“You came all the way from Cary?” the woman exclaimed. “That’s, like, an hour away.”
She and a friend were asking directions from a guy who seemed to be something of an impromptu trail ambassador when I walked up. We were standing at about the midpoint of the 4.25-mile Glencoe section of the Haw River Trail, just downstream of the NC 62 bridge. Although an hour didn’t seem like that far to drive for a hike, it did occur to me that it might seem far on a day when the temperature and the humidity were both in the low 90s.
“Have you been here before?” the trail ambassador asked?
“Oh, yes,” I said. “In more hospitable weather.”
The Haw River Trail is a 70-mile work-in-progress that will eventually link two state parks: Haw River State Park to the north with Jordan Lake State Recreation Area to the south. About half of the trail will be part of the statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
At present, less than 20 miles of the Haw River Trail exists. One of the longest stretches is the Glencoe section, which runs from (and along) the Indian Valley Golf Course downstream to the Stoney Creek Marina. It’s an entertaining stretch, for several reasons:
Part of it is on a golf course. On the north end, the trail traces at least three fairways of the Indian Valley Golf Course. (Please observe golf course hiking etiquette, including: speaking in hushed tones when play is in progress and standing still when a player is putting. Also: There is icy cold water at the No. 5 tee box.)
In the gentrifying mill town of Glencoe, the trail does a horseshoe up Hodges Road and back down Glencoe Street, giving you the opportunity to check out the revived mill homes.
Also in Glencoe, the trail passes the Textile Heritage Museum, fascinating look at the local and statewide textile industry. A great diversion that’s free. Hours are limited, though: 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Just over a mile downstream from Glencoe is the old and abandoned Carolina Mill.
Just beyond that, the trail departs from the dense jungle along the Haw and quickly climbs into a drier oak/hickory forest typical of the Piedmont.
Stoney Creek Marina.
I would not recommend this stretch of trail in 90/90 weather. Even a stout breeze has trouble penetrating the dense foliage along the trail and the occasional stretches of open trail can be broiling.
I would, however, recommend it for more civil weather, such as the weekend ahead, when temperatures are expected to cool into the 80s. I recommend starting mid-trail in Glencoe (you can pick up a trail map at the paddle access at River Road and NC 62), doing an out-and-back (upstream to the golf course, downstream to the marina), then checking out the museum.
A good outing for kids, btw: The trail offers a jungle escape, the textile museum has toys circa grandma & grandpa.

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The post A cooler weekend, a hike along the Haw River appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

I thought we had lost the trail but in fact we were smack dab on course. The Haw River Trail was intended, it turns out to meander through the Glencoe neighborhood of restored mill homes.

Yet another attraction of this 70-mile work-in-progress that runs from Haw River State Park above Greensboro to its namesake river’s exciting conclusion — especially after a good rain — in Jordan Lake. In addition to showing off the natural beauty along — and in — the Haw — the trail is intended to showcase, and in the process help preserve, the remarkable human history that has evolved along the river. (Check out yesterday’s 90 Second Escape along the Haw for a video perspective.)

The Haw River Trail (which includes a paddling alternative) is a decade-old effort that was galvanized in 2006 when 10 government agencies signed a memorandum of understanding basically indicating they would work together to preserve the Haw. At the same time, Burlington and Graham partnered with Alamance County, Elon University, Preservation North Carolina and the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation to fund a full-time position to coordinate conservation and trail efforts on the Upper Haw River. The Mountains-to-Sea-Trail piggybacks on the Haw River Trail from Haw River State Park through Alamance County, before heading east to Hillsborough.

So far, those efforts have resulted, in part, in 10 miles of on-the-ground trail, including the 4.3 miles we explored Sunday afternoon. (In addition, there’s trail in Haw River State Park, Swepsonville River Park, and along the lower Haw in the Lower Haw River State Natural Area, from Bynum downstream to Jordan Lake.) The trail runs downstream from Indian Valley Golf Course, through the old mill town of Glencoe, where Preservation North Carolina launched an effort in 1999 to restore the 1880s community. The Glencoe detour, up Back Street, down Front Street, satisfies both the historian (home restorations must adhere to period standards) and the real estate voyeur (generous front windows from back in the day offer a peak into what the Joneses have been up to). The trail also swings by the Textile Heritage Museum, which is worth a visit (if you’re there on a Saturday or Sunday between 1 and 4 p.m.). And while you can’t explore inside, the old Glencoe Mill and Carolina Mill a mile downstream, offer a fascinating outside look into the history of an industry that dominated life along the Haw from 1832 deep into the 20th century.

Haw River Land Trail
View Haw River Land Trail in a larger map

Elsewhere, the trail here at Great Bend Park spends most of its time snuggled up next to the Haw, an unusually rocky river for the Piedmont. In spots, the river is lake-placid. But you needn’t go far before those rocky drops make for a chatty companion.

It’s that mix of flat and white water that makes the Haw popular with paddlers. In Alamance County alone there are a dozen access points for paddlers. (Downstream in Chatham County there are at least three more.) Most offer access to whitewater, the intensity of which depends on recent rainfall. Three access points are located at dams, offering flatwater upstream and white down. Most of the river is considered suitable for beginners (though note that canoeists and kayakers putting in at Glencoe and Town & Country should have intermediate level skills).

Find directions and additional details about each put in on the paddle trail map below:

Haw River Paddle Trail
View Haw River Paddle Trail in a larger map

Both of the above maps should help with planning a trip — by land or by water — on the Haw. You’ll find additional helpful information at the Haw River Trail Web site.

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The post The Haw River: Hiking and paddling through history appeared first on GetGoing NC!.