Riverbend Park features 690 acres with 1.25-miles of shoreline along the Catawba River, and 19.7 miles of trails. You can experience a variety of wildlife habitats that range from fresh water wetlands to upland forest.
Over July 4th weekend our family had the opportunity to meet together at my in-laws on Lake Hickory. I was excited to find RiverBend Park just a few miles away from their home on the lake. It was a pleasant surprise to find this hidden gem with so much to offer.
As stated above, there are a lot of trails (19.7miles) within about 700 acres of land. A link to the trail map can be found here.
In a park like this, you might think that the trails would be crammed together, but this park is well designed so that all the trails meander through different areas of the park. Hiking here gives you a sample of many different topographies and habitats, from riverside and wetlands to pasture lands and mature forests.
I was impressed by how well the trails are maintained. All the trails are marked with clearly legible signposts (color coded) and information maps at every trailhead.
I started out early on Sunday morning and I met only 2 or 3 other hikers during my hike. I found the trails on the Catawba River the most enjoyable. This portion of the river is below Lake Hickory (Oxford Dam). It is very peaceful without any boat traffic. I encountered deer, turkey, rabbits and many species of birds on the trail.
As stated in another Post, I am in the process of recovering from some foot issues. This was actually my first hike in many weeks (too many), so I was eager to see how I would do. I was also testing out my new purchase of Hoka SpeedGoat 4’s. (which by the way – they were fantastic!). The terrain here in the park was gentle, with very little elevation changes. The surfaces ranged from pine needles to grass to worn paths in the woods. This was a good test for me without a lot of climbing and hard surfaces.
Thankfully I was able to easily complete 6 miles and my feet felt like I could continue on for many more. There is much more to see at RiverBend Park and I look forward to exploring more of the trails on a future trip.
Once again, I am glad to be back hiking and I hope to be back on the Mountains to Sea Trail soon!