An area such as Jockey’s Ridge State Park where, atop a dune you have an unobstructed 360-degree view that includes the Atlantic Ocean. And under a full moon? Can you imagine? Well, no need to simply have to imagine such luminescent lunar lusciousness when, on Saturday you’ll have a chance to experience it live, with Hike to the Light, an evening that will include s’mores and hot chocolate (courtesy the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge) and the lit Christmas tree atop one of the dunes. Hike to the Light begins at 5:30, and while it’s free, space is limited so preregistration is required, by calling 252.441.7132. Learn more about the event here.

One of our favorite places to visit this time of year is the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve in Southern Pines. Populated by pines, including the longleaf, the preserve exhibits a certain glow in winter that makes even a 30-degree day seem warm and inviting. And a great place to be Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m., for the 1.5-mile Wiregrass to Wetlands that will “explore the sandhills from top to bottom.” That is from, those wiregrass and pine covered hills to a curious, swamp-like wetland in the preserve’s lower reaches. Learn more here.

A reminder that the annual Christmas Bird Count is underway: it began Tuesday and continues through Jan. 5. There will be counts aplenty across the state over the three-week period as citizen scientists work a 15-mile area to document the local bird population. One of those counts is this Saturday, from 8  to 10 a.m., at the Walnut Creek Wetland Park in Raleigh. Accomplished birders will be on hand to help novices identify and record the local bird population. Learn more about this count here, about the Christmas Bird Count in general, here.

For those who like to look ahead, two events to make note of:

• First Day Hikes. For several years now, State Parks across the country have committed to leading New Years Day hikes, or First Day Hikes as they’ve come to be known. You can find a rundown of First Day Hikes in North Carolina here, in Virginia here.
• Hike the Weetock Trail. If you’re looking to make 2022 a true year of adventure, then you can’t get it off to a more adventurous start than with our 2022 GetHiking! kickoff hike on the 11-mile Weetock Trail in the Croatan National Forest. The first half of the hike is a nice ramble on easy-to-follow trail, the second half a true explorer’s dream. Learn more and sign up here.

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An active start to 2022

Get the new year off to an active start with a First Day Hike, then keep the mojo going by committing yourself to a weekly hike. Such as:

• 

  GetHiking! Sunday Hike Series. Hike every Sunday through winter with this series of hikes that average about 5 miles. Learn more about our 10 a.m. hike series here, the 1 p.m. series here.

• GetHiking! Tuesday Night Winter Series. Ten weekly hikes on Tuesday evenings to help you stay active midweek. Each hike is about 3 miles. Learn more here.

The post GetOut! T’was the weekend before Christmas … appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Soundside Nature Trail Hike, Saturday, Nov. 13, 10 a.m., Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Nags Head. Think of Jockey’s Ridge and you immediately think of the shifting dunes that can reach up to 60 feet above the level of the sea, which is a near stone’s throw from the park. But Jockey’s Ridge has intriguing backside that explores a maritime shrub thicket along Roanoke Sound. This is a 1-mile hike. Learn more here.

Birding 101, Saturday, Nov. 13, 10 a.m., Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, Kure Beach. One of the joys of the coast in winter is the bird population, especially the overwintering birds that start to arrive this time of year from Canada. Come learn about these visitors, where they come from, why they like it here and more. Free, but preregistration is required, by calling 910.458-5798. Learn more here.

Biological Wonderland Hike, Saturday, Nov. 13, 10 a.m., Carolina Beach State Park, Carolina Beach. Learn about the various habitats in the park in this hour-long program on the Flytrap Trail. Space is limited; call 910.458.8206 to reserve a spot. Learn more here.

Paint Hill Discovery Hike, Sunday, Nov. 14, 2 p.m., Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve. This 1.5-mile hike eschews the crowds at park’s main tract by exploring the Paint Hill Tract, “a unique hilltop longleaf pine forest with deep valleys and carpets of creeping blueberry.” For more information, including meeting place, go here.

You can learn more about Fort Fisher and Carolina Beach in Wednesday’s post, and for planning purposes, here are three events at the coast that we have planned: 

• GetHiking! New Year’s on the Weetock Trail, Sunday, Jan. 2, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Technically, it’s the day after New Year’s Day, but a true first-of-the-year adventure all the same. Read the trail description above, then go here to learn more and to sign up.
• GetBackpacking! Winter Series: Neusiok Trail, Friday, January 14 to Sunday, January 16. This 2-night, 22-mile trip is the ideal way to start fulfilling your 2022 backpacking goals. The flat course make these early season miles doable. Learn more and sign up here.
• GetHiking! Winter Weekend Escape to Jones Lake, Friday, Jan. 28 to Sunday, Jan. 30. Jones Lake State Park, Elizabethtown. Two days of hiking and two nights of stargazing in minimally light-polluted skies of the coastal plain. Learn more and sign up here.

Weatherwise, it’s looking like a good weekend for a visit Down East, with sunny skies and daytime temperatures around 70 on Saturday, about 10 degrees cooler Sunday.

Whatever you do this weekend, GetOut! And enjoy!

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Consider the coming weekend as preparation for the winter ahead: high temperatures throughout much of the region won’t get out of the 40s. That makes it an opportune time to dig out your cold weather gear, see what works, see what needs replacing. Make good use of this test-run weekend and you’ll be ready for the winter months ahead!

Our thoughts on where and how you can explore this weekend follow.

Bean Shoals Canal Hike, Saturday, 10 a.m., Pilot Mountain State Park, Pinnacle. The thought of visiting Pilot Mountain on a fall weekend — even a cold one — can send chills up a hiker’s spine. The top — the park’s best known area because of its great views — can get uber crowded on fall weekend’s, depriving visitors of the peaceful experience we seek. But the park has several lesser-appreciated access points, including the North River Section, home to the Bean Shoals Canal Trail, the focus of Saturday’s hike. Learn a little history as you travel the north bank of the Yadkin River on this 1-mile hike. One mile not enough for you? Then tack on the adjoining 2.5-mile Horne Creek Trail afterwards, which continues along the Yadkin before heading inland through hilly terrain. Learn more and get directions here. 

Huggins Island History Hike, Sunday, 11 a.m., Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro. The North Carolina coast is peppered with hundreds of small islands, many with good stories to tell. Among them is 225-acre Huggins Island, which is nearly split between higher drylands and marsh (a foot or two of elevation difference separates the two). The island was a Native American fishing and hunting ground early on, a Confederate battlement in the Civil War. You can find remnants of both, in addition to a maritime swamp forest that has been recognized as a Globally Rare and Significant Area. Come explore the island with a ranger. Boat ride over is provided, but space is limited: call 910.326.4881 to reserve a spot. Learn more about the hike and Hammocks Beach here. 

Boyd Tract Hike, Sunday, 3 p.m., Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, Southern Pines. Much is made of the longleaf pine, and rightfully so: at one point, before the European invasion, the stately pine dominated the regional landscape. But the invading masses quickly came to value the longleaf for its resin and straight, sturdy trunks, and today the longleaf is only truly appreciated in a few spots that evaded harvest. One of those spots is the Boyd Track at Weymouth Woods, the focus of this 1-mile hike. Not only will you see one of the few remaining stands of old-growth longleaf pine, you’ll also have an audience with the world’s oldest known longleaf. This hike begins not at the state park Visitor Center, but at the nearby Weymouth Center, 555 E. Connecticut Ave. Learn more here.

GetHiking! this weekend

What are our GetHiking! groups in North Carolina and Virginia up to this weekend? Plenty, thanks for asking … .

Live the video

This week’s video covers a pair of scouting trips this past weekend, first to Eno River State Park in Durham for an upcoming Winter Wild trek, then on to Jordan Lake State Recreation Area for a future hike. Click the appropriate links for details on exploring these Triangle area venues.

More weekend options

Looking for more options for weekend adventure? Check out our GetOut! Find An Adventure resource page here.

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

Don’t let the weather rain on your weekend adventure parade. Grab a rain jacket (or a big trash bag) and venture out for some good, wet, fun! Such as:

Occoneechee Geology Hike, Saturday, 2 p.m., Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, Hillsborough. One of the reasons we like this hike for this weekend is that the trail is generally high up and less susceptible to standing water (except for portions along the Eno River, which will be under water). Quarrying operations from years ago leave the north face of the mountain exposed, making it ideal for a geological dissection. Also: the hike is lead by a geologist. About 1.5 miles of moderately difficult hiking. Free, but registration required, by calling 919.383.1686. More info here.

Historical Iron Ore Hike, Saturday, 2 p.m., Haw River State Park, Iron Ore Belt Access, Greensboro. Another trail that does a good job of shedding water is the Great Blue Heron Trail at HRSP, where this 1.5-mile hike exploring iron ore pits dating back to the 1700s will occur. Learn more by calling 336.342.6163 or go here.

Pyxie-Moss Hike, Sunday, 3 p.m., Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, Southern Pines. The first flower of spring to bloom at Weymouth Woods is the Sandhills Pyxie-moss; what makes this search for the first signs of spring even more intriguing is that the flower is only found in a handful of counties in the Carolinas. More info here, or by calling 910.692.2167.

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

Live the video

Today’s video was shot during last weekend’s GetBackpacking! trip on the Appalachian Trail between Max Patch and Hot Springs. You can check out our upcoming trips for the spring — including the AT from Carver’s Gap to US 19E, Wilson Creek, South Mountains State Park, Linville Gorge, and the Uwharrie Mountains — at GetHiking! Triangle. If you’re not a backpacker but would like to be, our next GetBackpacking! Intro to Backpacking class starts in early April. Learn more here.

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

A mellow downtown bike ride at the coast, an audience with a survivor from the days of Mary Queen of Scots and hankie hike up in the hollow. An interesting weekend of choices in North Carolina.

Coast

We love a good organized bike ride. And we have a special fondness for those that don’t cater to the hardcore cyclist capable of riding 100 miles. Or 63. Or even 25. We like the short, leisurely rides that just about anyone could do — even someone without a bike.

That’s the case with Saturday’s Historical Southport Bicycle Tour in downtown Southport. This mellow ride around town takes in Fort Johnston, the Brunswick Inn, the Old Brunswick Jail, the Crimes of the Heart Home, The Indian Trail Tree along the Cape Fear River and more. And at two hours, there’s plenty of time to study the sights. Led by The Adventure Company.

Logistics: Saturday, Oct. 5, 9 a.m. $15 if you have a bike and helmet, $20 if you need a bike and helmet. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Partly cloudy, high of 81.

Piedmont

If you head the to the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve in Southern Pines Sunday afternoon and hitch on to the Old Growth Hike, you’ll be in the presence of something extremely special: the oldest known longleaf pine on Earth. Old Bessie (not the tree’s real name) rings in at 465 years of age. (We’ll save you the mental gymnastics: this tree sprouted would have sprouted in 1548, not long after Columbus et al started wrecking havoc on the New World.)

Come see one of the few remaining survivors from the year when Emperor Charles V ordered Catholics to become Lutherans. (A slow news year.)

Logistics: Sunday, Oct. 6, 3 p.m. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, Southern Pines. More info: 910.692.2167

Saturday forecast: High of 84, partly cloudy.

Mountains

We like Sunday’s Haint Hike at Elk Knob State Park near Jefferson for the hike’s unusual packing list. The hike is up the Summit Trail and it’s led by “a native Appalachian [who] tells ghost stories from way back in the hollows of Appalachia.” So what do you pack for a haint hike? “Participants should bring hiking attire and a box of tissues, as they will be frightened.”

Logistics: Sunday, Oct. 6, 2 p.m., Elk Knob State Park, Todd. More info here.

Sunday forecast: High of 63, 20 percent chance of rain.

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

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