Certainly doesn’t inspire thoughts of a day on the trail. A long day, at least.

That’s why this time of year we pull out our Summer Shorts: hikes long enough to sate your thirst for trail, but short enough to prevent heatstroke.

I got into shorter trails when I moved north of Greensboro four years ago. The reason? There were no long trails close by. Initially, the Shorts came in handy when I simply didn’t have the time to invest a half day, drive included. They become even handier when the heat settles in. 

Today, a salute to Summer Shorts. Five hikes I turn to when the heat gets turned up.

MST James M. Johnston Nature Preserve

Hillsborough

320 Elizabeth Brady Road

2 miles out and back 

Just across from Historic Occoneechee Speedway, now part of the N.C. State Parks system, sits a small preserve that clings to a bluff overlooking the Eno River. And clinging to the bluff is a mile-long stretch of trail that includes elevation (150 feet), floodplain forest, and rhododendron and mountain laurel stretches that’ll make you swear you’re in the mountains. 

The trail itself is a mile in length; to get there from the Occoneechee trailhead you’ll need to tack on another mile (out-and-back). This flat stretch makes for a nice warm-up, especially in summer, for short-but-steep climb that awaits. Looking for more mileage? A loop on the speedway adds a half-mile; tack on another 1.5 miles on the MST west into Hillsborough, and another half mile, still on the MST, to Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area. What you wind up with here is a hike with a length for all seasons.

More info here

Seven Mile Creek Nature Preserve

Hillsborough

2187 Moorefields Road

1.5 miles

I’ve been hiking Seven Mile Creek for a decade now and I still think only a handful of us know about this 360-acre gem. Granted, it’s small and with a mile and a half of trail it may not be worth a drive across the Triangle, especially if you’re looking for miles. But in summer there’s passage along the preserve’s namesake creek, which, like the Eno it deposits into a mile downstream, is more montane than piedmont. A mature forest offers a sun-sheltering canopy and good sightline through the understory. Get ambitious and you can cross the creek at low water and pick up an old roadbed across the way. Or head upstream for a little timberbashing. Even with those additions, don’t expect to hike much more than a couple miles total. 

More info here, at the Orange County website

Take a 87-second virtual video tour here

Richard P. Gravely Jr. Nature Preserve

Ridgeway, VA

2525 Eggleston Falls Road

2 miles

This was quite the unexpected find when I moved to Eden. I don’t what I expected to find on this 75-acre preserve just a 17-minute drive from home, but what I found was an outer loop that spends part of its time along a stretch of the Smith River rich with rhododendron and mountain laurel. A connectoin trail runs along a ridge with lush hardwoods and a cemetery dating back to the mid-1800s. Depending upon the time of year you’ll find a range of wildflowers — including trillium, bloodroot, and wild orchids— ferns and mushrooms. It’s also got some elevation, topping out at just under 750 feet.

More info here

Knight Brown Nature Preserve

Stokesdale

221Waterfield Lane

3+ miles

The hike: Few places do as good a job of quickly escorting you from civilization as the 189-acre Knight Brown Nature Preserve. Take the Beechwood Bottom Loop Trail from the trailhead and hike clockwise, and you quickly descend to Belews Creek. (As soon as you reach the creek, look across, to the north, for a cascade tumbling down the far slope.) Large sections of three trails run along the creek, which has forged a surprisingly deep valley: in just over a tenth of a mile, the terrain rises 80 vertical feet above the creek. The east-facing slope probed by the Leatherwood Loop Trail has some understory growth, but for the most part, the high canopy provides a protective roof above open terrain below. Nice in summer because it blocks out the sun but not the downslope breezes, nice in winter because the leafy canopy disappears letting the sun’s warming rays penetrate. Belews Creek, which runs west, then north through the preserve, offers rocky relief, spilling over car-size boulders in spots, before mellowing out on its journey to the Dan River. An exceptional hike in all seasons.

More info here

Hickory Creek Access: Mayo River State Park

Stoneville

Tyne Road (off of Bennett Road),

GPS: 36.5093, -79.9984

This access is so new it’s barely on the park website. It’s so new it doesn’t even have an address. It’s so new that to get there, you need old-timey written directions (from US 220, take the NC 770 ramp and head west on NC 770 for 6.8 miles; turn right onto Victory Hill Church Road for 3.1 miles; turn right onto Bennett Road for 0.6 miles; turn right onto Tyne Road and into Hickory Creek Access). The trailhead is atop a subtle summit where you’ll seem to have options: only one, well marked, is the actual trail. Take it for a leisurely 0.8-mile hike down a mellow ridge to the Mayo River. Much of this hike is on an old, barely detectable, roadbed. Reaching the Mayo is a bit anticlimactic as the river bottom is densely vegetated and views of the river are limited. Turn and hike back to the trailhead. Up for another mile or so? Just before where you parked is a gated dirt road which offers a half-mile or so of easy hiking before “No Trespassing” signs suggest it’s time to retreat. If the heat has yet to defeat you, it’s three quarters of a mile down the access road to the park entrance. All told, you can get in about 4 miles of quiet hiking.

More info here.

The post 5 Summer Shorts 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.

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

Yeah, there’s a little rain in the forecast for the weekend. However: 

1. It’s a forecast, which is essentially an educated guess, which is subject to not being accurate;
2. There do appear to be some less wet spots in the forecast; and,
3. Why should that keep us from having a little fun at least planning for the weekend?

That said, here three ideas for getting out and exploring:

B.W. Wells Heritage Day, Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Falls Lake State Recreation Area, Wake Forest. There’s a cool area of Falls Lake State Recreation Area on the east side of the lake that few people know about: the B.W. Wells area. It’s where B.W. Wells, a botany professor at N.C. State and one of the state’s foremost early ecologists lived and peppered his land with a variety of plant life. The area is usually closed, but is open for touring on Heritage Day. Learn more about B.W. Wells here, learn more about B.W. Wells Heritage Day here.

Beginner-Novice Guided Hike, Saturday, 2 p.m., Grandfather Mountain State Park, Banner Elk. Our GetHiking! program is all about helping the uninitiated get into hiking. So when we see a good opportunity, we’re more than happy to pass it along. This 2-hour hike will cover 1.5 miles on Grandfather’s Profile Trail. Along the way, Ranger Sicard will talk about the mountain’s plant life as well as the basics of hiking. A good introductory outing. Learn more and sign up here.

Hike to Fall Creek Falls, Sunday, 1:45 p.m., Mayo River State Park, Mayodan. Another good beginner opportunity as a park ranger and the Rockingham County Naturalist Club lead this hike past a small cascade at Byrd’s Ledge, then up to the larger Fall Creek Falls. 1.1 miles total, at a leisurely pace. Human and natural history will be shared along the way. 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? Lots!

GetHiking! Charlottesville: The Priest,Saturday, April 13, 8 a.m. Fontaine Research Park, Charlottesville. Strenuous. 9.2-miles. Hike highlights: Appalachian Trial, Peak wildflowers, swinging bridge over the Tye River. Learn more here.

GetHiking! Virginia Beach: GOPC,Sunday April 14, 9:45 a.m, First Landing State Park, Virginia Beach. Easy. 5-mile loop at First Landing State Park. Learn more here.

Live the video

This week’s video is from our hike last weekend at Brumley Forest North Nature Preserve, a Triangle Land Conservancy property east of Hillsborough. The North section has three miles of hiking-only trail, the South has more than 11 miles, much of which is also open to mountain biking. For information on Brumley Forest, including directions, go here.

GetOut and enjoy!

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!.

Coast

You have to walk before you can, well, run, hike, skip … . Walking leads to a lot of things, which is why we’re recommending Saturday’s Wellness Walk on the Summer Rest Trail in Wilmington. Sponsored by New Hanover County Parks & Gardens, Brian McKeever, Physical Therapist and owner of Lumina Wellness & Physical Therapy, will lead the 1.4-mile walk, which will be at a casual pace. No age restrictions.

Curiously, the hike begins at the trailhead by Port City Chop House.

Logistics: Saturday, Aug. 8, 9 a.m., Summer Rest Trail, 1981 Eastwood Road, Wilmington. Free. Go here for more information or call 910.798.7622

Saturday forecast: High of 74 at walk time, with a chance of thunderstorms developing later in the day.

* * *

Looking ahead: Too hot to paddle during the day? Then try it at dusk, with the Masonboro Island Sunset Kayak Trip on August 26, departing from the Trails End Park Boat Launch in Wilmington. $35-$45, contact Halyburton Park here or by calling 910.341.0075 to sign up.

Piedmont

Some places you’re comfortable paddling on your own. You know the water, you know the access. Some, however, you feel more comfortable being part of a guided group.

We’re guessing that’s the case with the Mayo River, which you may have heard of, but that’s where your familiarity ends. Saturday, let a Mayo River State Park ranger guide you down a stretch of the river that will start at the public boat access at Old Anglin Mill Loop Road and end at the public boat access on U.S. 220 Business. Expect to be on the water about six hours.

No boat, no problem. Be among the first 11 to register and the park will supply a canoe, paddle and pfd, free of charge.

Logistics: Saturday, Aug.8, 10 a.m., Mayo River State Park. To register and learn more, call 336.427.2530.

Saturday forecast: High of 85, sunny.

* * *

Looking ahead: Start next weekend early with a Sunset Canoe Trip Friday evening (Aug. 14) at Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville. $5 per person, $10 per canoe. For more info: 919.460.3390

Mountains

This weekend is the Lake Logan Multisport Festival, which means …

Not up for the full half iron triathlon (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, 13.1-mile run)? Then check out the international tri (1,500-meter swim, 24-mile bike ride, 6.2-mile run). Or perhaps the sprint (500-meter swim, 12-mile bike ride, 3.1-mile run). They make it hard to say, “I can’t.”

The half tri is Saturday, the international and sprint are Sunday.

Logistics: Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 8 and 9, Lake Logan Episcopal Center. Find all your pertinent registration and race information here.

Weekend forecast: Highs reaching the low 80s, mostly sunny.

* * *

Looking ahead: The Blue Ridge Breakaway, starting from the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, rides of 106, 76, 50.8 and 25 miles, Aug. 15. More info here.

* * *

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

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The post This weekend: Start with a walk, end with a tri appeared first on GetGoing NC!.