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Shallow Ford Natural Area

4.5 (6 reviews)

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Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area

Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area

5.0(2 reviews)
14.0 mi

Saw this hiking trail on instagram and couldn't wait to explore it! Plenty of parking, and a nasty…read morebathroom without a sink. Use the bathroom before you come. The hike is hard! There are so many rocks and a steep incline. It took us about 1.5 hours to complete the hike and we had small children with us. Once you make it to the lookout it's stunning! You have to climb a ton of stairs but it's worth it.

Trails are amazing. The original trails at the Pine Hill Trailhead were awesome enough, but the…read morenew trails just down the road at the Oak Hill Trailhead are just has great. The map doesn't how it, but the trails do connect to give the option of hiking from one tailhead to the other. There are 4 campsites at the Pine Hill Trailhead area. I car-camped for one night recently and really enjoyed it. Before you camp here, you should know ahead of time that there are no showers or plumbing restrooms or vending machines. The restroom is non-plumbing as has no running water. However, there is a very nice water-pump on the other side of the parking lot from where the restroom is. This is a very rough-in-it campground, at least for now. There are nice tent-pads, fire pits, and picnic tables at all spots except #4. At this spot there is only parking and the tent would go directly on the ground. Sites 1, 2, and 4 have room for smaller camping vehicles. Site 3 has a pretty small parking area with room for 1, or maybe 2 vehicles if they are both small. A camper-van would fit but nothing bigger. Each campsite has a little distance of woods between them so there is some privacy. A walk from the campsites to the restroom at the parking area is necessary, but you can drive to it during the night easy enough. I just had to take the front windshield privacy visor out. There are no lights anywhere except what you bring for yourself, so it is pitch-dark at night. If you are OK with this type of camping and are looking for great hiking and quiet and relaxation, you should love it. If you need plumbing and lights or other amenities, this site is not for you. So don't forget to bring water or a container for the pump, a cooler for drinks and snacks, and a flashlight!

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Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area
Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area
Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area

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Haw River Canoe & Kayak - Paddling along the Haw River

Haw River Canoe & Kayak

4.3(18 reviews)
17.0 mi

When you set out to kayak the historic Haw River it's hard to suppress speculative thoughts about…read moreyour adventure and wonder how it will all turn out. This was on our minds as my wife and I drove past an "entering Alamance County" road sign on our way to the Haw River Canoe & Kayak Company at Saxapahaw, North Carolina. A leisurely drive along Swepsonville-Saxapahaw Road parallels the Haw and suggests a hint of our forthcoming adventure. A tough bridge built for hard times stands over massive, craggy, dark gray rocks, chiseled into the river bottom by the waters bonding the town of Saxapahaw to the earth and the history of this area. On arrival, we could see paddlers struggling to sandwich their watercraft among the rocks around the Saxapahaw bridge. But we never foresaw when we left here, our memories would bear an indelible imprint of this place as "Aramanche" -- a place where Native Americans saw water flow through blue clay. One reason to rent a Kayak here is to unplug yourself from the present and reconnect with the past. In fact, the owner and his staff will tell you his fondest wish is for customers is to "unplug and reconnect." When you cast your eyes out over the Haw as you paddle a kayak, you'll see tranquil and rapid running waters, deep cuts into riverbanks and tree lines, and evidence of the dominating torrential waters that have run for millennia along this 110-mile river down to the Cape Fear basin near the Atlantic coast. The geological history of this place is violent. But there's more. There's tons of history and culture to absorb. Generations of native Americans and later, European colonists, are bound up in the history of this river. Native Americans ran The Great Trading Path that ran from Chester County, PA, along the Shenandoah Mountains roughly to where I-81 and route 220 meet near Danville, Virginia, today. From there, settlers found their way into North Carolina along the Haw. Why Go? If you're interested in American history, you'll visit to have fun and to bask vicariously in the river that was once part of the Underground Railroad. Along this river, Quakers would shepherd slaves from house-to-house, across the Ohio River, and into the free territories in the west. If you're a history buffwith an archaeological bent, you'll visit the Haw to find that blue-gray clay the Siouan Indians used as body paint. It was found in Saxapahaw, and the Indians called this clay "Aramanche", meaning, a place where "water flows through blue clay" in Eastern Siouan. If you're interested in seismology, you'll be curious about the natural fault line running from this area down to Charleston, S.C., that triggered the Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886. You can see this line on the surface under a little bridge in the nearby village of Glencoe, N.C., along Highway 62. If you enjoy riding the rapids as a Kayaker, you'll need to sign up for a class-III white-water adventure. The fault line that runs from Glencoe down toward the Cape Fear river basin features sharp drop-offs triggering the rapid waters adrenaline junkies crave. A guided tour along the Haw lasts about 3-hours. Go, unplug, reconnect with American history and, enjoy!

we were booked on Thursday @11 am. we were an hour away and it was raining. called the number…read moreposted online twice but couldn't get a hold of anyone when we called. left a VM. but no call back. we drove the hour and nobody was there. A couple of minutes later a nice young lady showed up. we agreed the weather was so bad the paddle could not go ahead. it is disappointing we had to drive 2 hours (there and back) for nothing when if someone had been proactive to contact us to say let's cancel. they need to monitor phone calls etc. or have a way to get in contact. We went back the next day when the weather was perfect. Lovely 3 mile paddle. Remember, you have to walk 1/4 mile trail to the launch with all your stuff including the paddles and walk back When done. There was nobody there to meet us on our return but no big deal I guess. They share the bathrooms with the business upstair. Very basic.

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Haw River Canoe & Kayak - Saxpahaw lake Dam

Saxpahaw lake Dam

Haw River Canoe & Kayak - Kayaking on the Haw

Kayaking on the Haw

Haw River Canoe & Kayak - Haw River

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Haw River

Get Outdoors Pedal & Paddle - Get Outdoors Pedal & Paddle

Get Outdoors Pedal & Paddle

3.9(34 reviews)
19.4 mi•Glenwood
•$$$

I am in the market for a kayak. Having zero knowledge and experience, I visited this location on…read morerecommendation of a more experienced, avid kayaker. While their selection was limited due to it being the off-season and changeover for next season's new models, staff was friendly, knowledgeable and informative. I learned a lot about the different styles of kayaks, paddles and personal flotation devices (PFDs). I walked away with considerable knowledge to weigh my options before making a commitment. They also offer classes and instruction on water safety and skills enhancement. Highly recommend visiting!

I would never recommend this store to anyone. Me and my boyfriend came in- as SOON as we walked in…read morethe man was saying "we don't have anything for you" REPEATEDLY. My boyfriend is African American and I'm white- not sure if it was a race thing but it's so unacceptable. My boyfriend was nice and kept trying to talk to him and figure out what kind of bikes they had and the guy insisted on continuing to tell us that they didn't have anything for us. Finally he told us that there was only 5 bikes available- but I guess he thought they were out of our price range because he said they're "2,000 though". I guess he thought we couldn't afford it. Overall a AWFUL experience and it's safe to say me and my boyfriend will never return. I would never in my life recommend this store to anyone. Update- called and spoke with the owner to let him know about the service. He was just as rude as the employee, and didn't really seem to care about the feedback. Sad as an owner of a business you don't see feedback as positive and a chance for growth. As a personal trainer very local to this area it's safe to say I will never recommend this to any of the clients I have

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Get Outdoors Pedal & Paddle - Wall of PFDs

Wall of PFDs

Get Outdoors Pedal & Paddle
Get Outdoors Pedal & Paddle

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Shallow Ford Natural Area - hiking - Updated May 2026

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