PrincessTrioMom's Passport
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Hiking, exploring historical sites and attending cultural events are some of our favorite family activities. We love to learn new things and to explore our natural world.
Having only done day trips so far; we're looking forward to our first overnight vacation in 2010. We'll be trading mountains for beach ( a new experience for 4/5 of the family) for a week.
Our Family's Travel Personality
simple
Our Favorite Vacation Spot
Blue Ridge Mountains
A Place We'd Love To Visit
Yellowstone National Park
Websites I Like:
Places to hike with kids near Charlotte, NC
A small list when compared to the number of trails in this area but I've only included places we've hiked. We'll be exploring new trails soon so this list is bound to grow. In the meantime, grab a snack and hit one of these trails! Don't forget the camera!
Blue Ridge Parkway between mile posts 292 and 295
Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Comment:
Worth the drive -- especially in the fall!
reviewed on: July 26 2009
"Easy hiking, excellent views"
Located between mile posts 292 and 295 along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, you'll find Moses Cone Memorial Park. Home to the Parkway Craft Center and 25 miles of gently sloping carriage trails, Moses Cone Memorial Park is a popular stop for many parkway visitors.Want a quiet place to enjoy nature anytime during the year? Looking for a way to fully enjoy the glory of autumn along the Parkway? This is the place for you! The carriage trails offer easy walking and plenty of opportunities to drink in the beauty of the natural world around you. If you feel adventurous you might decide to climb Flat Top Tower. We hiked the 3 miles to the tower and then made the return trip to the manor in the fall. The views were stunning even without climbing the tower. There are numerous other trail options including a stroll around Bass Lake. The trails are open to foot traffic and horses. Bikes are not permitted.
The Manor House Craft Store carries work by artisans in 9 Appalachian states. It's an ideal place to find a 'one of a kind' gift but small hands and fragile-looking merchandise might not go well together. The good news is there are rocking chairs on the front porch and plenty of spots on the grass for a non-shopping adult and the kids to hang out. There's also a neat figure 8 trail beside the house that would keep a non-shopping adult and the little ones busy without making them tired. Tours of the Manor House are offered regularly. A book store located inside the Manor House carries trail maps, brochures, nature books and guide books. The park is open year-round but the house is only open from spring to fall.
If fishing is your thing, bring the gear and sink a line in Trout Lake or Bass Lake..both designated as Wild Trout Water. Regulations apply.
3001 South Mountain Park Avenue
Connelly Springs, North Carolina
Comment:
Gorgeous any time of the year! This is our family's most frequent hiking destination.
reviewed on: July 26 2009
"Pack a lunch and spend the day!"
South Mountains State Park's crowning jewel is High Shoals Falls, a waterfall that drops 80 feet. The park is home to over 40 miles of trails. Activities include hiking, equestrian camping, trout fishing and mountain biking. The picnic area is lovely and if you're willing to walk a bit, you can find a place for the kids to get wet during the warmer months. There's not a lot of wide-open space for things like Frisbee here so if that's important to you, take note. The rangers hold regularly scheduled educational and interpretive programs about the park though our family has never attended one. If your family likes hiking or just hanging out and playing in streams, South Mountains State Park should be on your "places to visit" list. Our family loves visiting High Shoals Falls. If you plan to take the loop trail, give yourselves plenty of time for breaks. There are lots of stairs on this trail and little legs need a rest after all that climbing...big legs do too! We chose South Mountains State Park and the High Shoals Falls Loop for our first family hiking trip when our daughters were 8, 6 and 5. They needed lots of breaks along the way because the steps made their legs tired. Otherwise they did great. On our first hike, we saw a deer standing in the trail ahead of us, a number of pretty butterflies and 2 copperheads. Almost 3 years later, our daughters still talk about that first hiking trip and the things we saw.
Chestnut Knob Overlook offers gorgeous views, particularly in the fall. The first half mile of this 2 mile one way trail involves lots of climbing. The park website calls the Chestnut Knob Trail 'very strenuous' and that rating is deserved. Be prepared to hang on to the little ones if you visit the overlook. It's an outcropping of large rocks not a man-made structure with railings. If you hike the Chestnut Knob Trail, you'll definitely want to take the 100 yard side trip to Jacob Fork River Gorge Overlook for distant views of High Shoals Falls. We hiked this one in October near the end of 'peak leaf season' and were delighted by the beautiful colors. Autumn arrives a little later at South Mountains than it does along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Hemlock Nature Trail is a wheelchair accessible loop near the picnic area which is graced with informative displays. We walk this little path almost every time we visit South Mountains State Park.
6700 N NC Hwy 16
Conover, North Carolina
Comment:
Bring the dog and explore this diverse park together!
reviewed on: July 26 2009
"Great for Nature Lovers"
Riverbend Park is located along The Catawba River and is home to a 2-acre fenced off-leash dog park. The park also features fishing, hiking trails and biking trails, canoe and kayak access as well as wildlife and habitat observation. Swimming in the river is prohibited. Permits are required for some activities.Riverbend Park is one of the largest non-state or federal parks in North Carolina. There are 450 acres and nearly 12 miles of trails to explore in this beautiful river basin park. You can explore a variety of wildlife habitats that range from fresh water wetlands to upland forest. Many of the picnic tables are located near the river. There's an ADA Accessible observation platform along the river.
Riverbend Park enjoys great diversity of plant life and wildflowers because it's located in the transitional area between the foothills and the piedmont. The northern boundary of the park, The Catawba River, attracts a variety of birds and wildlife. Many of the trails connect to one another so you can create your own hike. If you're a birder, you print a checklist at the park website before visiting the park or pick one up when you arrive.
We visited this park in the spring and our youngest was delighted by all the different plants we saw on our loop hike. Our visit in early May was our first family hiking trip after my husband broke his ankle in December. We chose a path that took us through forest, meadows, by a pond and along the river bank. The trails were mostly level and were nicely maintained. We used the mapstands located throughout the park to decide where to go next rather than planning our trip in advance.
NC 105
Linville Falls, North Carolina
Comment:
Choose the parking area and entrance that best fits your family's style.
reviewed on: September 15 2009
"Multiple Choices"
There are two access areas to the trails. One is located near Mile Post 316.3 of the Blue Ridge Parkway; the other is a United States Forest Service parking area located off US 221.For a paved parking lot, flushable toilets and a small gift shop, choose the Blue Ridge Parkway access.
We chose the USFS parking area and made a short trip to the USFS Visitor Center where we used the primitive facilities before beginning our hike. After hiking to Erwin's View and visiting all the overlooks on that path, we decided to walk to the Parkway Access. The store was nice and the staff was friendly. I didn't look for picnic tables near this parking area but, according to a map I have, there is a picnic area nearby on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We returned to the USFS parking area and enjoyed a picnic at one of the two available tables there.
We started our hike before 10:00am on a Sunday morning because we had heard the trails can get crowded. The trails did, indeed, start to fill up around 11:30am. As we were leaving, more people were just beginning their hikes so I imagine the overlooks can become a bit populated.
There are paths to Linville Gorge and to Plunge Basin but we opted not to take those on this trip.
6680 Bakers Mountain Road
Hickory, North Carolina
Comment:
The old home sites are sure to be a hit with history-loving hikers.
reviewed on: July 26 2009
"Bakers Mountain Park"
Located at the highest point of elevation in Catawba County, Bakers Mountain Park is a 189 acre park featuring mature Chestnut Oak forest and 6 miles of hiking trails. This is a nice place for a picnic and a hike. The trails take you past two old home sites and lead to an observation platform at the summit. The rangers here are wonderful. The Eastern King Snake that lives in the park office is a big hit with our kids.The hike to the summit can be a bit steep in places. There's an informational sign at the summit with points of interest labeled.
My girls love exploring the old home sites. One is just a chimney while the other has some of the foundation stones and a memorial constructed by a local Boy Scout Troop. The signs at this site gives hikers information about the family who lived in the home.
Milepost 297 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Comment:
Challenging hike with little ones but it can be done. Beautiful!
reviewed on: July 26 2009
"Perfect Parkway Picnic Spot"
Julian Price Memorial Park is our favorite picnic spot along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Kids love playing in the stream that meanders through the picnic area. The park also offers hiking along 7 trails, fishing, canoeing, camping, guided walks and evening campfire programs. The 300-seat amphitheater is used for lectures and talks during the summer months. Canoes can be rented for use on Price Lake. A nominal fee is charged for campsites. With enough wide-open space for Frisbee, catch and even a game of baseball, this park is a popular choice. Despite a tendency to become crowded, it's always family friendly. Park rangers patrol the picnic area frequently.The Boone Fork Trail is a 4.9 mile loop with a strenuous rating. We hiked this in July 2009 when our daughters were 9, 8 and 7. Our family hikes regularly and we found this trail challenging. There are numerous stream crossings and rock scrambles. The girls were a little intimidated by a wooden ladder put in place to assist hikers on one part of the trail. The Boone Fork Trail takes hikers through the camp ground and 'a tunnel' of Rhodedenderon. You spend a lot of time in the woods but you also walk through a pasture where you have excellent long range views. Watch your step in the pasture; it's still in use. The cows don't pay any attention to the people walking through. We weren't lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the beavers that live near the trail but the girls enjoyed reading the information posted along the trail and looking at the beavers' work. The trail head for the Boone Fork Trail is located in the picnic area of Julian Price Memorial Park.
The Price Lake Loop is a 2.3 mile trail that would be an excellent alternative to the longer more strenuous Boone Fork Trail. The Price Lake Loop is ranked easy and can be accessed at the Price Lake Overlook a short distance from the picnic area.
