I attended the Fall Salamanders Program yesterday and saw two large marbeled salamanders! It was a…read morebeautiful day for an outdoor learning experience with our salamander expert Stephanie. We hiked into the woods and she knew exactly where to look for the stunning little creatures. I have hiked the Preserve and it is lovely and a good workout with steps and small hills. There is a great visitors center with info and bathrooms too. Hemlock Bluffs is a small park that makes a huge impression. You should definitely check it out and have fun!

This place is designated as a preserve. This means that there are ample paths and boardwalks, but…read moreyou aren't supposed to go off of them. The bluffs are a couple of stories high; even without greenery in full bloom. It's tough to see all the way down. The area serves as a safe harbor for numerous birds, and with the geography of the bluffs you get a lot of echoing birdsong. It's a free space, and there are educational and playground facilities at the entrance.

Wonderful trails for biking, hiking, walking (and also some trails are sign-posted to allow…read morehorses). Not crowded. Miles & miles of trails. Picnic tables and pavilions. Creeks and streams. Lakes and ponds. Boating. BE AWARE of closed trails, bridges, etc...stop by the park office AND check the website for closures.

Umstead is a great park with plenty of parking locations and different trail options. I hope to try…read moreout all of their walking trails. I've done at least 2 of their trails with the last being the Pott's Branch Trail. Pott's Branch is one of their easy trails at 1.3 miles. I recommend you wear tight/well fitting sneakers or boots as there are a lot of roots on the trails and you don't want to slip. Umstead does a great job of marking the trails and there were even paper maps available.

Lovely trails in an urban area! It wasn't long before the car sounds faded and I could only hear…read morethe sounds of nature. Out and back, I walked about a mile. Watch out for some roots, but it's mostly flat. No man-made restrooms, so "go before you go."

It's neat to have Swift Creek Bluffs Nature Preserve so close to home. We did the stairway to…read moreheaven, beach bluffs loop and swift creek loop in about 1.6 miles. There were a few downed trees but we were able to easily get around them. The trail is narrow so it was tough to social distance in most spots but other hikers had masks. I recommend going early or on an 'off' day because parking is a pain. I want to check this spot out again once it gets cooler to see how the views change.

Seems there are multiple entries. I put in the address 2584 New Hope Church Rd in Cary into my gps…read moreand got everything in the pics. This place has plenty of parking, a place for rest with tables and a restroom, water fountains and bike repair station. The trail itself is paved with 2 lanes and there is also a side lane that is dirt, very well kept, but all in all, very flat terrain, super tall trees and still felt great although it was a cold day.

Come here with my running club. It's a hike from north Raleigh but I really enjoy the trail. It's…read moreshaded with beautiful pine (?) trees. There is a private parking lot. It's usually not too busy but can pick up in the spring and summer. There are other parking lots close by if this one is full. It's a flat out and back trail. Spacious trails for walkers, runners, bikers, and apparently horse though I've never seen any. Tons of close by breakfast options for post run.

I think it's the coolest thing that NC has a cross-state trail that allows you to experience the…read morevast range of natural landscapes the state has to offer. This trail, as the name claims, goes from mountains to sea (the trail is best known as the MST). It's cool enough that the state has all of this, even better that a trail connects them. You could hike this 1,175 mile trail from the highest point east of the Mississippi (Mt. Mitchell) down to sea-level at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The trail passes through several state parks, national forests and national parks, not to mention some of the most significant urban centers in the state. There are paddle sections, dirt trails and paved roads - all manner of surfaces. The trail isn't even truly considered complete yet, but you can piece it together as you go. The idea has existed since the 70s and was officially added to the state park system - and the passport program - in 2000. The trail is about half the length of the AT - which it intersects at the beginning, by the way - but fits entirely in the state. It gives you a good idea of just how long it is. I actually only found out about this trail recently despite its age. This is no surprise, as it passes through the north part of the state and I've spent my entire life in the two largest cities it doesn't pass through in the southern part of the state. Somehow this just makes the idea even more novel to me. If you don't know about this trail, read up! Get out there and hike it in one of the 10 state parks it touches. Or, chances are it even goes through your city or town already and, like me, you just didn't know. It will be cool to connect with a piece of Earth that connects the entire length of the state.

An 18 segment trail from Clingmans dome to Jockey's ridge State Park. Segment 1-5 is in the…read moremountains, segment 6-10 is Piedmont, and segment 11-18 is the costal plains and OuterBanks. There is an alternate route from 11A to 16A that is 170 mile paddle route down the Neuse River. Each segments distance varies. Levels of difficulty vary from strenuous to easy. What a fantastic way to see NC. I have not Thru hiked the trail. I have only done portions of segments. I am planning on doing whole segments to complete the entire 1200 mile distance. As well as the paddle portion. Clingmans dome is the second highest point on the east coast at 6,643 feet and what an amazing view. You will cross over Mt Mitchell which is the highest point on the east coast at 6,684 feet. To Jockey's Ridge Dune the largest and tallest active dune in the eastern United States. There are section that take you down paved roads to reconnect with the trail and a couple ferry rides in the outer banks. Places to camp if you do multi day trip, but plan your stops accordingly and research the trail angels for each segment. Explore what NC has to offer, even small sections with-in a segment. And just maybe we will see you on the trail or river. Happy Hiking :-)

Bottom line: Crabtree Creek Greenway is another nice resource provided by the town of Morrisville…read moreto use. Well maintained walkway and bonus that the railroad underpass extension is completed to connect it to Hatcher Creek Greenway, as well as a way to go across a busy road without crossing traffic. I am a fan! The Deets: I have enjoyed walking along Crabtree Creek Greenway recently, with using the greenway/parks resources that the Town of Morrisville provide more so during the pandemic time. It's a nice almost mile and a half greenway path maintained by the town and mainly going beside Cedar Fork District Park with all of its fields and going under the North Carolina Railroad train trestle/bridge so that it links up with Hatcher Creek Greenway in the west. If continuing on in the east, it eventually links up with Cary's greenway that goes on to Lake Crabtree and even Umstead State Park. The path appears to be well maintained by the Town of Morrisville, and well marked with signage as well as provided with benches along the way. There are dog waste stations provided also. Heads up that it is beside part of the park that has the disc golf course, be on the lookout for those flying discs. I like that they completed the railroad underpass section in 2020 with the completion of the new railroad bridge, makes it very nice to use coming in from Hatcher Creek Greenway for an extended walking path. It also links up a way to get to things on the other side of Hwy 54/Chapel Hill Rd without having to actually cross that busy roadway. I enjoy this resource provided by the town and realize it is a great way for the town to give back to the community with a good usable resource.

Beautiful stroller/bike friendly trail. No street traffic sounds. Quite sounds of nature.read more

A lovely place for a hike with nice trails and bathrooms near the trail heads. Lots of convenient…read moreparking.

Umstead is one of my favorite things about the Triangle. I try to visit there several times a…read moremonth. I mostly walk on the paved trails on the Glenwood side, but there are lots of dirt paths too. There are a number of picnic tables and a couple of shelters on the Glenwood side, too.

Trail goes for at least 20 miles and this end of it is compacted soil, so it can be run upon…read morewithout significant damage to one's feet. The surrounding terrain is very reminiscent of the movies you've seen at some time or another of the South, although a bit marshier. Everybody is polite and faster moving vehicles announce themselves, all the way up to the horse riders. The closest analogue trail-wise to me is the Moanalua Valley Trail on Oahu.

I absolutely loved this trail! It is extremely easy to access, with a nicely maintained parking lot…read moreand restrooms before entering the trail. The area is clean, and is easily accessible with a stroller. The trail is well maintained with crushed gravel, and the area around the trail is beautiful. You feel safe, yet can still enjoy being out in the woods and nature. I highly recommend this trail.

A quality rail to trail project, this outdoor attraction adjoins some other parklands, and is far…read moreenough from the downtown of any of the nearby metropolitan areas to be relatively quiet and safe and to offer some interesting views of the countryside. Having said that, it's long enough that there are sections of it for which the verdict is apparently different. Everything was in good condition when I visited, though water fountains in the neighboring park were shut off for the winter.

At first, I thought the trail would be inundated with tobacco products but learned that it was just…read morethe name. The trail goes on forever! We walked for two hours. The scenery was nice and trail was super safe during the day. Highly recommend this trail! There's a lot of trees, bushes, plants, flowers. Some people bike, walk, skateboard, or rollerblade.