Saturday

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  Friends of Lake Norman Spring Wildflower Discovery Hike, 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., Lake Norman State Park, Troutman. These hour-long hikes in search of spring wildflowers will be led by a retired N.C. State Park ranger. More info here.

• Spring Tree ID Hike, 2 p.m., Lake James State Park, Nebo. Check out the new growth of spring on this ranger-led hike on the Holly Discovery Trail. More info here.
• Bentonville in Bloom, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Pretty much what the title says in this program that’s an official event of the NC Science Festival. Learn more here.

Sunday

• Eno River Association Sunday Wildflower Hike: Pump Station, 2 p.m., Northside Christian Church parking lot, 3901 Cole Mill Road, Durham. 1.5-mile hike on the Pump Station Trail at Eno River State Park, in search of the Ladyslipper orchid and more. Registration required, by going here.
• Butterfly Bingo, 2 p.m., Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro. Part of the reason for the spring bloom is to keep pollinating butterflies busy. Come see who in particular is flitting about and what exactly they’re pollinating.

New trail opening

We love an opening — a new trail opening — and there’s one Saturday from 10:15 a.m. to 1 p.m., at then Triangle Land Conservancy’s Brumley South Nature Preserve in Chapel Hill. As part of Operation Earth Day, TLC is opening a new 3.5-mile trail network. The event is free, but preregistration is required, by going here.

Earth Day events

For a rundown of Earth Day events in the state, check out the N.C. Environmental Education calendar, here, where you’ll find events on Friday (the actual Earth Day), Saturday and Sunday.

No reason not to GetOut! this weekend!

Enjoy.

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Because there’s such variety on tap, we thought we’d simply list the program name, location and time. If you’re intrigued, click on the link and learn more.

Saturday

• The Lorax Story Hike Haw River State Park, 8 a.m.
• Carnivorous Plant Hike Carolina Beach State Park, 10 a.m.
• Bears Jones Lake State Park, 10 a.m.
• Spring Into The Season! Morrow Mountain State Park, 10 a.m. 
• Fire in the Environment Pilot Mountain State Park, 10 a.m.
• Fly into Spring Kite Festival and Easter EGGstravaganza Jockeys Ridge State Park, 10 a.m.
• Crabby Crustacean Catch Hammocks Beach State Park, 11 a.m.
• Fort Tour  Fort Macon State Park, 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m.
• Coleman Trail Hike Merchants Millpond State Park, 1 p.m.
• Rockefeller House Tour Carvers Creek State Park, 2 p.m.
• Tanawha/Nuwati Wildflower Hike with a Park Ranger Grandfather Mountain State Park, 2 p.m.
• Spring Hike Lake James State Park, 2 p.m.
• Eno’s Owls Eno River State Park, 3 p.m.
• Dune Hike Jockeys Ridge State Park, 3 p.m.

Sunday

• Fort Tour  Fort Macon State Park, 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m.
• Profile Trail Wildflower Hike with a Park Ranger Grandfather Mountain State Park, 2 p.m.
• Coastal Crafts Series Hammocks Beach State Park, 2 p.m.

For planning purposes, Saturday, there’s a chance of storms, Sunday, there’s no chance. Get more specifics here.

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Saturday doesn’t look half bad, with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s. However, the wind is expected to kick up in the afternoon, with a steady blow of 15-20 mph winds out of the southwest, with gusts up to 35! That’s especially problematic if you worry about dead wood showering down upon you from the canopy.

So, on Sunday:

• Spring Hike: Naturally Wonderful Waterfalls, 3 p.m., Stone Mountain State Park, Roaring Gap. From the upper trailhead parking lot a ranger will lead this 1.2-mile out-and-back to Stone Mountain Falls (pictured above), which tumbles down the east shoulder of Stone Mountain, a 600-foot-high granite dome. Build in the time to hike the Summit Side of the Stone Mountain Loop Trail, accessible from the same trailhead, which will take you to the dome’s largest exposure. Learn more about the hike here.
• In the Pines: Guided Hike, 4 p.m., Gorges State Park, Sapphire. If you find yourself in the western part of the state, drop by the drop-dead gorgeous Gorges State Park for this short hike to check out the various pines that inhabit the park. The hike, which originates from the White Pines Picnic Area, is notable because it’s rated “Moderate” in difficulty, possibly the only “moderate” hike in the park. Learn more here.

OK, we won’t completely ignore Saturday. We’ve got one program early, before the wind is expected to whoosh through, one late that should benefit from the wind.

• Trail Building at Horseshoe Road Nature Preserve, 8:45 a.m. to noon, 3018 Horseshoe Road, Creedmoor. Join the Tar River Land Conservancy in its effort to open 2 miles of trail at its Horseshoe Road Nature Preserve. The supervised workday will include a variety of tasks: building wooden footbridges and benches, installing signs, trail clearing and more. Learn more here.
• Stars and Planets, 7:45 p.m., Mayo River State Park, Mayodan. One great thing about the wind is that it tends to scour the sky, leaving it free of debris. Combined with a half moon that should leave lots of stars visible, stars that the Greensboro Astronomy Club will be more than glad to help you see with their sophisticated telescopes. More info here.

On the spring wildflower front, you may see the leaves of the trout lily, but the flowers have pretty much passed. You’re more likely this weekend to see spring beauties, bluets, rue anemone and bloodroot.

Enjoy!

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Curiously, the winter end of the weekend, Saturday, has more of a springlike forecast (temperatures in the mid 70s, chance of rain), while Sunday is looking more late winter, with a high around 60 under crisp skies. That said, here’s a bit of what’s going on:

• Spring Paddle in the Millpond, Saturday, 9 a.m., Merchants Millpond State Park, Gatesville. You know the weather is warming when the parks start doing paddle trips. This one is a tour of the 760-acre millpond, weaving in and out of bald cypress and tupelo. BYOB, or rent a canoe for $10. Registration is limited to 10; sign up at 252.357.1191. Learn more here. 

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  Bear Island Camping, Saturday, 2 p.m., Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro. People are always curious about camping on Bear Island, the 3-mile barrier island that fronts Hammocks Beach State Park. With 14 designated campsites, most of them beachfront, it’s quite alluring. But it is on a barrier island, so … how exactly do you make camping happen? All will be answered in this 1-hour presentation at the Visitor Center. And while you’re at the park, build in some time to hike the 2-mile trail network near the VC. Learn more here.

• Spring Hike, Sunday, 2 p.m., Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, Southern Pines. Winter is the best time to hike at Weymouth Woods, a pine savannah that heats up once spring kicks into full gear. So the timing for this hike — when spring isn’t even a full day old — is especially good. Plan to hike a mile and a half. Learn more here.
• Sunday Wildflower Hike: Flat River, Sunday, 2 p.m., Flat River Waterfowl Impoundment, Durham. This second in the Eno River Association’s Spring Hike Series explores off trail along the Flat River in the Butner Game Lands, with particular emphasis on Dutchman’s breeches and false rue-anemone. Expect to hike about 2 miles, expect to finish between 4 and 4:30 p.m. Learn more and register here.
• Spring into Wildflowers @ Johnston Mill, Saturday, 11 a.m., Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, Chapel Hill. Another prime opportunity for wildflower spotting, this one with the Triangle Land Conservancy at its preserve north of Chapel Hill. They’ll be looking for blood root, trout lilies, little heart leaf and trillium on this hike. Free, but pre-registration is required, by going here.

That’s the gist of what’s going on this weekend, the last weekend of winter, the first weekend of spring.

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Hikes made for this weekend

Three suggestions from our GetHiking! hiking guide library that are especially relevant for this weekend:

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  5 Great Hikes for Beginning Hikers. Enticed by the onset of spring to take a hike, but either new to the sport or you haven’t been out in a while? These 5 hikes, in the Triangle and Triad, are less than 3 miles in length, scenic and beginner friendly. Check it out here.

• 3 Daffodil Hikes. Daffodils are the first responders of spring. They also grow in spots friendly to wildflowers and usually are found at homesteads from long ago. You’re dang near guaranteed to see daffodils — and wildflowers native to the region — on these hikes. Check it out here.
• 3 Hikes for After a Good Rain. Nothing like a good rain to turn a placid Piedmont creek into a frisky, frothy, flow of mountain-like enthusiasm. The creeks associated with these three hikes come alive for several days after a good rain. Check it out here.

The post GetOut! Winter and Spring, in the same weekend appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Many trails — but not all.

Finding the trails less traveled was the focus of our first Lunch with GetHiking! gathering at noon today. If you missed it, you can catch it in reruns here.

While we won’t spoil the entire half-hour session, we will share one aspect: a quick look at some of the State Parks that tend to attract less attention. We highlight four of those parks with guided hikes being held this weekend. Do the hike, then do a little additional exploring on your own — we’ll share a quick thought on what else to explore.

Cedar Loop Hike/World Cleanup Day, Saturday, 10 a.m., Jones Lake State Park, Elizabethtown. A park ranger leads a hike on the mile-long Cedar Loop Trail; the ranger tells you about the bay forest and sand ridge communities you’re passing through, while you pick up any trash along the way as part of World Cleanup Day. Learn more and sign up here. 

Make it a day: Hike the 4-mile Bay Trail that circles the park’s namesake Carolina bay (which you’ll likely learn about on the ranger-led hike).

Coleman Trail Hike, Saturday, 2:30 p.m., Merchants Millpond State Park, Gatesville. A 2-mile, ranger-led hike through a coastal forest that includes encounters with the park’s 760-acre millpond, which is home to bald cypress and tupelo. A good opportunity to learn about forests at the coast. Learn more and sign up here.

Make it a day: On the north side of the millpond hike the recently expanded Lassiter Trail, a fast 6 miles that takes you deeper into the woods.

3 Mile History Hike, Sunday, 5 p.m., Carvers Creek State Park, Spring Lake. This hike has a little of everything, from the nature of a pine savannah to a millpond (pictured above), to remnants of the James Stillman Rockefeller farm that remains largely in tact. Bring water, bring a camera. Learn more and sign up here.

Make it a day: Make the short drive to the park’s Sandhills section for 10 miles of hiking through pine savannah. 

Harvest Moon Night Hike, Sunday, 7 p.m., Hammocks Beach State Park. Under the pert-near-full Harvest Moon hike the half-mile Live Oak Trail, as the natural world’s day shift gives way to the evening crew. Learn more and sign up here.

Make it a day: Arrive early and hike the other three trails at the Visitor Center (totaling 2 miles).

Good options that make for a great weekend.

GetOut! And enjoy!

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