The Zombie Tunnel Hike is a route that goes from Umstead State Park, and all the way through Carl Alwin Schenck Memorial Forest – with the help of the Richland Creek Trail.
I’ve been leading this hike for years, and people really enjoy it.
At over 11 miles, it’s a good long hike, but it’s pretty flat, and has a lot of different features – like Zombie tunnels!
Okay, there may not *actually* be any Zombies, but it sure looks like there could be….and one time I did find a mutant fish in there 🙂
I don’t host this hike very often because conditions need to be just right or the route is impassable, and I hate to disappoint anyone.
The other thing about this route is that, depending on recent weather conditions or new construction, parts of the trail have been known to disappear like Brigadoon at sunrise.
So earlier this year, before I posted the hike for others to join me, I decided to take a look and see if the route was still there – and still the same.
Good news! The route was still there – and still mostly the same. In fact some parts had actually been improved!
Now – just in time for Halloween! – I’ll tell you what I found, and how to get there – and maybe you can go try this somewhat spooky trail for yourself…
UPDATE: There have been some major changes to the Schenck Forest access area over the past few months. Read on for more updated info.
The forecast called for highs in the 90’s, which is pretty hot for hiking, but it’s better than thunderstorms, so I stuck to the plan.
It’s been my habit to visit Hanging Rock every year in the early Spring, but this year the parks were closed due to COVID restrictions during the milder weather.
Most State Parks are at least partially open now, and the weather will only get warmer, so it was time to go!
Summer Heat is Back
Every year in North Carolina, sometime between March and late June, there’s a moment when you step outside and get smacked in the face with hot, humid air.
And you suddenly remember what Summer feels like in all of it’s intense sweaty glory. 🙂
We had a few hot days earlier this year, but this past week Summer let us know it’s really here to stay.
Summer includes higher temps, higher humidity and changes to the weather pattern. If you’re smart, it should include some some changes to your workout routine, too.
If you’re planning on doing anything really strenuous outdoors, you should probably get going as early as possible.
Not only will the heat get more intense later in the day, but we usually have a pretty good chance of heavy storms – possibly with lightning – in the late afternoon.
So my plan was to hit the road early, get to the Park by 9ish and be done hiking before the storms rolled in.
Midweek Field Trip to Hanging Rock
I’ve been to Hanging Rock many times over the years, so I decided to try something a little different this time.
Instead of parking as usual at the Visitor’s Center (which is currently closed due to COVID restrictions anyway), I decided to park at the Tory’s Den parking lot and hike from there.
The Tory’s Den parking gives you access to the Ruben Mountain trail, plus Tory’s Den and Falls.
You can also get on the trail to Moore’s Knob from there as well – but be aware that it’s a 1 mile hike from the parking lot to get to the start of both Ruben Mountain Trail and Moore’s Wall Loop, so you need to add 2 miles to figure total distance.
I’d hiked to Moore’s Knob before, but hadn’t hiked Ruben Mountain so I started with that trail.
Ruben Mountain Trail – 6ish mile loop
The Ruben Mountain Trail starts 1 mile from the parking area. It’s about 4 miles total, but with the additional miles to and from the parking, just to do the Ruben Mountain trail is around 6 miles.
The trail is wide and lined with split-rail fences in some sections, and you can tell it’s a favorite trail for horseback riders.
It’s an okay trail, mostly flat and would be a great trail running route if you lived locally.
But I wouldn’t recommend traveling that far (it’s a 2 hour drive for me) just to hike the Ruben Mountain Trail.
I contemplated going up the hill to Moore’s Knob, but realized that would add another 4.5 miles to the 6 miles I’d already done, and I still wanted to be sure to see Tory’s Den and Falls before it was time to go.
So I walked back down the to the intersection with Tory’s Den Trail.
The hike to Tory’s Falls was a soft dirt trail, mostly downhill.
After crossing a couple of streams, and finally going down a few flights of wooden steps, I stepped onto a large rock outcropping.
On the other side of a river channel were Tory’s Falls. It was a great place for a break 🙂
After eating an apple and chugging some water, I continued down more wooden steps (!) to Tory’s Den.
History of Tory’s Den
During the American Revolution, Whig (revolutionaries) and Tory (loyal to Britain) neighbors occasionally clashed.
One of these skirmishes occurred in 1778 at Hanging Rock State Park.
The Tory’s Den (the cave shown above) was home to about 100 British sympathizers who lost their property to the Whigs after the war began.
After a Tory raid, the Whigs retaliated by attacking the den. No Whigs were lost in the skirmish and most of the Tories were taken prisoner.
THE TRAIL continues down a little bit further, but you can’t get close to the water due to vegetation along the banks.
Current Park Restrictions
I climbed back up all of those stairs (!) and drove about 6 miles to the Visitors Center parking area, where I hiked a couple of the shorter waterfall trails before making the drive back home.
Though the swimming area at the lake is closed for COVID-19, people can still swim in the waterfalls 🙂
Unfortunately, the Visitor’s Center (and restrooms) are currently closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.
There are restrooms available at the bathhouse. (To see current conditions and restrictions at all State Parks, click here.)
Puppy Hike and Bond Park Run
The middle of the week was even hotter at home!
I contented myself through the rest of the week with some kickboxing, treadmill running and weights indoors, a shorter outdoor morning run at Bond Park, and took the puppy on a shady greenway hike to Annie Jones Park and Lake Pine.
Hot, Hot, Hot! This Week’s Long Hike – 12.5 miles
This week’s long hike was on a very hot day, but we started pretty early.
The route began on the Loblolly Trail in Umstead State Park and followed Loblolly into Schenck Forest and back out onto the Reedy Creek Greenway.
The rest of the route would continue to follow the greenway all the way to the North Carolina Museum of Art Park.
(The Museum buildings and restrooms are still closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, so we made sure to take advantage of facilities at Umstead before heading out.)
Half of the group turned back to do a shorter 6.5 mile hike options, and the rest of us continued on along the Reedy Creek Trail.
Working remotely doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors – in fact, it’s healthier for you to take breaks and get outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine!
Being stuck indoors by yourself – or with your kids – with no end in sight could make you nuts.
Getting out on the trail on your own, or with 10 or fewer members of your family or friends, could help bring you back from Crazy Town.
If you’re a hiker local to Cary or Raleigh, NC, you know the nearby hiking places, and have been on the trails.
They’re beautiful, have varied terrain and are easily accessible.