Outdoors Back to Nature

Summer is not my favorite season, but many families enjoy spending summer vacation in North Carolina’s Great Outdoors(from the Mountains to the Coast). It is a great time for a host of water activities: white water rafting/kayaking/tubing, water skiing, sailing, surfing, boogy boarding, fishing, canoeing, pleasure boating, etc… and North Carolina has some great recreational Streams, Rivers, Lakes, Sounds and Beaches. The word is Flounder fishing is still productive at Carolina Beach, the Cape Fear River, and Tubbs Inlet(southern coast). All the Piers on the southern coast are reporting decent catches of Sea Mullet, Pompano and Spots. The Oak Island & Topsail Island Piers are reporting decent catches of Spanish Mackerel. Specaled Trout fishing is improving in the southern portion of Cape Fear River, with the bonus of good Red Drum catches. The John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center (Lake Rim, Fayetteville, NC) is hosting two events in September. The first event is Ducks Unlimited’s David Varnedoe Greenwing Adventure on September 13th(2-5 pm). This is a fishing day for children under 17 yrs.old. The cost is $20.00/person, which includes: rod&reel, tackle, T-shirt, hat and 1 yr. membership in Ducks Unlimited Greenwing(call 910-237-5951). The 2nd event celebrates National Hunting & Fishing Day(September 26th). The NC Wildlife Resources Commission is sponsoring a Wildlife Expo. Families are invited to come learn about Wildife Conservation, with 14 exhibits and demonstrations and enjoy fishing at the old Hatchery. Call Kris Smith @ 910-868-5003, ext. 14.     
 

A little news for canoe and kayak enthusiests. The Sampson County Parks and Recreation and Friends of Sampson County Waterways are teaming up again to offer another Community Paddle Trip, on Sunday, September 13th. The trip will be on the South River, for more information call 910-299-0924. The Cape Fear River offers a decent whitewater trip(for the Peidmont) between Buckhorn Dam and Erwin. A good place to put in is the Ross Road Wildlife Ramp. The 7.9 mile trip starts off slow and speeds up several miles down stream with more rocks and faster current. The last 2miles are the most exciting, where the river drops 10 feet/mile and some ClassII rapids. Of course the Mountain Rivers offer big fun and challenges to more adventurous paddlers. Rivers of note are: French Broad, Nantahala and the New River(preported to be one of the oldest rivers in the World). The coast is also a fun place to KAYAK. On September 19th, the Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation is offering kayaking trip to Zeke’s Island, which is close to Fort Fisher. Interested people ages 8 & up must pre-register by September 4th. The group will leave at 6:15 am and return around 7:00 pm. The cost is $45.00/person, which includes all equipment and transportation. For more information, call Lake Rim Park @ 424-6134.   

 This year is the 75th anniversary of Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The park covers 520,000 acres on the mountainous border of North Carolina and Tennessee. It boasts one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth(designated an International Biosphere Reserve). A September 2nd ceremony at Newfound Gap will celebrate the park dedication by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The park offers over 800 miles of hiking trails including a long section of the famous Appalachian Trail. If you love camping, there are four different types of camping: Front Country(10 areas, near parking, bathrooms, fire grates & picnic tables); Back Country(17 sites,for back packers, shelters, reservations #865- 436-1297); Group Campgrounds(7 sites, tents only, reservations #877-444-6777) and Horse Camps(5 sites, reservations #877-444-6777). For people who want more amenities, they can hike 5-8 miles(depending on the route)to Le Conte Lodge, at the summit of Mount Le Conte(elev. 6,593 Ft.). For reservations call 865-429-5704.       

I was in the Mayesville area(Onslow County side of river) on June 11th and noticed White Oak River Campground and White Oak River Outfitters right there on US 17 Highway. The campground offer sites for tents, RVs and trailor campers. Fishing ponds(fee) canoe and kayak rentals are also available. Your White Oak River paddling trip starts at the campgrounds almost narrow enough to jump across and widens as you paddle toward the coast. As you paddle through the Croatan National Forest, seclusion is yours as you veiw some 1500 year old Cypress trees and other unspoiled scenery along the river. There are four landings between the campground and the Stella Road bridge. The fisherman along the southern coast are experiencing good catches on the piers and offshore. Check out a fishing tournament in the NE coastal plain “Alligator White Perch Tournament” on June 27th(see Palmetto Peartree Preserve in 3rd paragraph). A boat trip on the Cape Fear River can be a rewarding and relaxing experience. If you do not have your own boat you can take advantage of River Cruises offered in Fayetteville and Wilmington. Freddie Mims offers Pontoon trips from Cambellton Landing(Fayetteville) to Wilmington. The cruise lasts two days/one night and includes camping at Lock No.1 near Riegelwood, with three hot meals. Freddie Mims is well versed in local history along the way and experience going through three lock & dam systems. Wildlife sightings are also a bonus, ranging from wild turkeys to alligators. For more information call Mr. Mims @ 910-391-1246 or 910-630-1475. Cape Fear River Boats, Inc. in Wilminton, NC offers a variety of river cruise opportunities. They have a 4 hour nature oriented trip up the Black River(recognized by the Audobon Society). They also offer Dinner cruises and Narrated Lunch & Sightseeing cruises on the Cape Fear River. Private cruises are also available. For more information check out www.cfrboats.com   Clark Park Nature Center in Fayetteville is offering several events in June. On June 13th you can enjoy a 2 hour Pontoon Boat Tour of the Cape Fear River, join a park ranger and a historian for an interpretive tour at 11:00 am-1:00 pm. On June 11th(11:00 am-noon) come for Snakes Alive!, a hands-on program about the dangers and yes, benefits of snakes in our environment. For bird enthusiasts on June 16th(9:00 am-1:00 pm, ages 16 & up) the nature center will host a Birding Identification Program. It will help participants indentify Neo-Tropical Migratory birds by sight and sound and also cover biology, habitats & life cycles. They even have something for you Star Gazers out there. On June 26th(8:30 pm-10:00 pm) a local Astronomer and park ranger will help participants explore constellations, planets and other heavenly bodies. For more information and to register for any of these events, call 910-433-1579.  

June is also a great month to go camping in the NC Mountains. There are so many State Parks, State Forests, National Parks, National Forests and private campgrounds to choose from, it may take you a while to decide which one to visit. My personal favorites are Stone Mountain State Park(yes NC has one too) and Hanging Rock State Park. They both have good facilities, great hiking trails, magnificent views and beautiful water falls. I almost forgot, Hanging Rock State Park also has great Horse Riding Trails. Speaking of horse riding, I found a farm in Sampson County, NC that offers a Summer(horse riding)Camp this June 15-19 and July 6-10. The Ban-Lynn Farm at 2432 Hobbs Road, near Roseboro offers children 5-12 yrs. a camp for beginners as well as advanced riders. Each session ends with a family cook-out at 5:00 pm follwed by a Horse Show(to show off their new skills). Camp hours are 9:00 am-3:00 pm, but the camp also offers After Camp Care until 5:30 pm for an extra $10.00/day/child. The camp fee is $250.00/camper with a 10% discount for siblings. For more info on the Farm see www.banlynnfarm.com  

Check Out NC’s Newest Nature Preserve, Palmetto Peartree Preserve. The preserve offers a variety of opportunities: BIRDING, HIKING, BIKING, HORSEBACK RIDING, WILDLIFE VIEWING, PADDLING, FISHING & CAMPING. You might see the Rare Red Wolf or Red Cockaded Woodpecker and many other animals you will not find in more populated areas of NC. The Preserve is located in Tyrell county(NE coastal plain) near Columbia. For more info and detailed direstions check www.palmettopeartree.org


 

 The Back To Nature Outdoors Adventure Store    

Get 20% Off Any Single Regularly Priced Moosejaw Item Sitewide with coupon code 206!

July is quickly coming to a close, but we have all of August and most of September to enjoy a Variety of summer outdoor activities across North Carolina. On the Coast the fishing will get better as fall approaches. The NC beaches are also the premier location on the East Coast for surfing. Cape Hatteras National Seashore is great for surfers who prefer less company. Wrightsville Beach and other Beachfront Towns along the coast, have good waves but more fellow surfers, swimmers and sunbathers. The NC coastal waters are aslo a great place to scuba dive. While we do not have any barrier reefs, we do have plenty of shipwrecks to exlpore(many are off Cape Hatteras). A popular destination for Sailing Vessels(and crew) is Oriental, NC on the Neuse River and Inland Water Way. In Wilmington, NC the paddle boat Henrietta III offers Cape Fear River Cruises(including dinner cruises)April-December.

Heading inland you can find plenty of watersport opportunities. White Lake in Bladen County is a popular destination for waterski enthusiests. In the piedmont we have many large lakes that can handle waterskiing traffic and still provide quiet fishing in the numerous coves along the shorelines(Kerr Lake, Lake Gaston, Falls Lake, Lake Norman, Jordan Lake, etc.). Largemouth Bass is the most sought after prize. The serious Bass Fishermen(and women) start 30 minutes before sunrise and usually prefer an overcast day. Buzzbait is the lure of choice in the summer months. The bass are more active this time of year and excitement from an explosive strike, can add to the experience. The mountain region of NC is usually cooler during the summer months(than the other regions). It has many great places for the hiking enthusiests, rivers for rafting and kayaking, and trout fishing streams. THE DAN RIVER