The Falls Lake Trail and the Mountains to Sea Trail run concurrently along the southern border of the undisturbed water reservoir of Falls Lake, extending well beyond the reaches of the Eno River to the west and the Neuse River at the Falls Lake Dam to the East. Even though there are many access points and being in close proximity to the metropolitan area surrounding Raleigh, the trail feels as if you are hours away from any traffic or cities.
Hikes 22 and 23 of the 40 Hike Challenge give the hiker an excellent opportunity to experience the diversity that exists around Falls Lake. Since both of these are related to Falls Lake, I decided to include their hike descriptions in the same post.
Hike #22: The Falls Lake Trail
Distance: 4.5 miles one way
Degree of difficulty: Moderate
Elevation Change: Gain, 461 feet; loss, 566 feet
Source: Great Day Hikes of North Carolina’s Mountains – to – Sea Trail
Hike 22 is another example of why it is important to always check the trail updates on the Mountains to Sea website when planning your trip. The guide lists this hike as hiking west from Baptist Rd to Jimmy Rogers Rd, however the latest update (as of Nov 2021) indicates that there has been a lot of mischief and vandalism at this parking area so they recommend an out and back or hiking further. Since I was being dropped off, I elected to be dropped off at the Jimmy Rogers Rd trailhead and hike East to Baptist Rd.
I was glad I wore my blaze orange because I spotted 3 hunters in less than a mile from starting. Otherwise there were no issues, and they were cordial. Starting from this western trailhead, I was immediately overwhelmed with the beauty of the lake. Shortly after the parking area, the trail briefly follows a power line clearing and after a short path through the woods, it emerges at the Lick Creek footbridge on the edge of the lake.
Immediately after leaving the bridge, the trail begins the trek through the woods and continues to skirt the edge of the lake’s fingers throughout the majority of the 4.5 miles.
It is easy to find some relaxing spots to rest and take in the beauty of the lake. One thing that overwhelmed me was the quietness of both trails. It was early on a Saturday morning and I met the occasional hiker, but the background noise was only the sound of the wind and the waves hitting the lakeshore.
The walking surface was a comfortable mix of freshly fallen leaves and pine needles. The trail gently rose and fell so that the overall hike was easy to moderate. The forest in this area was a surprising combination of newer pines and hardwoods.
As stated earlier, this was hunting season and a large portion of the hike is on game land property. The boundaries are clearly marked, and as long as you are wearing blaze orange you will have no issues.
Hike #23: Fall Line Geology
Distance: 3.5 miles one way
Degree of difficulty: Moderate
Elevation Change: Gain, 424 feet; loss, 486 feet
Source: Great Day Hikes of North Carolina’s Mountains – to – Sea Trail
Hike #23 took me further east to the Raven Ridge Rd. trailhead and on to Falls Lake Dam and the end of Section 10. Since this was my first time in the Falls Lake area, I assumed that this second hike would be similar in views and terrains as the first hike. I was wrong.
I was amazed at the diversity between these two areas of the lake. There was still the pine forests and hardwoods, but from the start this trail had a feel similar to something in one of the lower mountain regions or upper piedmont.
There were many rock outcroppings and various streams to cross which was reminiscent of the trails around Hanging Rock or Pilot Mountain.
It was a very pleasant hike as the view was constantly changing and it kept me captivated with the different terrains and vistas. The trail itself was similar to the first in that it was very comfortable with pine needles and leaves.
This hike veers away from the lake a little more than #22- at the end, just before the Visitor Center and Dam, the path exits the woods at a boat launch area which provides a rewarding view of the lake. There are some informative kiosks around the Visitor’s Center and Dam. The Visitor’s Center is open Monday – Friday.
One thing that was evident on both of these hikes is how well cared for Section 10 of the MST is. All the trails are clearly blazed with well constructed and maintained bridges. Thank you to all the volunteers that take care of this section. Great job !
A complete list of the 40 Hikes and their Blog Posts can be found here
40 Hike Challenge Blue Ridge Parkway Conserving Carolina Falls Lake Hickory Nut Gorge Hiking Lake Lure Linville Gorge Mountains to Sea Mount Mitchell North Carolina Trails
Would like to hear all about this later on. My oldest son Henry I’m sure would like to hear about it since he has clocked so many hours himself. I’ll let you know when he is back up this way.
Mary