Distance: 4.4 miles one way
Degree of difficulty: Easy
Elevation Change: Gain, 211 feet; loss, 181 feet
Source: Great Day Hikes of North Carolina’s Mountains – to – Sea Trail
This Day Hike is listed in the 40 Hike Challenge guide as the first in the Coastal Region. The Mountains to Sea Trail runs concurrently with the Neuse River Trail which is also part of the East Coast Greenway, an exciting trail project to connect Maine to Florida. The Neuse River Trail follows the river from Falls Lake Dam to Clayton, NC. It is a paved undulating greenway that is available for hikers as well as cyclists. On this early, brisk, Friday morning in November there were only a few joggers on the trail.
The Neuse River is the largest river completely contained within the state of North Carolina. It actually begins where the Eno and Flat Rivers meet at Falls Lake and it continues approximately 275 miles to New Bern and then to Pamlico Sound.
The Neuse River has vibrant tree growth overhanging it’s banks and is obviously a welcoming habitat for wildlife and especially birds. The Neuse has the typical attributes of a coastal river with dark, muddy water and sandy banks.
As the greenway passes by various neighborhoods, many of the private owners and communities have built their own private accesses to the path. The trail is designed so that it is well shielded from the majority of homes with plenty of undisturbed woods and wetlands. There are a couple of sections that border the yards of homes which seems to provide an inviting opportunity to get outside and explore.
Two impressive bridges have been constructed that span the Neuse River. This is a relaxing hike that offers plenty of opportunities for families of all ages to explore the river and surrounding area. The entire hike is paved with slight elevation changes.
The Day Hike officially ends at the Milburnie parking area, however it is worth walking about 0.2 miles further to the remains of the old Milburnie Dam.
I also think it is worth your time to visit the East Coast Greenway website to see what they are actively working on. It’s an ambitious goal to provide a cycling and walking trail from Maine to Florida. North Carolina has a great head start with the excellent Greenways around the Raleigh area.
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