Add chairs to the list of what trail runners stumble upon.  

By chairs, I mean the relaxing kind, the back-porch-on-a-Sunday-evening kind in which slowing down is possible. 

Last summer, some gracious soul(s) left two of these chairs overlooking Lake Brandt just steps away from the City of Greensboro’s Palmetto Trail. I had made my run beginning on the Nat Greene Trail, connecting to the paved portion of the Atlantic and Yadkin (A&Y) Greenway and then to the end of the Palmetto. 

 Walking back along the Palmetto felt like only a slight run recovery. It was hot, somehow muggy and dry at the same time, and I wondered at how challenging the distance had been. 

 Then, I spied those chairs. 

 The stillness and relative silence while sitting there felt like a true rest – rare while we’re busy with work, family, deadlines, driving, endless social media scrolling, etc. 

 And, like a good Millennial, I took a photo with my iPhone for an Instagram post, hence why you have the photo above. 

 The experience made me think of everything on the list of what trail runners come across: 

 Jutting roots and rocks. 

Spider webs. 

Squirrels. 

Occasional snake. 

Deer behind the trees. 

A wild turkey journeying alone. 

Once: a roughly foot-tall white mushroom shaped like the Holy Grail. 

Entire trails can feel like unique finds when you just start running them one day. Among the many differences between trail running and road running is the feeling of arrival (hopefully not just your foot arriving at a thick tree root). Trail running feels like arriving a something new over and over again. The bends, hills, holes and sticks constantly present something fresh to process mentally and physically. Placement of each stride matters. 

For me, running on the street or track for however long is linear. Your arrival in this sense is at the end of the 5K or half-marathon – the triumphant end point you’ve been daydreaming about for all those miles. It is beneficial to not dwell on each stride. 

Whatever your preference is, I highly suggest that stretch of interconnected trails in Greensboro that includes the Nat Greene Trail, Palmetto Trail and the A&Y Greenway. The latter is paved along the Lake Brandt portion, so if that’s your flavor, you get the lake and wooded views all on a smooth surface. If you’re just getting into trail running or looking for a highly accessible trail running experience, the stretch I outline is a perfect four miles or so. I love a good long drive to a remote mountain trail as much as the next person, but more often I need to hit a trail on the same Saturday filled with my boys’ soccer games, mowing the yard, and grilling dinner. 

The City of Greensboro has a webpage detailing the trails if you want to plan your visit: Hiking Trails | Greensboro, NC (greensboro-nc.gov)  

I recommend parking at the Lake Brandt Marina (5945 Lake Brandt Road) to start at the Nat Greene Trail or start at the other end by parking in a small lot off Old Battleground Road and beginning down the Palmetto. 

Enjoy the time if you make your way out there. The chairs are no longer in the same spot, but it will be interesting to see what else you stumble upon. 

 

 

 

The Piedmont Triad region is host to a fast-growing array of biking trails and areas that cater to all skill levels and abilities. Whether you want to spend the weekend exploring the vast expanse of the Uwharrie National forests, or just sneak off during your lunch break for a quick ride on some slightly more urban trails, there are plenty of options to get out and ride your bike in the area!

Rich Fork Preserve (High Point) – A hidden gem, tucked right in the middle of the city, Rich Fork Preserve has 2.2 miles of well marked, well maintained multi use trails packed with berms, rollers, moderately steep climbs and descents, and creek crossings. The trails are easy to access with ample parking, and great for a quick getaway into the woods. Also, there is a new phase of development coming soon, so keep an eye out for new trails here!

Farris Memorial Park (Mayodan) – A great little trail system in Rockingham County, Farris Park offers a beginner friendly 1 mile inner loop as well as a more challenging 2 mile outer loop. The trails feature lots of switchbacks, stream crossings and rock gardens, all while meandering through old growth hardwood and mixed pine forests. Mayodan Parks and Recreation also offers bike rentals for a nominal fee with youth sized bikes available, making Farris Park a great place to try out mountain biking!

Kernersville Bike Park – A 27 acre park located just minutes from downtown, Kernersville Bike Park offers a 3.9 mile bidirectional loop full of unique features. The main trail is great for beginner to intermediate riders, with more advanced options for experienced riders. Some of the advanced features include drops, wooden roller coaster features, and a downhill berm section. The park features a large parking lot with primitive bathrooms and a changing station. 

Country Park (Greensboro) – Country Park offers several miles of cross country riding with the Copperhead and Lakeside trails, a freeride zone for more adventurous riders, and a 1.5 mile paved loop for those who like to keep their tires planted firmly on the ground. Copperhead is a more intermediate trail featuring lots of rocks, roots, climbs and descents with an optional jump line. If you want even more jumps, the freeride zone is packed full of advanced features to really test your skills with big jumps and tight berms. And if all of that is too wet but you still have the itch to get a ride in, the paved trail is a great option!

Moore’s Springs Trails (Hanging Rock) – Located within Hanging Rock State Park in the northern part of the Piedmont, Moore’s Springs offers 20 miles of top tier trails with something for every skill level from the Hognose trail for beginners, all the way up to the aptly named Rattler trail for the more seasoned riders. The park is split by Moore’s Spring road, with the southern portion featuring old school hand-built singletrack, with modern machine built trails all the way up to the banks of the Dan river making up the northern section. All trails loop back to a great parking and picnic area and there are plenty more amenities including camping nearby in the main area of the state park

Owl’s Roost (Greensboro) – One of the premier trails in Greensboro, Owl’s Roost offers 3.7 miles of technical riding along the scenic shores of Lake Brandt and Horsepen Creek with lots of dips, turns, and hills. It was voted best urban bike trail in the country by Bicycling Magazine all the way back in 2003 and is still in prime form 20 years later. The trail is part of Bur-Mill Park in northwest Greensboro which offers several more mellow trails and other amenities if that’s more your speed.

Uwharrie National Forest – Being the only national forest area in the Piedmont, it’s no surprise that Uwharrie offers miles of trails to enjoy. The Wood Run trails offer 22 miles of mountain bike specific trails with plenty of steeps, rocks and roots, creek crossings to keep you entertained, and plenty of space for long rides. If that’s not enough, there’s plenty more multi use trails throughout the national park area. Uwharrie also offers cabin rentals, campgrounds, as well as free dispersed campsites all over the park, so it’s a great destination to stay a while and enjoy all the park has to offer!

Salem Lake (Winston Salem) – If a more leisurely ride is what you’re after, the Salem Lake loop is an excellent option! The 7 mile loop offers lots of scenic views of the lake, with plenty of great spots to stop and rest along the way. The trail is wide enough for uninterrupted bidirectional traffic, and is lined with gravel to allow for riding in damp conditions. The wide well maintained trail could also be a great option for adaptive cycling equipment. Parking is available at each end of the lake, with a paved lot at the Salem Lake marina, and a small gravel lot accessible from Linville road.

Many of our mountain bike trails are meticulously maintained by volunteers for the love of the sport so it is imperative that we treat all our trails with respect. Check for trail closures before riding, never ride on wet or damaged trails, and as always, leave no trace! If you would like to volunteer to help maintain trails in the area, please contact the Piedmont Fat Tire Society.

The Yadkin River has seen usage since the earliest settlements in the Americas, being utilized not only by the settlers in the early 18^th century but also before this time period by the indigenous peoples of North America. In fact, we can still see remnants of its use by these groups of people still today. Evidence of these early settlements are still able to be seen today in the form of weirs found all over the Yadkin River, however, it is important to remember not to damage or change the weirs if found. Historical information like this and more can be found in the Yadkin River State Blueways Trail. This Blueways guide was able to be made through the collaboration of NCTriad and YadkinRiverKeeper. Having all the information you could need about the Yadkin River from interesting historical facts to all of the paddling access points to the river. The goal of this guide was to provide people of the outdoors the accessibility to all of this information at their fingertips (not only in the form of a brochure but also a web guide available here ) , giving more people the ability to use the Yadkin River for recreational use. A constant goal of state parks is to give the population the opportunity to explore and experience new places and activities and this Blueways guide is an example of that. However, we mustn’t forget that with all of the use of the Yadkin River we must also keep it clean and safe so that people will be able to continue using the Yadkin River for centuries to come. Practicing Leave No Trace is a good way to ensure this and there are other safety protocols inside the guide itself. Practicing Leave No Trace looks like planning ahead and preparing, traveling and camping on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife, and finally being considerate of others. These are the 7 principles of Leave No Trace and they are important to follow in order to keep our State Rivers and outdoors safe.

What do publicly accessible trails and greenways mean to us? The answer undoubtably took on new meaning and importance in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, even if the question has always been vital. A group of forward-thinking and outdoor-minded stakeholders framed the question at a state scale to see what can happen when attention, advocacy, and funding can come together around trail development. Several trail organizations, including the Piedmont Legacy Trails, formed the Great Trail State Coalition (GTSC) to increase awareness of the benefits of trails and advocate for State funding. The idea was to build on the increased trail usage during the COVID-19 pandemic and the addition of six State Trails in two years.

After the GTSC decided to request the NC General Assembly to designate 2023 as the Year of the Trail (YOTT), the year is in full swing. Organizations of all kinds are holding events in all 100 counties, which also court elected officials so they can see first-hand the value of trails to all who live, work and visit North Carolina.

To make this year a big success, GSTC hired consultants and invested in a multimedia campaign including a website, toolkit for events, calendar, videos, social media, radio and billboards. Check out the work here: https://greattrailsnc.com.

In Randolph County, the Heart of NC Visitor Bureau/Tourism Development Authority (TDA) is featuring the YOTT on the 2023 Travel Guide along with its 25th Anniversary. The TDA also is providing promotional materials including banners, yard signs, stickers and T-shirts for all the YOTT events.

Randolph County Trails has 12 YOTT events planned and the 2023 Healthy Communities Monthly Hikes and Fall Mayor’s Fitness Challenge feature the YOTT monthly themes. Both are free and all are welcome. So far YOTT events included First Day Outdoors in Franklinville in January, Worthville Boat Access Ribbon Cutting in March, and Asheboro’s Center City Garden Ground Breaking on April 29. Each event featured a YOTT banner, signs, stickers and attracted many elected officials. Check the Heart of NC Event Round Up site for events planned for the rest of the year.

Deep River Trail in Franklinville	Worthville Boat Access Ribbon Cutting	Asheboro’s Center City Garden Ground Breaking

The Ivy Bluff Trail is one of the trails in Pilot Mountain State Park.  You’ll find the Ivy Bluff Trail south of the Yadkin River in Yadkin County.  This trail has less foot traffic than the trails in the main section of the park.  Park in a gravel lot off of Shoals Road (GPS: 36.254240, -80.508324).  Follow the red circles as you will travel downhill through the woods to reach the banks of the Yadkin River.  Traveling alongside the river you will find several rock outcrops in the river to sit and enjoy the scenic views or have a picnic lunch.  Along the way you will pass through a small campground, designated for paddlers who have stopped to rest.  The trail loops back around through the woods to bring you right back to the gravel parking lot.  The total trail length is 1.2 miles and is considered “moderate” difficulty.