on Oak Hollow Lake and High Point City Lake, with the launch fee paid over the phone. Again, call to check the status of your local launch before heading out.

Practice socially responsible boating. The folks at paddling.com have come up with their guidelines for safe paddling in the age of Social Distancing. Check ‘em out here. And for more on the benefits of paddling, check out this article from Paddling Magazine.

Need a boat?

Unfortunately, if being on the water sounds good but you don’t have a boat, well, that’s a challenge right now. Usually around this time you start to see boat rentals popping up, at lakes and through outfitters. That’s not happening. Your options for buying a boat are also limited. One option: a big box that sells groceries — and that also sells other stuff, like recreational gear. Your choices will be limited — to one, likely — but it will likely be an entry-level boat. Our friends at Great Outdoor Provision Co. can also help you out. They stock an array of kayaks, from fishing kayaks to sit-on-tops to the kind of recreational kayak you’re likely looking for. Learn more about their recreational kayaks here, their canoes and kayaks in general here. And while they are currently closed, they will have gear available on their online store starting Friday. Look for news on their web site here.

The post Social Distancing on the water appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Look! Up in the Sky! Saturday night, Haw River State Park (8 p.m.) and Pettigrew State Park (8:30 p.m.). If it’s August it must be the Perseid meteor showers. Grab your camp chair or a blanket, sit (or lay) back and watch the best light show around. Remote Pettigrew, located in the remote coastal plain, an area with minimal light pollution, seems an especially good bet for a night of brilliant sparklers. More info here.

On the water. The dog days of August: the perfect time to be on the water. Here are three opportunities:

• Canoe the Mayo, Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Mayo River State Park, Mayodan (Triad). A rate opportunity to test drive a canoe on an intimate river. Canoe, paddles, personal flotation device provided; you need to provide a shuttle to get back to your car. More info here.
• Kayak Tour, Sunday, 8:30-11 a.m., Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro (coast). Follow a ranger and explore the marshland and ecosystems around this coastal state park. Kayaks, paddles, pfds provided. Free, but preregistration required, by calling 910.326.4881.
• Tubing at the Park, Sunday, 1 p.m., New River State Park, Connelly Springs (mountains). With paddling, you’re above the cool water, with tubing part of you is in it. More info here.

Find more adventure at the following:

• North Carolina State Parks has a variety of adventures planned for the weekend. Check those options here.
• North Carolina Environmental Education Center represents environmental ed centers across the state and has a calendar complete with every class and trip these centers are conducting. Find it here.
• Right here, at GetGoingNC.com.

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

Some events on tap that will keep you close to water:

Firefly Viewing, New River State Park, Laurel Springs. Saturday, 9 p.m. Double your chances of staying cool by not only being near water, but exploring at night as well. Details here.

Pilot Creek Exploration, Pilot Mountain State Park, Pinnacle. Saturday, 10 a.m. The phrase that hooked us on this event? “Please wear clothing and shoes you can get wet … .” The goal of this one-hour program is to see what lives in a creek. Details here.

Kayak Tour, Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro, Sunday, 8:30 a.m. “Enjoy this ranger-guided trip through the adjacent marsh water as we explore some of the ecosystems which make this part of North Carolina so special.  Kayaks, paddles, and lifejackets will be provided.”

Guided Canoe Trip, New River State Park, Laurel Springs. Sunday, 1 p.m. “Canoe the New River with a park ranger and learn the history of the river, and basic canoe instruction while you enjoy a leisurely trip down the river.” And yes, “Please wear clothing and shoes suitable for the water … .”

Search for your own adventure through one of these sources:

• North Carolina State Parks has a variety of adventures planned for the weekend. Check those options here.
• North Carolina Environmental Education Center represents environmental ed centers across the state and has a calendar complete with every class and trip these centers are conducting. Find it here.
• Right here, at GetGoingNC.com.

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

Learn about the salt marsh on a paddle at the coast, watch the sun set on the weekend from the Art Loeb Trail, or discover a “new” gorge where the Piedmont and coastal plain meet.

Coast

The Bald Head Island Conservancy does an exemplary job of promoting the environment through public education. This weekend, for instance, there’s Birding BHI, Touch Tank Time and Reptile Roundup on Saturday, and Island Nature Tour and Kayaking the Creeks on Sunday. We’re especially intrigued by Kayaking the Creeks. Lead by a member of the Conservancy, you’ll head out in tandem kayaks to explore and learn “about the beauty and importance of the salt marsh.”

PFDs, paddles and kayaks provided, you supply the water, sunscreen, bug spray, hat and clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting muddy and perhaps slightly wet.

Logistics: Kayaking the Creeks, Sunday, May 7, 5 p.m., Bald Head Island. $55, $40 for CHI members. More info here.

Sunday forecast: Mostly sunny, high of 59.

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Looking ahead: Can’t make this weekend’s BHI events? They run throughout the year; find more info here.

Piedmont

Not much we like more than a new place to explore. Such a place opened to the public in February, the Ledge Creek Forest Conservation Area less than an hour north of the Triangle. Ledge Creek is the result of efforts by the Tar River Land Conservancy to protect land — and thus, the watershed — of the Tar River Basin. The 300-acre preserve is especially intriguing because of its location where the Triassic Basin and the Carolina Slate Belt meet. The hike begins in nondescript farmland, but quickly drops into a heavily-forested gorge, dropping away 200 feet to protected Ledge Creek.

We’re offering this hike through our GetHiking! program and through our affiliation with Hike NC!, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina initiative to get more people on the trail. Learn about this unusual meeting of geology and discover a great place to explore on even the hottest summer day.

Logistics: Hike Ledge Creek Forest Conservation Area, Saturday, May 6, 10 a.m., Ledge Creek Forest CA, Stem. Learn more and register here.

Saturday forecast: High of 67 with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms.

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Looking ahead: Hike NC! Eno River State Park, Cole Mill Access: Pea Creek and Dunnagan Trails, Friday, May 12, Durham. More info and sign up here.

Mountains

A sunset hike from the roof (or is it the ceiling?) of North Carolina: hard to beat that! Unless you have a forecast that calls for cloudless skies and temperatures in the 50s.

That’s how things are lining up for Sunday’s Sunset Hike on the Art Loeb Trail at Black Balsam. One of our Hike NC! Hikes, hike leader Joy James, from Appalachian State University, will lead hikers on a one-mile hike on the Art Loeb Trail, kissing the 6,000-foot-elevation mark. The landscape here is rare in North Carolina: a mountaintop setting with balds, open meadows and unparalleled views, including to the west, to the setting sun.

Logistics: Sunset Hike on the Art Loeb Trail at Black Balsam, Sunday, May 7, 7:15 – 8:45 p.m., Black Balsam access off the Blue Ridge Parkway. For more information and to register, go here.

Sunday forecast: Clear skies, highs in the 50s.

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Looking ahead: Get Outside Mountain Relay, 208-mile mountain run, June 2, Glade Valley. More info here.

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

Coast

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The post This weekend: Adventure from sea level to 6,000 feet appeared first on GetGoing NC!.