North Carolina county #91 Pilot Mountain State Park – Ivy Bluff Access After visiting the mountain, I went over to the river section of Pilot Mountain State Park, which is in Yadkin County. There are trails on both sides of the Yadkin River, and I went to the Ivy Bluff Access area on the opposite…
Surry County
North Carolina county #90 Pilot Mountain State Park This week I took a trip north to Pilot Mountain State Park, which has areas in both Surry and Yadkin Counties. In Surry County, I went to Pilot Mountain itself, and visited the overlook area and a trail nearby. There was an overlook from the spot I…
Madison County
North Carolina county #89 Max Patch For my last county of this trip, Madison County, I decided to go to Max Patch in Pisgah National Forest. I had to be careful with this one also, since it was very close to the Tennessee border again. On the way there, I saw an overlook which had…
Yancey County
North Carolina county #88 Mount Mitchell State Park Mount Mitchell, the tallest mountain in North Carolina, is in Yancey County. There is a relatively steep but short paved trail to the summit, and I also did a one mile trail around the summit area. Being the highest point for probably a thousand miles, it does…
McDowell County
North Carolina county #87 Green Knob Overlook – Blue Ridge Parkway I wasn’t sure where to go for McDowell County, so I chose an overlook that seemed to have some greenery around it that birds might be in. Actually, when I arrived at Green Knob Overlook (on the Blue Ridge Parkway), it was still dark. …
Mitchell County
North Carolina county #86 Carver’s Gap – Pisgah National Forest My next stop was supposed to be Rhodendran Gardens in Pisgah National Forest, but for some reason the road was closed right at a spot called Carver’s Gap. By this time I was well into the mountains and Carver’s Gap is at 5,512 feet elevation. …
Caldwell County
North Carolina county #85 Lenoir Greenway This week I set out on my last overnight trip of the year, into the mountains of North Carolina. On my way there, I stopped at the Lenoir Greenway in Caldwell County. It was a sunny and cool morning, and there was a good amount of birds in the…
Johnston County
North Carolina county #84 Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center My last spot for this 3 day trip was Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center in Johnston County. Howell Woods seems to be owned and operated by Johnston Community College, and as you hike the property there are several areas where benches are setup in an outdoor…
Franklin County
North Carolina county #83 Dehart Botanical Gardens Very early in the morning on Friday I drove over to Dehart Botanical Gardens in Franklin County. It was so early in fact, that I had to wait a while before someone opened the gate, which typically opens at sunrise. This place is not what I think of…
Wake County
North Carolina county #82 William B. Umstead State Park Inside the capital city Raleigh, William B. Umstead State Park is 5,579 acres of woods, trails, streams and lakes. Entering the park, you can immediately get a sense of the landscape. I walked the very easy Pott’s Branch Trail in a little under 2 miles. The…