Imagine being able to hike or paddle through the heart of the Piedmont for 125 miles with occasional stops in small towns. That’s the goal of the Deep River State Trail.

One of 14 State Trails in North Carolina, the Deep River begins in the Greensboro area and ends five counties later where it empties into the Cape Fear River. It’s one of only two State Trails — the other is the Haw River State Trail — that has both a paddle trail and land trail component. 

On the water you’ll encounter Class I and II water early on, mostly mellow flat water as the Deep nears the coastal plain. There are several river access points as the Deep passes through five counties.

On the land trail side, your options are more limited. Currently, there are less than 5 miles of land trail completed, all in the vicinity of Randleman and the adjoining towns of Franklinville and Ramsuer. 

Saturday, there will be a guided hike on a 1.5-mile stretch of the Deep River State Trail headed downstream from Franklinville. Here, the trail follows an old rail bed paralleling the river. The trail is surrounded by a mature hardwood forest that offers ample shade on a hot summer’s day as well as protection from a light rain. Occasional side trails offer glimpses of the Deep as it makes its way southeast. Saturday’s hike turns around at a pedestrian bridge under construction that will link with existing trail into Ramsuer.

This portion of the hike is flat and largely stroller-friendly. There’s also an optional 1-mile hike to Faith Rock (pictured) which offers views of a rockier, more mountain-like stretch of the Deep. Both the hike and the paddle trip are sponsored by the entities making the Deep River State Trail possible: the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Piedmont Land Conservancy, Randolph County, Lee County, Deep River Park Association, and NC Great Trails State Coalition.

This is one of several hikes and paddles celebrating North Carolina’s State Trails in 2024. They’re a great way to get to know the emerging State Trails system, and to show support for their continued development. We’ll share a rundown of those events later this month.

In the meantime, make plans to join us this Saturday.

• Learn more about Saturday’s 9 a.m. paddle trip and sign up to join us here.
• Learn more about Saturday’s 2 p.m. guided hike and sign up to join us here.
• Learn more about North Carolina’s State Trails here.

The post This Saturday, go Deep and learn about N.C’s State Trails appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Hike: Natural Communities of Jockey’s Ridge, Saturday, 9 a.m., Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Nags Head. When most of us think about Jockey’s Ridge, we think of the sand dunes, which can reach as high as 60 feet above sea level (which is a stone’s throw to the east). In fact, on the sound side there’s a diverse community consisting of American beachgrass, and thickets of wax myrtle, bayberry, red cedar, live oak and red bay. Learn more about the diverse ecology of this Outer Banks park on this recurring hike. Learn more about the event here. 

Nature Hike, Saturday, 11 a.m., Mount Mitchell State Park, Burnsville. From 60 feet above sea level (Jockey’s Ridge, above), to nearly 6,700 feet above sea level — that’s the difference between one of North Carolina’s lowest state parks and its highest. That difference will be highlighted on this 3/4-mile hike on the Balsam Nature Trail, where the focus will be on a rare Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest. Starts and ends at the gift shop! Learn more here.

Stream Safari, Saturday, 3 p.m., Stone Mountain State Park, Roaring Gap. Getting wet on a summer hike in the Piedmont doesn’t necessarily equate with cooling off. But that starts to change when the Piedmont butts up against the Blue Ridge Escarpment, in this case at Stone Mountain State Park, where the numerous water encounters are all refreshing. That includes Saturday’s Stream Safari, the chance to wade into a creek, cool your dogs and learn about the water ecology. Learn more here.

Canoe Hike, Sunday, 6 p.m., Carvers Creek State Park, Spring Lake. Like to wring the most out of your weekend, to explore until the very end? Then cap it with this half-mile paddle through a Cypress swamp. Great for beginning paddlers and those of us who love a good swamp. Free, but pre-registration is required, by calling 910.436.4681. Learn more here.

Self-Guided Hike: Horseshoe Road Nature Preserve, Tar River Land Conservancy, Creedmoor. Our friends at the Tar River Land Conservancy today are opening a new preserve and you’re welcome to hike it! The 241-acre preserve near Creedmoor has 2.4 miles of trail: the linked 1.1-mile Pine Trail and the 1.3-mile Beaver Trail. According to the conservancy, the trail explores hardwood and pine forest, crosses several creeks, visits a wetland. Since last fall more than 110 bird species have been ID’d at the preserve, earning it a birding hotspot designation by Cornell University’s eBird program. Learn more about the new preserve and find a trail map here. 

* * *

Hike Solo, with GetHiking!

No one to hike with this weekend and you’re leery of hiking alone? Our new GetHiking! Hiking Solo program aims to make you a confident, competent, and comfortable hiker. We start with a Zoom session to go over how to prepare for a solo hike and what to expect, then take you on a  “supervised” solo hike to ease you into hiking alone. What’s a “supervised solo hike,” you ask? You’ll have to check out the course description here to find out. Our first session is July 16 at Eno River State Park.

The post GetOut! New trail among weekend’s options appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

1. Canoe Hike, Saturday, 10 a.m., Jones Lake State Park, Eizabethtown. Jones Lake, that 224-acre Carolina bay southeast of Fayetteville, begs for attention on a hot day. Take the guided paddle trip, then spend the rest of the day on the beach, enjoying the clean, tannic waters of the lake. A perfect summer adventure. Learn more and register — the paddle is free, but space is limited — here.
2. Canoe Hike, Saturday, 5 p.m., Carvers Creek State Park, Spring Lake. Says the event description: “We will be learning the basics of canoeing and then trying out our new skills by maneuvering through the Cypress swamp.  This is a slow and calm canoeing experience and great for beginners or if you want to get a closer look at the Cypress trees.” Again, free, but space is limited and you must register in advance. Learn more here.
3. Stone Mountain Stream Safari, Saturday, 4 p.m., Stone Mountain State Park, Roaring Gap. Even better than being on the water? Being in it, which you’ll be on this 1/2-mile hike in a park stream learning about bugs that live in water and water quality. Learn more here.
4. Jordan Lake Bald Eagle Paddle, Saturday, 8:30 a.m., Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, Apex. Seeing bald eagles is cool, even more so when you realize, according to outfitter Frog Hollow Outdoors, the “re-introduction of Bald Eagles has been one of our states shining legacies as a true environmental comeback. Due to DDT use in the 70s Bald Eagles had completely disappeared from NC by the early 80s. However, the year following the release of juveniles in Eastern NC, a nesting pair found their home near Jordan Lake. Since that time in 1984, the population of Bald Eagle in NC has soared. Jordan Lake is now considered one of the largest summertime nesting areas for Bald Eagle in the southeastern US. Join us as we paddle the northern reaches of Jordan Lake in search of its majestic residents.” Passage is in sea touring kayaks, eagle sighting is not guaranteed. $55. Learn more and sign up here.
5. Stargazing paddle, Saturday, 8 p.m., Saxapahaw Lake, Saxapahaw. Says outfitter Haw River Canoe & Kayak, “There is no better way to see the night sky in Central North Carolina than on a dark night with a new moon, while floating on Saxapahaw Lake. Guests will paddle out to the middle of the lake, and adjust their eyes to the night sky. As the stars become brighter, guests will ‘raft-up,’ lay back, and identify stars and constellations. Single kayaks, tandem kayaks, and canoes are available for use. Suitable for all skill levels.” $40-$80, depending upon the boat. Learn more here.

This weekend, tolerate the heat by embracing water. 

The post GetOut! 5 Adventures for a Steamy Weekend appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Well savor it while you can, people, because it won’t be summer forever! The fall equinox is just 40 days off, and Labor Day, the emotional start of fall, is just 24 days away. So take advantage of the heat while you can. This weekend, for instance:

Relaxation Paddle, Sunday, 9:30 a.m., Morrow Mountain State Park, Albemarle. “Relaxation paddle” — in our book that’s a bit of an oxymoron: Isn’t paddling all about relaxing? If not, then you can rest assured it will be on this 1-hour leisure paddle on Lake Tillery. Free, but registration is required, by emailing Alden.Early@ncparks.gov. PFDs (personal flotation devices) are required). Learn more here.

Spider Insider, Sunday, 10 a.m., Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area (pictured at top), Hillsborough. I like this line in the class description: “We will take a moderate hike to see if we can find any [spiders].” “Moderate,” in our experience, would be stepping out of the car and — AHHH! Come and learn about the spiders that live among us and how they benefit the environment. More info here.

Owls Among Us, Sunday, 9 p.m., Lake James State Park, Nebo. Says the event description: “Once you recognize the myriad sounds owls make, a whole new world of appreciation opens. Ranger Jamie Cameron will lead a group of curious owl-seekers on a short hike along the Lake Channel Overlook trail at the Catawba River Area side of the park. We’ll start from the campground parking lot at 9 p.m. Bring a headlamp or flashlight, binoculars if you have them and a pair of comfortable hiking shoes for this 45-minute program.” Learn more here.

Lake Johnson Park Nature Explorers, Sunday, 1:30 p.m., Lake Johnson Park, Raleigh. If you’re looking for something to do outdoors with the kids, here’s a good bet, because they’ll spend about an hour and a half getting to “Flip over logs, dig a hole, or sift through leaves .… “ The best $2 you’ll spend all week. Learn more and find out how to register here.

You’ll notice that our recommendations are all for Sunday. Despite our apparent love for the heat as expressed by our intro waxing over the waning days of summer, we recognize that it’s better to be out Sunday, when temperatures throughout the Piedmont will be in the low 80s, as opposed to Saturday, when they’re still expected to top 90. So if you have chores for the weekend, do ‘em Saturday and save your adventure time for Sunday.

GetOut! And enjoy!

The post GetOut! It won’t be blazing hot forever! 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!.