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.
Distance: 9.2 miles round trip
Degree of difficulty: Easy
Elevation Change: Gain, 100 feet; loss, 89 feet
Source: Great Day Hikes of North Carolina’s Mountains – to – Sea Trail
Hike 33 of the Mountains-to-sea 40 Hike Challenge extends along the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in Jacksonville, NC. The trail is actually a paved greenway and begins at the Lejeune Memorial Gardens. If you are planning on completing this hike or if you are in the area, I recommend that you take some additional time to visit all of the memorials available here.
Continue reading “40 Hike Challenge: #33 Lejeune Memorial Greenway”
Distance: 3.5 miles one-way (My hike: 4.7 miles)
Degree of difficulty: Moderate
Elevation Change: Gain, 85 feet; loss, 85 feet
Source: Great Day Hikes of North Carolina’s Mountains – to – Sea Trail
The Stones Creek Game Land is actually a pine preserve, where the NC Wildlife Resource commission has been active to restore the forest and specifically the Long Leaf Pine. Several areas have been heavily cleared, but it is obvious where new plantings have occurred and the flora and wildlife are beginning to thrive.
Continue reading “40 Hike Challenge: #32 Stones Creek Game Land”
Distance: 2.7 mile loop
Degree of difficulty: Easy
Elevation Change: Gain, 39 feet; loss, 39 feet
Source: Great Day Hikes of North Carolina’s Mountains – to – Sea Trail
Burgaw is a small town in Pender County, located in the Coastal Region and Segment 14 of the Mountains to Sea Trail. This hike around Burgaw is another great example of how trails and greenways can uniquely tie a community and many of it’s features together.
Continue reading “40 Hike Challenge: #31 Burgaw Greenway Loop”
Distance: 0.9 mile loop
Degree of difficulty: Easy
Elevation Change: Gain, 20 feet; loss, 20 feet
Source: Great Day Hikes of North Carolina’s Mountains – to – Sea Trail
Hike 30 gives us history buffs something to really dive into. The trail itself is less than a mile, but it is well designed so that you walk away with a deeper realization of what happened in this very important point in history. Moore’s Creek was a crucial battle early in the American Revolution because it was the first clearly decisive victory for the Patriots over the Loyalists. It was also pivotal for North Carolina because just 2 months later, they were the first delegates at the 2nd Continental Congress to declare freedom. Thus the State motto: “First in Freedom”
Continue reading “40 Hike Challenge: #30 Moore’s Creek National Battlefield”