40 Hike Challenge: #34 & #35 The Northern and Southern Neusiok Trails

Source: Great Day Hikes of North Carolina’s Mountains – to – Sea Trail

The Neusiok Trail traverses 20 miles through the Croatan National Forest, connecting the Neuse River at Pine Cliff to the New Port River at Oyster Point. This is an easy hike through familiar Carolina coast ecosystems such as bogs, cypress swamps and long-leaf pines. The Neusiok Trail runs concurrently with the Mountains to Sea Trail through the National Forest. Hikes 34 & 35 of the 40 Hike Challenge are excellent ways to get a taste of what this diverse area has to offer.

Hike #34 The Northern Neusiok

Distance: 3.3 miles one-way

Difficulty: Easy

Trailhead 1 for Hike 34 is at a small turnoff from Highway 101. Trailhead 2 is only a few miles away, but it is on a dirt/gravel road (Billfinger Rd.) and I had some issues with the GPS finding the spot. However, the directions and map in the guidebook were helpful. Also, at the time of this posting, the dirt road was in need of some repair. Due to the remoteness of trailhead 2 and the fact that I was being dropped off and picked up later, I opted to hike in the opposite direction – from Billfinger Rd. To Hwy 101.

The trail is in great shape and well maintained. This is an easy walk on a comfortable terrain of pine needles with no real elevation change. As you can see in the image above, the trail is clear, but beyond the path there is extremely dense undergrowth extending at some points up to 6 feet tall. For most of the hike you can see over the plants to the dense forest beyond.

The area is a mixture of tall pines with thick underbrush and some older growth trees as you enter into more of the wetland portions. Throughout this trail there are numerous footbridges. There had recently been a decent amount of rain in the area, but I was able to walk on dry surfaces throughout the hike.

Approximately 3/4 mile from Trailhead 1 is the Dogwood Shelter. This is a well constructed, 3-sided shelter with floor and roof. The guestbook located inside shows that it is a popular resting spot. It even has several areas prepared for hammocks.

The trail is close to Cherry Point Marine Base and you do hear the rumble of jets above, but the Neusiok Trail provides wonderful solitude in a beautiful coastal forest.

Hike #34 The Southern Neusiok

Distance: 2.8 mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

Hike 34 is an actual loop that begins and ends at the southern end of the Neusiok Trail. Parking is at the Oyster Point Campground which is also in the Croatan National Forest on the edge of the Newport River.

To create the loop, the hike leaves the campground and heads back up the service road through the pine forest and to Mill Creek Rd. – a little over a mile away. As we were driving in, we saw whitetail deer on the edge of the road. The Neusiok Trail crosses Mill Creek Rd. here and the hike enters the woods as it begins the trek back to the campground.

There is a lot of variety on this hike as it meanders out of the pine forest and skirts over some small fresh water swamps. Some of the more picturesque areas are on the edges of a large marsh and tidal areas. The hike is an easy, relaxing walk as the majority of the trail is on a thick bed of pine needles. Footbridges were available to avoid any possibility of getting wet.

The trail ends with an excellent view on the shores of the Newport River. If you are planning on hiking both trails, you may want to consider hiking the Neusiok Trail from the trailhead at Highway 101 all the way to Oyster Point Campground, a total of about 12 miles.

I really enjoyed seeing this area and experiencing the Neusiok Trail, I am also grateful to be able to share the journey with my wife, Kimberly.

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 Jones Gap State Park Lake Lure Linville Gorge Mountains to Sea Mount Mitchell North Carolina Trails