The Neuse River Recreation Area, locally known as Flanner’s Beach, is off of Highway 70 between Havelock and New Bern, North Carolina. Sitting along the Neuse River and part of the Croatan National Forest, this area features a beach, picnic area, campground and hiking/bicycling trail. I was going to be in New Bern yesterday afternoon and decided to visit this trail on my way home. It was a nice Spring day and we’d been having some plesantly warm weather, so I was hopeful I might come across some wildflowers. Apparently it’s still a little bit early.

The trail system at this recreation area consists of a loop around the campground with a couple of small loops off of that plus one fairly large loop out into the woods. The section circling the campground is paved, as are the two smaller loops. the longer loop is covered with fine pea gravel. The trails are open to bicyclists and hikers alike. Walking parallel to the river from the picnic parking area will put you on the trail. Taking the longer loop around until it meets with the campground route, then back to the parking area will net about a 2 mile hike. While not a huge stroll it is a pretty area with the woods being a mix of pine and hardwoods. The trail crosses a small swampy area via a boardwalk, adding to the variety of terrain. One big plus for this trail is that when everything else is wet, muddy and nasty it provides a dry and comfy trail for stretching your legs. While the Neuse River Recreation Area trail isn’t the longest or most demanding in the area, it makes a great place to take the family, introduce a “tenderfoot” to nature, or to incorporate a picnic with a little excercise. It’s definately well worth a vist.

I visited the Patsy Pond Nature Trail last tuesday, March 23, 2010. I was hoping that the trend of nice weather might have triggered the wild flowers to start popping up. Unfortunately I didn’t see any wild flowers. However, I thought it might be worth mentioning that the back section of the Yellow trail is still underwater. There is an unmarked detour. Where the Yellow route turns left and runs behind the big pond, follow the unmarked path forward instead. There was a small tree with an orange and a blue ribbon tied around it at that junction. Keep bearing left… i.e. anytime the unmarked trails give you a fork or tee, go left. You’ll eventually meet back up with the marked trail past the other end of the big pond.

Precipitation has been the keyword for Winter 2010 in Eastern North Carolina. Rain, rain and more rain and now, a very significant snow fall! It’s almost unheard of… 4, 5, even 6 inches and more snow for Coastal Carolina! The snow cover certainly made for some unusual landscapes. Combined with all the rain, it’s also taking a toll on the accessibility of local hiking trails. Take the Patsy Pond trail for example. I visited the trail the afternoon following the snow storm and, fortunately, I’d made the hike wearing waders. About 1/2 the way around the yellow loop trail sections started looking more like a stream than a hiking trail. In fact I waded water that was over kneed deep! I’ve been visiting this trail for a number of years and have always considered it a great choice when the weather is wet. Below are a coupld of images from Febuary, 13, 2010 showing the snow storm. One shows the Patsy Pond trail looking like a stream. The other shows a marsh area bordering the Newport River and Neusiok Trail.

As I’ve mentioned before the Neusiok Trail section along the Neuse river is my favorite section however, the section that crosses Mill Creek road and leads to the Newport river is a close second. The portion that I enjoy runs from a bit beyond the Blackjack Lodge, crosses Millcreek Road, and terminates at Oyster Point on the Newport River. Unfortunately, unless one has come down the Neusiok from further above, or back tracks up to the shelter and back, it’s not a convenient day hike. From the road to Oyster point, however, the trail runs 1.7 miles and makes a nice hike. By using the gravel road that runs back to the adjacent campground you can enjoy a nice loop through the Croatan Forest. Look for song birds, raptors, wild flowers, deer and fox along the trail.

The Pincliff Recreation area is located on the Neuse river, near the Cherry Branch ferry terminal. Part of the Croatan National Forest, it is the location of the northern most trail-head of the Neusiok Trail. It is, in my personal opinion, the prettyest section of the trail. Here the trail parallels the river for about 1.8 miles before cutting into the forest towards it’s Newport River terminous, 21 miles away. From the perspective of someone that enjoys avian and wildlife photography it is not the most productive location in the area, but there are almost always a few opportunities to take a shot. Common sightings include Red Headed woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Cardinals and other small birds. The occasional Belted Kingfisher and various shore birds can also be seen. Early spring through early fall Osprey are usually present. On one occassion I did watch a Bald Eagle fly over, though I haven’t seen it since and have no idea if it has a home in the area. Photographers into shoot landscapes or taking macro images will find this a very productive area. It’s also a great hike for nature enthusiasts.

The Tideland Trail at Cedar Point, NC is part of the Croatan National Forest. It is located on VFW Road, just off of NC 58, 1 1/4 miles north of NC 24. The area includes a camp ground, a boat launch, a picnic area and two loop trails: 1.3 miles and .6 miles in length respectively. The trails meander through a salt marsh, along the White Oak River and through the woods. Wooden foot bridges provide easy access across wet areas. The trail is graveled and smooth. The site is wheel chair accessible. There is a flush toilet located at the trail-head.

This is an excellent location for viewing a variety of birds year round. The last two or three years there has been a nesting pair of Osprey on site Spring through Fall. Great Egret and Great Blue Heron are almost always present. Other commonly viewed birds around the salt marsh include; Red-tail hawk, Fish Crow, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tri-color Heron, Boat-tail Grackle, Red Wing Blackbird, and belted Kingfisher. Forest birds include: Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Northern Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Carolina Wren, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker. Of course I’ve also seen Laughing Gull and Brown Pelican as well as Cardinals, Yellow Legs and others.

The site is popular with locals for dog walking, bird watching and fitness walks. Bird photographers should expect a lot of interruptions on weekends, especially during the summer months. Early weekday mornings during the cooler months are usually best if you want to avoid noisey hikers. The gravel covered trail is a bit noisey so approaching skiddish birds can be challenging. Many of the feathered residents are somewhat used to people and stay fairly calm when being photographed. This would be an excellent location for someone that photographs from a kayak. Bring bug spray in the warmer months. Be aware sighting a poisonous snake wouldn’t be impossible in this location.

For folks new to bird watching or wildlife photography it’s always a good idea to wear earth tones. Greens, browns, etc. will help you be less noticeable to the birds. Talk quietly and try not to scuff your feet to get closer veiws of the birds. There are a number of wooden benches set in place along the trail. In most cases the benches correlate with good bird watching locations.

I’ve been aware for the Island Creek trail for nearly as long as I’ve lived in eastern North Carolina but I’d never visited it.  Everything I could find online about it always said it was a 1/2 mile loop trail.  A 30+ minute drive always seemed a bit out of the way for a 1/2 mile hike. I was in the vicinity of this trail one day with a some time to kill so I decided to check it out. There is a lot more hiking opportunity at the site than normally reported. The site actually contains 4 loop trails plus to interconnecting trails. By walking the paremeter of the outer edges of the loop trails and the two connecting trails the reported hike is about 5 miles in duration. Now that’s a worth while day hike! Apparently the original 1/2 mile loop is the only segment managed by the Forest Service. The remaining trails are blazed and maintained by… well… I don’t really know. Perhaps a local wildlife club or some other organization. Regardless of who’s set it up, it’s all clearly marked and there are accurate maps available at the trail head.

On my first visit I explored part of Loop 1, the Interect Trail, part of Loop 2 and the Natcy trail. Accordingly to my pedometer I walked approximately 3 miles. It was a very picturesque and pleasant hike. The terrain and fauna is a bit different that I usually see in eastern North Carolina. It put me more in mind of the forests of the Midwest. Loop 1 and the intersect trails parallel the creek winding through a hardwood forest. There are some limestone outcroppings and bluffs along the way… A very unusual site for Coastal Carolina. Loop 4 runs through the more typical pine forest. It is not as well blazed and when I visited it, parts of it were under ankle deep water. I’d like to revisit that section after a bit of a dry period. To visit the Island Creek Forest Walk trail take US 70 S from New Bern to NC 1004. 8 miles to trail.