Carvers Creek State Park

Pasture road leading to the Rockefeller House and Woods
Last month, North Carolina's newest state park opened just a few miles north of my house (Cumberland County's first state park.) Carvers Creek State Park is a former farm that has been transformed into recreation area for the people in the Fayetteville area. Although the mill pond located on this property has existed since the mid-1800s, it gained larger fame when the farm was purchased by the famous Rockefeller family (so that John S. Rockefeller would have an escape while he was serving his military duty on Ft. Bragg during World War II.)

John S. Rockefeller House
Although the state plans to eventually expand the park, it currently has just 1.75 miles (2.8 km) of hiking trails. The park begins with a half-mile walk along an overgrown pasture (with thicker forest in the distance.) Sadly, this "trail" apparently served as the original road to the Rockefeller House, so it a wide, featureless expanse of sand. Fortunately, when you finally arrive at the forest (and the Rockefeller House), you are greeted by a more welcoming environment.

Sadly, the Rockefeller House is currently closed to the public. However, the true highlight of the house is actually the mill pond located immediately to the back of the house. This small pond is the true highlight of Carvers Creek! To the left of the Rockefeller House is the second trail in the park, the Cypress Point Loop Trail. This short loop trail circles along the pond's banks before turned into the woods for a short return trip.

Pond formed by the damming of Carvers Creek
While the two trails are an enjoyable little trek (and would be perfect for those living in the immediate area who just want a little afternoon exercise), the main activity at this park seems to be fishing. The entire pond was surrounded by anglers; hopefully, the hiking trails will be expanded and receive a little more attention once the park finally reaches its full size.

Trees growing in the McDiarmid Mill Pond

Hanging Rock State Park

Hanging Rock Lake
I first discovered Hanging Rock State Park when I hiked Pilot Mountain State Park a few months ago. Located just north of Greensboro, along the North Carolina/Virginia border, the park is most famous for a large rock that juts - or "hangs" from the mountain top; however, Hanging Rock State Park has much more to offer than just the Hanging Rock Trail.

Hanging Rock
Hanging Rock State Park actually has three different mountain peaks within its borders, and the park operates a program challenging hikers to hike all three mountains (to five different lookout points) in a single day. This difficult 11-mile (17 km) hike was my goal for the day.

My hike began with an upward trek along the park's most popular path, Hanging Rock Trail. Because this trail sees so much foot traffic, it was very wide (and even graveled at some points.) This was by far the busiest segment of my trek, with the majority of the crowd resting along the jagged rocks surrounding Hanging Rock. Surprisingly, I found the view from Hanging Rock to be the least interesting - and the rock formation was no more interesting than those of the other peaks in the park; I'm not really sure why Hanging Rock gets all the fame...

View from House Rock
After my brief rest at Hanging Rock, I continued back down the mountain until I met the Wolf Rock Trail, which formed the next segment of my loop. This trail was much narrower and passed through much thicker forest. Fortunately, the trail was fairly level, so it wasn't nearly as challenging as the climb up Hanging Rock. Eventually, the trail passes a rocky cliff with openings in the forest that allow for decent views of the surrounding countryside. One of these openings forms the second outlook, Wolf Rock - which was the least impressive of the five outlooks.

After Wolf Rock, the trail soon merges with the Cook's Wall Trail and begins another assent up the second peak. Rapidly climbing up the mountain, the trail soon provides a welcome break at House Rock, the third outlook (and the first that was truly interesting.) Sadly, this is only a brief stop before the real challenge of Cook's Wall trail begins! The trail continues for another mile, most of which is straight up the mountain. When you finally reach the mountain top, it's like walking into an entirely different environment; although the rock outcrops still remain, the forest thins some and grass grows all along the trail. Finally, you reach Cook's Wall, which proved to be my favorite outlook.

View from Cook's Wall (with Pilot Mountain in the distance)
From Cook's Wall, you can see Pilot Mountain standing in the distance (and much of northern North Carolina and southern Virginia.) There are also large hawks(?) circling in the sky just off the mountain peak. It was quite the impressive sight. From here, you again retrace your steps back down the mountain towards the short Magnolia Springs Trail, which loops towards the park's final peak.

Sadly, Moore's Knob (the final peak) proved to be very challenging! It was a difficult two miles up the final mountain (which wasn't helped by the afternoon heat and the exhaustion from my previous two climbs.) From the top of Moore's Knob, your effort is rewarded with two different sights. The first, Balanced Rock, is a massive boulder that mysteriously "balances" on a much smaller rock - without falling over. The second sight, is a man-made lookout tower at the mountaintop, which provides an amazing panoramic view of the surrounding area.

After Moore's Knob, the final segment of the loop is a quick descent (with many, many stairs) back towards the parking lot at the mountain's base. The final segment of the loop ends at Hanging Rock Lake, a small reservoir formed by the damming of Cascade Creek. The lake proves to be an extremely welcome sight after 11 miles up and down mountain paths! Upon completion of the loop, you can stop at the Visitor Center and purchase a small iron-on patch proving that you completed the Five Outlooks Challenge.

The Outer Banks

Atlantic Coastline along Nag's Head Island
The most popular tourist destinations in North Carolina are the Other Banks, a series of thin islands just off the coast that act as a barrier between the mainland and the Atlantic. Since most of the Outer Banks attractions close for the winter, I decided to make good use of a sunny fall weekend and explore the islands before everything shut down! Fortunately, the summer rush was long over, so I was actually able to enjoy the islands in relative peace (the only drawback was that the ocean was far too cold for any swimming.)

Bodie Island Light House
My first stop was the Bodie Island Light House, which was just a few miles south of my hotel. Surprisingly, the light house was practically deserted since it was both early in the morning and late in the fall. I had made an advanced reservation for the 9:30 tour to the top of the light house - which ended up being a private tour since I was the only person interested in climbing that early in the morning. Built in the early 1870s, the brick light house is 165 ft (50 m) tall and provides spectacular views of the island (which is narrow enough to allow great views of both the Atlantic coastline to the east and Roanoke Sound to the west.)

Cape Hatteras Light House
After my tour of the Bodie Island Light House, I continued driving 40 miles (65 km) south along the thin islands to the more famous Cape Hatteras Light House. Very similar to the Bodie Island Light House, Cape Hatteras was also built in the 1870s and shares the same black and white brick design. Slightly taller, the Cape Hatteras Light House is 210 ft (64 m) tall - making it the tallest brick lighthouse in the US. Sadly, after my private tour at the first lighthouse, the trip up Cape Hatteras Light House was a little disappointing. The Cape Hatteras Light House is strictly a self-guided tour, so I merely climbed to the top, took a few pictures, and headed back down.

Fortunately, I did at least enjoy a nice walk along the beach (with the lighthouse towering behind me.) Surprisingly, the beach was still a popular destination even in the cooler fall weather. There were a lot of people kitesurfing - though I'm amazed the didn't just blow away since the winds were so strong!

Wright Brothers Memorial
After my time at the beach, I backtracked north to Bodie Island for a quick lunch and some souvenir shopping. For my afternoon, I started at the Wright Brother National Memorial just south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The sight of the first manned flight, the Wright Memorial proved to be better than expected (though that might be because it was Volunteer Appreciation Day and the $4 admission was waived.) The memorial site included a small museum on the history of flight, which was a little disappointing. It also included a reconstruction of the original Wright Brothers gliders, as well as their early base camp. However, the real highlight of the sight was the large airfield with stone markers showing the actual distant of the first four flights. Finishing the site was a massive stone monument atop the Kill Devil Hills, the launch point for the Wright Brothers' first experiments with gliders.

Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island
To finish my afternoon, I left the Outer Banks and stopped at Roanoke Island - a small island nestled between the Outer Banks and the mainland. Roanoke Island was the site of the first English settlement in America (and the birthplace of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America.) Sadly, the colonists mysteriously disappeared after one year, and no one knows exactly what became of the settlers. Sadly, because they disappeared, there is nothing left to see on the island. Fort Raleigh, the site where the settlers formed their camp is little more than forest today.

Fortunately, the people of Roanoke Island have commemorated the early settlers with a large Elizabethan Garden. The beautiful garden, which is designed in a style popular in 15th century Europe features statutes of Queen Elizabeth and Virginia Dare among the trees and flowered paths. I was actually very impressed at how colorful the garden was this late in the season; I believe the garden designers successfully planned a garden that would be beautiful in all season!

Biltmore Estate

The Biltmore Mansion
Located just south of Asheville, the Biltmore Estate, at 178,926 square feet (16,622 m²), is the largest privately-owned home in the United States. Built between 1889-1895, the house served as a mountain retreat for the Vanderbilt family, who had earned their money through a shipping and railroad empire. Although the mansion is still owned by the Vanderbilt family, it now mainly serves as a tourist site (and an expensive destination since admission cost $49 if purchased in advanced and $59 is purchased at the door!)

The Italian Garden on the Biltmore Estate
Sadly, photography is not allowed inside the house; however, it is a pleasant little self-guided tour (you would think that for $49 they could at least have tour guides...) Moving through the house, you see a variety of different rooms still decorated in the original style - and several of the rooms have priceless works of art dating from the 1400-1700s.

Walled Garden on the Biltmore Estate
After my time in the house (I only spent about an hour inside the house since I'm not one to stand and look at every single historic item), I walked through the gardens. Surprisingly, I found this to be my favorite part of the Biltmore Estates. The gardens on the Biltmore grounds were designed by Frederick Olmstead, the man who designed Central Park in New York City. Walking through the vast grounds, you almost feel like you are in a gigantic city park. (I guess unlimited wealth allows you to splurge on a team of gardeners.)

Bass Pond on the Biltmore Estate
After my time in the gardens, I walked to the estate's Bass Pond and saw a charming twig bridge and boathouse. On the way back to the mansion, I took the Woodland Trail, which lead me through a very natural forest (I felt as though I was back on a hike in the woods.) When I finally arrived back at the house, I caught the shuttle bus and headed to Antler Hill Village and Winery, which proved to be little more than a small petting zoo and a collection of restaurants. Overall, the Biltmore Estates proved to be an enjoyable destination (though perhaps not worth the $49.)

Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock
Since I made a weekend excursion to southwestern North Carolina, I wanted to make the most of my time and see as many sights as possible. Since I spent the morning at South Mountains State Park, I decided that Chimney Rock would be the perfect stop before stopping in Asheville for the night.

Stairs leading to Chimney Rock
Sadly, Chimney Rock is not the ideal place after a 9 mile (12 km) hike up the side of a mountain. Although you drive the majority of the way up the mountain, the final stretch is a endless series of stairs that lead higher, and higher, and higher! Fortunately, once you reach the "chimney" top, you are rewarded with a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains and Lake Lure below.

View of Lake Lure
Surprisingly, Chimney Rock is not the end-point on the trail - instead, it continues up more and more stairs to several additional attractions. My favorite was a location known as "The Opera Box", which is merely a alcove in the mountainside that provides a wonderful view of Chimney Rock and the surrounding mountains. Further up the mountain, is an interesting rock called "Devil's Head" due to its pointed features that make it look demonic. Finally, after leaving the wooden steps and following a rough stone path, you arrive at the top (?) of the mountain for a view towards the west. Sadly, the western view was nowhere as appealing as the eastern view of Chimney Rock and Lake Lure.

South Mountains State Park

Jacob Branch Creek
All summer, I have wanted to head west to hike in the mountains of western North Carolina; unfortunately, this has been one of the wettest summers on record - so there have been few chances for weekend trips. Since I was finally blessed with a sunny weekend, I began my day at South Mountain State Park, which is located in the central part of the state (just north of Charlotte.) The park is best-known for the High Shoals Waterfall; however, it also has a number of excellent hiking trails.

High Shoals Falls
When I first entered the park, my plan was to make a 7.5 mile (12 km) loop hike using the High Shoal Falls Trail, Upper Falls Trail, Shinny Trail, and finishing along the Headquarter Trail. Surprisingly, the trail immediately proved a challenge! Although it passed along the picturesque Jacob Branch Creek, the trail quickly climbs the mountain through a series of steep stairs. Fortunately, there were several small waterfalls along the climb that made the trip more enjoyable. Eventually, the trail arrives at the High Shoals Fall, which was very impressive - though still not the end of the climb.

View of the Mountains from the Upper Falls Trail
After the trail climbs to the top of the cliff (above the High Shoals Fall), the Upper Falls Trail begins, and continues to climb through a thick pine forest. Fortunately, this portion of the trail doubles as a horse trail, so it is very wide (and easy to follow.) Sadly, there was little of interest along this segment (other than a single spot where the trees cleared to along a few of the surrounding mountains.) After a couple miles, my loop turned with the Shinny Trail, and continued along a much narrower path back down the mountain side.

Log "Bridge" along the Headquarters Trail
When I arrived at the bottom of the mountain, I again joined another stream as I worked my way back to the parking lot. Fortunately, the trail designer allowed for as much interaction with this stream as possible! The trail crossed over the stream at least four times - using stepping stones, a log bridge, and a couple small traditional bridges. Eventually, the trail joins the Headquarter Trail and continues to the parking lot.

Jones Lake State Park

Trees growing in Jones Lake

I had originally hoped to head west and hike in the Appalachian Mountains this weekend, but I wasn't exactly feeling up for the long four-hour drive to western North Carolina. Instead, I opted to make use of the cool weather locally and hike in Jones Lake State Park, a park just 40-miles (65 km) south of Fayetteville. As the name would suggest, the main feature of this park is Jones Lake - and the majority of people visiting this park only make use of the picnic and beach areas near the parking lot.

Bay Loop Trail

I, however, chose to forgo the beach and hike the 4-mile (6.5 km) Bay Loop Trail that passes through the forest surrounding the small lake. The first segment of trail is by far the most beautiful. Passing through the lush forest, the trail occasionally breaks with paths leading to the waters edge for spectacular views of the lake.

Dirty Road along Bay Trail

Unfortunately, after about a mile of walking, the trail works away from the lake and passes deeper into the forest. Eventually, the trail leaves the forest entirely and begins following a small dirt road that is composed entirely of sand (which will find its way into shoes and socks.) The one interesting aspect of this segment is the division of the forest; towards the lake, the forest is a thick massive of wilderness...on the opposite side, the forest is little more than thinly-spaced pines (I'm not sure if this is the result of a past forest fire or logging.) Sadly, the openness of the road and the reflective quality of the light-colored sand made this an incredibly hot walk (even on a rather cool day.)

Fortunately, the trail does occasionally skip away from the road and pass through the treed area to the right (though the road is always within sight.) After the second mile, the Bay Trail connects with the Salters Lake Trail, a smaller 1-mile trail leading further into the woods to the more remote Salters Lake. Since this trail is even less traveled, it provides a much closer experience with nature. Although there were many more insects along this trail, I also witnessed two white tailed deer right along the trail's path. Sadly, the end destination at Salters Lake was less than ideal; it was simply a small clearing next to the lake that provided a narrow view of the lake (in general, all the outlook points around the lakes would have been greatly improved with the clearing of a view more trees to provide more of a panoramic view.

Swampland along the trail

After returning along the same trail, I rejoined the Bay Trail, and completed the final two-miles around the Jones Lake. Fortunately, this segment was slightly more interesting than the first portion of dirt road. The final two-miles showed how much of a boggy swamp this area really is. The park's department has definitely built the trail here, which becomes extremely obviously every time the man-made path is flooded and requires you to step off the trail; several times, I stepped in what looked to be dry, solid ground - only to discover that it was a thin layer of dead leaves covering a much messier layer of decomposing swamp muck!

When I finally emerged at the park's picnic area, I was actually surprised to see the manicured lawn and sandy beach so close to a "wild" swamp. I almost considered renting a canoe at paddling across the lake, but I didn't exactly want to risk tipping myself into the swampy waters. Instead, I had to happily return with just a 6-miles (10 km) walk completed.