Today’s 90-Second Escape: Pining for a paddle

It happens every year: the first time the temperature gets into the upper 70s, as is forecast for later this week, https://www.wunderground.com/us/nc/havelock and there’s no way we can get out to fully enjoy. And by “fully enjoy,” I mean grab a kayak and head to the coast, to a favorite paddle: Milltail Creek in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.

Instead, we do the next best thing: we trot out this Escape from a few years ago and enjoy 90 Seconds of tranquil paddling — and spotting for the refuge’s namesake reptile.

Enjoy.

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Today’s 90-Second Escape: Paddling Milltail Creek

Today, under blindingly blue sky and cool (but warm enough) temperatures, we find ourselves thinking of one of our favorite paddles: Milltail Creek in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Milltail Creek is a wide, but protected waterway, draining the lowlying 152,000-acre reserve into the Alligator River and, shortly, the Atlantic. On a bright winter’s day the wide creek lets in the warming sun, blocks out the wind, making for a pleasant cold-weather paddle.

Alas, it’s a workday and I won’t be throwing the kayak on the roof rack for the three-hour drive east. So, the next best thing: revisiting a trip from a couple years back.

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Coast

Come summer, we tend to loosen our definition of “weekend.” Shoot, lots of workplaces do the same, ceding employees a half-day head start on Fridays, knowing full well lots of us will be slinking off anyway.

That said, a great way to spend the Friday part of your summer weekend is on a guided canoe tour at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge between Columbia and Manteo. Every Friday afternoon from 1-4 p.m. between now and August, the refuge will lead two-hour tours, all equipment provided, on Milltail Creek, taking you “deep into the heart of Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Paddle the shady blackwater canals; learn about the history of the area. Watch and listen for the Refuge’s secretive wildlife.” We can’t guarantee a gator sighting, but in hot weather odds are good you’ll spot one lolling along the banks.

You bring a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent and water, the NWR provides the canoe, paddle, pfd and wisdom.

Logistics: Fridays from now through August, 1-4 p.m., Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, off U.S. 64 between Columbia and Manteo. $40 for adults, $25 for kids 12 and under. Meets at the end of Buffalo City Road off US 64 west of Manns Harbor. Call 252.216.9464.

Friday forecast: Sunny, high of 85.

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Looking ahead: Let’s look way ahead to an event that always sneaks up on us, Wings Over Water. This six-day celebration of the coastal wild includes all sorts of programs, from canoe and kayak trips, to birding expeditions, to talks about nature and more. This year’s Wings is Oct. 20-25. For more information, go here.

Piedmont

Perusing the North Carolina Running Calendar, a pretty comprehensive account of the Tarheel race scene, we were stopped by one entry in particular: The Wilson Swamp Stomp. This year’s Stomp, the third annual, pledges to spend more time in the swamp, ensuring its spot in our weekly recommendations.

Held at Gillette and Toisnot parks in Wilson, the Stomp includes 5K and 8K versions, and, say race organizers, “Both courses are 65% in the woods or swamp.” They’ve even thrown in a few obstacles for those who don’t find running in a swamp challenge enough.

Awards, prizes, hoses at the end for contestants to tidy up. All proceeds benefit Hope Station, Wilson’s food pantry and homeless shelter.

Logistics: Saturday, June 13, waves of runners are sent off every 15 minutes between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sign up by the end of today and it’s $65 for the 5K, $75 for the 8K; register race day and it’s $75 and $85. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny with a high of 95, perfect swamp running weather.

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Looking ahead: Citizen science: you probably associate it with annual events such as the Christmas Bird Count and the Great Backyard Bird Count. But it happens every Saturday at the N.C. Museum of Natural Science’s Prairie Ridge EcoStation in Raleigh. A different project every week in which you — and your kids — can help make a difference. Learn more about the program here.

Mountains

Last Saturday was National Trails Day, this Saturday is National Get Outdoors Day. Mission of the latter: “… reaching first-time visitors to public lands and reconnecting our youth to the great outdoors.” Missions that mesh with our own.

Get Outdoors Day events are planned at more than 200 locations across the country,  including four in North Carolina. One of the four is Chimney Rock State Park, where from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. they’ll be doing all sorts of NGOD activities. According to the park’s synopsis: “See live critters, learn how to responsibly enjoy the outdoors with Leave No Trace, take a climb with Fox Mountain Guides, meet renowned Appalachian photographer Tim Barnwell and learn about N.C. State Parks Junior Ranger Program.”

Sounds like a jam-packed four hours and a good opportunity for connecting kids to the outdoor and introducing more folks to public lands.

Logistics: Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., Chimney Rock State Park, Chimney Rock. There may be costs associated with some events. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 85, mostly sunny.

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Looking ahead: If you’re the type that loves a good fireworks display, then think hard about the July 4 Independence Day Fireworks Hike to Sunset Mountain hosted by the Swannanoa Valley Museum. At 6 p.m., hikers will head out from Black Mountain on a “moderate one-mile hike” on the abandoned road that, a century ago, took travelers to Mount Mitchell. Then, catch the fireworks in the Swannanoa Valley below. More info: info@swannanoavalleymuseum.org; 828.669.9566; or at the Swannanoa Valley Museum website.

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

The post This weekend: Paddle a swamp or run through one, but be sure to Get Outdoors! appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

It’s Labor Day weekend, so you’re probably kicking out a little early, right? Early enough to make it to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge for Friday morning’s canoe tour on Milltail Creek?

The trip runs from 9 a.m. to noon and is led by a naturalist who, among other things, will show you the difference between a downed log and a “downed log” that blinks. In other words, the preserver’s namesake reptile, the alligator. And there are plenty of ‘em lining the banks of Milltail Creek. Bring a telephoto lens (hats, sunscreen and lots of water are a good idea, too).

Logistics: Friday, Aug. 29, 9 a.m.-noon, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, $40 for adults, $25 for kids 12 and under. Meeting location revealed when you call to register, at 252.216.9464. If you can’t make it Friday, the tour runs every Wednesday and Friday through September. Find more information on this and other NWR trips, here.

Friday forecast: Sunny, high of 78.

Piedmont

Learning outdoor skills can be done one of two ways: based on your own mistakes or based on the mistakes of others. We prefer the latter, which is why we’re recommending Saturday’s Outdoor Skills: The 7 Priorities of Wilderness Survival at Charlotte’s McDowell Nature Preserve. The class is a mix of lecture and hands-on, a good combination for making skills stick.

Logistics: Saturday, Aug. 30, 2 p.m., McDowell Nature Preserve, Charlotte. $3. More info and to register go here and enter  #58424.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 94.

Mountains

Mount Mitchell State Park is a great place to explore, but because of its rapidly changing weather and rugged terrain, it can be intimidating. A good place to explore with the folks who know the area best, like the park rangers.

Saturday, you have two opportunities to safely explore the highest country east of South Dakota’s Black Hills. At 9:30 a.m., join a ranger for an hour-and-a-half hike out to Mt. Craig and back, learning about the flora and fauna of this alpine setting. Miss that hike, or simply want more? Another guided hike explores the Commissary Trail, starting at 11 a.m.

Logistics: Saturday, Aug. 30, 9:30 and 11 a.m., Mount Mitchell State Park. 828.675.4611 for more info, or go here.

Saturday forecast: High of 84, mostly sunny.

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

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Last Thursday on a trip down east  was my first day on the water and it put me of a mind to spend more time paddling. The quiet, save for the birdsong and the occasional gal-lump of a turtle inelegantly abandoning sunny log for murky water. The wildlife, including an alligator that was even more distracted by the sun and warmth. The emergence of spring, with the pastel buds of green, white and crimson giving the world a soft focus field. The unique calm that only paddling flat water can offer.

Milltail Creek in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and the Dillard’s Creek tributary feeding the Chowan River north of Edenton are both on my list for return trips. But where to go next? That got me to thinking of some other great paddles in the state, places I’d like to get to this year, places you might like to explore as well.

Here are 10 such places. I’ve included a quick description and location. If you’re intrigued, click on “More info here” and you’ll find nearly everything you’ll need to plan a trip.

Charlotte area

1. Lake Wylie Dam
Rock Hill, S.C.

There’s a Jekyll-and-Hyde nature to the 31-mile stretch of the Catawba River below the Lake Wylie dam just over the South Carolina line. At nominal water flow, the stretch is friendly flatwater river paddling, a few rocks here and there, a Class I rapid but no more. But when the volume gets cranked up this stretch requires a whole ‘nother paddling skillset. What exactly do we mean by that? Click on More info here.
More info here.

Triad

2. Lake Brandt
Greensboro

Lake Brandt is one of three main watershed lakes rimming the north side of Greensboro. The lakes were created for drinking water, revered in these modern times for their vast recreational value. Brandt is the middling of the three lakes — Townsend is the biggest ( at 1,542 acres, Higgins the smallest at 226 acres. All are open for paddling.
More info here.

3. Yadkin River (Old 421 Park Access)
Winston-Salem

The 125-mile-long Yadkin River Trail includes 15 access points to help make exploring the river easier. It begins small out of W. Kerr Scott Reservoir in Wilkes County and gains steam as it meanders past Pilot Mountain, Boone’s Cave Park and Tanglewood Park before giving it up to High Rock Lake. Forsythe County’s Old 421 Park Access 20 minutes west of downtown Winston-Salem is close, but it also affords easy access to an easy stretch of the river. This is a 5.4-mile run where a steady current takes you through typical Piedmont countryside.
More info here.

Triangle

4. Falls Lake (Beaverdam Recreation Area)
Wake Forest

There’s a bit of dues paying associated with this paddle. It’s big, open water for the most part, but that changes after you paddle under Old Weaver Dairy Road. You begin paddling amid reedy grass and rushes, and clumps of red maple and oak. You’ll paddle into what looks like a promising channel only to be rebuffed by downfall or a simple dead end. If the lake level is up you paddle another mile and a half and improve your chances of seeing the waterfowl known in the area, the wood ducks and mallards, the osprey and bald eagles.
More info here.

5. Haw River (Swepsonville River Park to Saxapahaw0
Swepsonville

This dammed 5.8-mile stretch of the Haw River is good, reliable paddling year round, but it may be best in summer. Put in at Swepsonville River Park, warm up with a 0.7-mile paddle downstream to the Puryear Dam, then portage — a portage made fun, funky and easy with a set of slides (for your boat, not you). The rest of the trip is on wide, slow-moving water. Take-out is river left, just above the dam above Saxapahaw, which makes for a great after-paddle visit.
More info here.

6. Neuse River (Falls Dam to Buffaloe Road)
Raleigh

Raleigh is often called a city within a park. But did you know there’s a navigable river within the city within the park? From the tailrace of the Falls Lake Dam, the Neuse River flows east and south to the Atlantic Ocean. Along those first 17 miles through Raleigh the city has installed 5 boat launches, divvying up the relatively peaceful Neuse into easily paddlable stretches. A favorite is the 10-or-so miles from the Falls Dam Access downstream to Buffaloe Road, where dense foliage along the river’s banks shields you from the civilization beyond.
More info here.

Coastal plain

7. Black River (Section 5)
Ivanhoe

The Black River may be the most beloved place to paddle in eastern North Carolina, and for good reason. It’s remote, making its way through the Down East farmland of Sampson, Bladen and Pender counties. Despite the fact it passes numerous hog farms, it also has some of the cleanest water in the state, earning Outstanding Resources Waters designation in 1994. And the blackwater swamps through which it passes have some of the oldest living trees in Eastern North America. I shouldn’t need to say more, but I can and will. Read on, by following the link below.
More info here.

8. Merchants Millpond
Gatesville

The 760-acre millpond is peppered with bald cypress and tupelo gum trees that make every stroke an adventure. Sidle up to a trunk and see what creatures might be living in this microclimate. Or, conversely, let the enormity of the swamp wash over you and, before you know it, you’ll have no idea where you are or how you got there. A great place to paddle with a compass and map, though there is a marked trail. Canoes available for rent as well, at $5 an hour.
More info here.

Coast

9. Brunswick River Trail
Wilmington area

Only at the coast could you do a loop trail — on a river. This 16-miler begins at the Davis Creek Estuarine Water Access Area on Cartwheel Branch. After just over a mile, hang a right at the Cape Fear River. At the four-mile mark the Northeast Cape Fear intersects; continue downstream and you’ll be paddling along the Wilmington waterfront. To finish the trip, follow the link below.
More info here.

10. Zeke’s Island (The Basin)
Wilmington area

You’ll find true exploring within the Zeke’s Island area, a lagoon surrounded by Zeke’s Island, North Island, No Name Island, a beach, a barrier spit and fringing marshes and tidal flats. This unusual combination results in a small area — the Zeke’s Island National Estuarine Research Reserve consists of 1,635 acres — with a variety of habitats, from tidal flats, salt marshes, shrub thicket and maritime forest to sand dunes and beach. Great paddling.
More info here.

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Need a boat? Check out our list of 51 places to rent a canoe or kayak in North Carolina.

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