Some photos from local day hikes - early 2024
Patsy Pond Trail - Croatan National Forest, North Carolina - January 2024
The Patsy Pond Trail is located off Highway 24 in Carteret County, North Carolina. The trail is in the Croatan National Forest and is managed by the NC Coastal Federation (whose headquarters are across the street from the trail head parking lot. There is a few trail options here depending on how far one wants to hike. We took the longest look around the pond which was a few miles long in total. The hike is not strenuous, The trail is wide and well marked and surprisingly crowded. Our route circumnavigated Patsy Pond. We didn't see much wildlife although a bald eagle did fly overhead at one point... always a welcome sight.
For More Information - Patsy Pond Trail - NC Coastal Federation
Roosevelt Natural Area Trail - Kine Knoll Shores, North Carolina - February 2024
The Roosevelt Natural Area is adjacent to the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. There is a hiking trail accessible in the back corner of the aquarium parking lot. The trail is free to walk and does not require the admission fee to the aquarium. The trail is short but scenic and transverses an ancient sand dune forest. Despite multiple visits to the aquarium, this was our first walk down the trail and we were pleasantly surprised. the trail is not very long but it is very pretty, lightly used and very clean (we did not see a single piece of trash along the trail). There is access to beaches along Bogue sound and the trail ends at a cool island in a marsh.
Willow Pond/Soundside Trail - Core Sound Waterfowl Museum/Cape Lookout National Seashore - February 2024
My daughter and I took a quick trip to our most local hiking trail - The Willow Pond Trail and Soundside Loop Trail at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Cape Lookout National Seashore. We did a little bird watching in the blind at Willow Pond (we only saw a kingfisher and a great blue heron) and had a neat surprise of a king snake coiled up on the side of the trail on a cold day.
For more information: Core Sound Waterfowl Museum or Cape Lookout National Seashore
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