trailhead near me Archives - Page 4 of 5

Explore Lake Crabtree County Park – Sail, Fish, Bike, or Hike

Most recently updated September 21st, 2022

Lake Crabtree County Park is arguably the best in-town alternative to a trip to the beach for a quick fix of sand and time on the water.

View of the Observation Tower from the marina

In my opinion, any park where you can take your kids to paddle or even just watch the sun on the water is a big bonus – especially when you don’t have to drive more than 15-20 minutes to get there.

While Bond Lake and Symphony Lake are also centrally located, they don’t have nearly the size or water access afforded by Lake Crabtree.

Ice-sailing on White Bear Lake in Minnesota

I grew up on a large natural lake in Minnesota, with sailboats in the summer and snowmobiles, skis and ice-fishing in the winter.

So lakes make me feel good – and I logged a lot of hours on the Open Play field on the shore of Lake Crabtree when my daughter was little.

These days I spend more time hiking the 6 mile Lake Trail loop than flying kites. But you could do both!

Located in a forested area between Cary, Morrisville, and Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Lake Crabtree County Park offers visitors a 520-acre flood-control lake adjacent to a 215-acre wooded site, with 16-plus miles of trails, picnic areas that are perfect for outdoor games, boating, geocaching and catch-and-release fishing.

Continue reading Explore Lake Crabtree County Park – Sail, Fish, Bike, or Hike

Get Outdoors with Your Toddler at JC Raulston Arboretum

Most recently updated September 22nd, 2022

Years ago, when my daughter was about 3 years old and I was looking for outdoor activities for smaller kids, a friend introduced me to the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh.

For my daughter – and for me, too – it was a magical place.

This was partly because we were living in a rented townhome with not even a minimal yard, and partly because the arboretum really is magical! 🙂

But seriously, it does seem to be getting more difficult to find simple inexpensive fun outdoor activities for toddlers, especially if you don’t have a home with your own yard.

This is a real shame, because toddlers love getting outdoors to run around in the sunshine, play with bugs, and eat dirt.

Part of a border garden at the JC Raulston Arboretum

Fortunately for me, the JC Raulston Arboretum was only a short drive away, and was a great place to get outdoors and explore without any admission or parking fees – or even funnel cakes or anything-on-a-stick that I had to say “no” to.

Fortunately for everyone, although it has grown a lot in the past 20 years, the JC Raulston Arboretum is still a magical and inexpensive place to take young children to play outdoors.

They can feel the sunshine, eat dirt, and maybe learn a few things about trees and plants, too.

Continue reading Get Outdoors with Your Toddler at JC Raulston Arboretum

Prairie Ridge EcoStation – Easy Family Hikes, Fossils and Fun!

Most recently updated January 16th, 2022

A couple of weeks ago, when I was searching for outdoor activities for kids, I saw an event posting for a Fossil Dig at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation.

My initial thought was, “Fossils? Digging? I must go!” 🙂

But first I had to find out more about the Prairie Ridge park.

Bees take advantage of the flowering plants in the Prairie habitat

I learned that the Prairie Ridge Ecostation is the west Raleigh branch of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. The main branch of the Museum was created in 1879, when the State’s agricultural and geological collections were merged.

It’s the largest institution of its kind in the South East and the most visited museum in North Carolina.

The main branch is located in downtown Raleigh and there is a third branch in Whiteville (Columbus County, NC).

The Prairie Ridge Ecostation , located off of Reedy Creek Road in Raleigh, offers outdoor experiences and learning for kids and adults year-round, and charges no admission. Continue reading Prairie Ridge EcoStation – Easy Family Hikes, Fossils and Fun!

Green Exercise – Workout in Nature to Look and Feel Better

Most recently updated January 16th, 2022

If you’ve read any of my other posts, you know that given the choice I most always prefer to be outdoors – hiking, walking, gardening, dining, listening to music and whatever else I can do outside.

Frankly, sometimes my friends and family find my need to be outdoors a little tiresome. To keep the peace, I’ve had to occasionally move activities indoors because they want to be “more comfortable”. Continue reading Green Exercise – Workout in Nature to Look and Feel Better

Walk or Run on Stroller-Friendly Routes in Bond Park

Most recently updated June 21st, 2023

Bond Park and Umstead State Park in Cary, NC are a couple of local places that I go to hike, walk and run that are easy to get to and always deliver a really good experience.

Minimum driving, maximum time on the trail is what I’m usually looking for.

I’ve been using the trails and other park amenities both on my own and with my kids since I first moved to the area in 1996.

Like all of us, the park has changed over time and also – I hope like all of us – has improved with age as well.

Actually, I recently took an afternoon break to walk Bond Park’s Lake Trail, and found significant improvements to all of the the walkways and bridges along the way!

Updated bridge on the Lake Trail in Bond Park.

Read on to learn about the Lake Trail and other trails and combined routes inside Bond Park.

Continue reading Walk or Run on Stroller-Friendly Routes in Bond Park

Umstead State Park: Combining Trails for Longer Hikes

Most recently updated September 30th, 2022

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.

Paved trail beside Big Lake in Umstead State Park

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.

Continue reading Umstead State Park: Combining Trails for Longer Hikes

Easy Guidelines for Hiking to Lose Weight!

Most recently updated January 9th, 2023

So, you’ve been getting into hiking lately, and really love it. You are energized, and less stressed than you’ve been in a while.

You also think you could burn calories hiking and hike to lose weight – and that’s absolutely true!

The question is, do you need to train like you’re going to climb Mount Everest to make it happen?

Probably not.

But wouldn’t you want to be fit enough to hike Everest if you got the chance?

My goal is to always stay fit enough to do anything – whether it’s an afternoon playing disc golf or a week hiking the Inca Trail – with just a little bit of extra training if I need it.
Continue reading Easy Guidelines for Hiking to Lose Weight!

Trail Signs and Tokens – Practical and Sentimental Journeys

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

Whether you’re exploring in the wilderness or taking a fitness jog in a county park, it’s not unusual to find evidence of other people who’ve visited before you.

Trail sign in Palo Duro Canyon NP in Texas

Most often it’s in the form of trail signs giving practical information.

Sometimes personal tokens are left in an attempt to send a wish or a prayer to a loved one, or even to make contact with some greater universal entity.

You might also see official tributes to people who have contributed in some way to that green space.

Sculpture in the Jean Miro park in Barcelona, Spain

Or more simply, art.

Whatever it is and whoever it’s for, signs and tokens left along the trail are an attempt to communicate with others.

Continue reading Trail Signs and Tokens – Practical and Sentimental Journeys

Tips for Your Visit to Arches National Park

Most recently updated July 31st, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes

When I was planning my Utah hiking trip, I asked for advice from hiker friends who had visited the area before:

Which National Parks should I visit? How much time should I allow for each park? Which trails are a must-do?

I was grateful for their insights, and found the advice to be mostly accurate – except for when it came to hiking Arches National Park.

Some feedback I got was that I didn’t need to plan for more than an afternoon at Arches National Park hikes, but we spent a day and a half there and still didn’t get to everything.

Entry to Fiery Furnace are at Arches National Park

While it could be said that Arches isn’t very challenging for expert hikers, there’s no doubt that it is breathtakingly beautiful for everyone!

Continue reading Tips for Your Visit to Arches National Park

Springtime in the Desert – Utah Hiking One Week Plan

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Recently I did some hiking in Utah, specifically visiting several of the famous Utah National Parks. The trip to southern Utah was primarily to hike, but also to take in the beauty of the desert in the Spring.

Hikers on the Queens Garden Trail in Bryce Canyon

Photos can’t convey the scale of the mountains and desert, or the multitude of colors and rock formations we drove through while crossing southern Utah – but I tried anyway.

A few of my pics are in the text below, and you can see more in my detailed posts about Arches National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.

This was our itinerary, maybe it could work for you! Continue reading Springtime in the Desert – Utah Hiking One Week Plan