The final photo album from my trip to the mountains of North Carolina last month has finally been posted. This time, it’s a collection from Mount Mitchell State Park, located on the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. I enjoyed my visit to this park; it’s one that I will definitely return to.
I’ve just posted the fourth album from my recent trip to the mountains. This set showcases Chimney Rock State Park, which is a fantastic place to visit. Though it costs money to get in, the views and hikes are worth it. I’ve got one more photo album to post from this small vacation trip to the Asheville area; it should show up within the next week or so.
I’ve just posted some photos from Gorges State Park, the westernmost state park in North Carolina. This park is also one of the newest; visitor facilities are currently under construction. That being said, the views and hikes from this park are fantastic. I will certainly make an effort to return to this park in the future; this is one that definitely warrants multiple visits.
Late last week, I stopped at South Mountains State Park on my way to the Asheville area for some vacation. The park is located south of Morganton, NC, and has terrific hiking trails and beautiful scenery. High Shoals Falls, an 80-foot high waterfall, is located at the park. Knowing this, I took my tripod along, and got some nicer-than-usual photos in the process. If you’re ever in that particular area of North Carolina, I highly recommend a visit to this park. This is one I would love to return to!
Last Friday, I took some time off from work to visit another one of North Carolina’s State Parks. This time around, I checked out Merchants Millpond, up in Gates County (in the northeastern part of the state). This may be one of the most beautiful parks I’ve been to. One may canoe or kayak in the pond (canoes can be rented from the visitor’s center), and though I didn’t do that on this trip, I’ll definitely be back to do so.
The pond is home to the American alligator, with this location being at the northern extent of their range. I didn’t see any alligators on this trip, but I did get a chance to see quite a lot of other wildlife, including wild turkeys, a number of skinks and lizards, several snakes, turtles, and plenty of birds. I’m sure you would encounter even more wildlife while canoeing around the pond.
As usual, I took my camera along with me and took some photos of the park. I highly recommend visiting this gem in the North Carolina state park system.
Earlier this month, I traveled to Rockingham County in north-western North Carolina to visit the newest member of the NC state park system: Mayo River State Park. Naturally, I took my camera along and got some photos. Though there are only two hiking trails, both are worth the visit. It’s a nice new addition to an already stellar park system.
While researching the North Carolina State Park System for my “visit and photograph every state park” project, I learned that there are far more state parks than I realized. My original list had 39 parks; the official list, as I eventually found on the NC parks website, lists 32 parks, 19 natural areas, and 4 recreation areas. Unfortunately, this list is only current as of January 1, 2007. As such, a few newer parks aren’t listed, such as Grandfather Mountain and Chimney Rock (which is actually listed as Hickory Nut Gorge).
All of this got me thinking about what, for my purposes, constitutes a “state park.” Not all of the official sites have public facilities or access. A number of the state natural areas are simply chunks of land set aside for preservation. Several areas are relatively new and haven’t yet been developed. Some others aren’t developed simply based on recent budget cuts and shortfalls.
These facts have all led me to the following decision: the “state parks” I will pursue in my visitation project will include those for which official attendance figures are kept. Attendance information is posted in each state park newsletter; it is from this source that I have pulled my park list. The result is 40 parks, which nearly agrees with my first list. I had omitted Grandfather Mountain in my first pass, simply because it only recently became a state park, and wasn’t listed on the official website until very recently.
I’m looking forward to visiting each park in the state. As of this writing, I’ve been to 13 parks, and have photographed 11. Plenty more to go!
Tonight I’ve posted the next photo album from my recent vacation: a look at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. The most visited state park in North Carolina, Jockey’s Ridge is home to the tallest sand dunes in the eastern United States. Two hikes are available; I took one (the “Tracks in the Sand” trail), and enjoyed it thoroughly. The views of Roanoke Sound and the Atlantic Ocean from the top of the dunes (at about 90 feet high) are incredible. If you’re ever on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, this is a must-visit attraction. It’s one of the best parks I’ve been to so far in the state.
The first photo album from my recent vacation, a small collection of shots from Pettigrew State Park, has just been posted. I was disappointed with the hiking conditions at the park. Trails weren’t marked, and the overall signage at the park was fairly lacking. Thanks to recent rains, the insect population was seemingly at an all-time high; they were so bad, I actually stopped my hike halfway down a trail and went back to the car. Lake Phelps is an incredible lake to see, however, so I recommend checking out this park; perhaps in the colder months when the bugs aren’t so vicious.
More photo albums from my vacation are on the way; I have at least 6 more in the works!
Yesterday, I took a trip to Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, a state park located near Southern Pines, NC. A new photo album has been posted, with some sights from the park.