Bent Creek on Labor Day

On Monday, we checked out of our cabin and headed to Bent Creek Experimental Forest.

We parked at the Rice Pinnacle Trail and set off on the Deer Lake Lodge Trail, where vibrant mushrooms were sprouting along the path.

Continuing to the end of the trail, we connected with Ledford Trail and then strolled along the road to Lake Powhatan, pausing at the fishing pier.

The views were stunning along the lake.

Wildflowers bloomed profusely around the lake, drawing a swallowtail butterfly to nectar among them, and the views were simply stunning.

After a refreshing snack break, we looped back via the Homestead and Hard Times Trails, spotting even more wildflowers along the way.

It was about five miles total.

From there, we drove home, making a quick stop at Bright Penny in Mebane.

Cove Creek Hike

On Sunday, we savored a hearty breakfast before setting off for the Blue Ridge Parkway. Along NC-151, we paused to admire a charming roadside waterfall.

From the parkway, we wound down US-276 and turned onto Yellow Gap Road, reaching a small parking area about a mile in, where vibrant yellow wildflowers brightened the scene.

Just up the road, we joined the Barnett Branch Trail, turning left to ascend.

More wildflowers were blooming along the trail.

In less than half a mile, we reached the serene Barnett Branch Trail Falls, a hidden gem on a tributary of Barnett Branch.

Its beauty was striking for such an easy hike.

We lingered, clambering over rocks to snap photos before heading back.

Next, we drove to Davidson River Road and parked at Cove Creek Group Camp.

We hiked up the gated road, soon encountering a stunning small waterfall on Cove Creek just before the campground.

From there, we followed Caney Bottom Trail, then connected to Cove Creek Trail. In under a mile, a spur trail led us to Cove Creek Falls.

A light rain fell as we arrived, prompting me to shed my boots and wade for a better view.

Back on the main trail, we let Harper stretch her legs and hike a bit.

About a mile later, we crossed Cove Creek via a bridge and paused for a scenic lunch.

Some mushrooms were popping along here.

Continuing, we looped back via Caney Bottom Trail.

Roughly a mile in, we passed Caney Bottom Falls, but with no safe way down, we settled for a view from the trail.

There was a nice cascade on Caney Bottom Creek downstream of the falls.

The trail led us back to the campground, and we hiked the road to our car just as the rain intensified.

We capped the day with a cozy dinner at Stone Ridge Tavern before returning to the cabin to start packing.

Secret Falls in DuPont

On Saturday, we kicked off Labor Day weekend with a mountain adventure, bringing Harper and Amaroq to DuPont State Forest. Our first stop was Guion Farm Access, where we gathered our gear and set out on Tarkiln Branch Road, descending gently through the forest.

After a long car ride, Harper was eager to stretch her legs and explore. About a mile in, we veered onto Wintergreen Falls Trail, following it to its end. The final stretch was a bit challenging, so Harper hopped into her backpack carrier for safety. Wintergreen Falls was beautiful, though the bright sunlight made photography tricky.

We clambered over rocks to snap a few pictures before continuing. From there, we took an unofficial trail from the bike rack, tracing Grassy Creek upstream. The narrow path was easy to navigate, even with a toddler in tow. In about a quarter-mile, we reached Upper Grassy Creek Falls, a stunning cascade that stole the show.

We took turns scrambling over the rocks for photos, catching fleeting moments of cloud cover for better shots.

After a quick snack break, we retraced our steps to the main trail.

Harper hiked nearly the entire return journey, delighting in collecting leaves, sticks, and other trail treasures.

Along the way, we admired vibrant wildflowers dotting the path.

Back at the car, we drove to Sideways Farm Brewery for dinner. The kid-friendly atmosphere was a hit, with Harper gleefully exploring the property and playing on the playground. Afterward, we headed to Mountain Springs Cabins, settling into our cozy home base for the weekend.

Rich Mountain Hike

Saturday, we headed to cooler weather in the mountains for Amaroq's fourth birthday.  Parts of the parkway are still closed, so we had to drive to Boone and take the alternate route to Moses Cone Memorial Park, where the carriage roads are stroller friendly.  Parking along Shulls Mill Road, we took the spur up to Rich Mountain Road in an open field.

Following the road up Rich Mountain, we passed the Mountains-to-Sea Trail as the road circled around the summit.

As it looped around, there was another open area where we could see the top despite the clouds.

The circles became tighter as we approached the summit.

A short rocky path led up to another open area at the top, where Amaroq had a snack and Harper ran around for a bit.

After a break, we started heading down.  There were some Indian pipe along the trail.

Harper was very interested in some of the cows we saw grazing along the trail, but threw a temper-tantrum when we didn't let her pet them.  We spotted some more summer wildflowers along the trail on the hike down towards Trout Lake.

Yellow false fox-glove had really pretty flowers.

Near Trout Lake, the arrowwood was producing bright red berries.

We continued around Trout Lake and headed to the Manor House before finishing our hike.

On the way home, we stopped at Booneshine for a late lunch.

Shot Tower New River Hike

Monday morning, we checked out of the hotel and started making our way home.  In Virginia, we got off the highway and stopped at Shot Tower Historical State Park.

It was a bit cloudy but the views were really nice.

The tower itself was closed for construction but we could walk all around.

The views of the interstate crossing over New River were really nice.

Then we headed down to New River Trail and started hiking eastbound.

The flat, crushed gravel surface made an easy hike pushing Harper in the stroller.

In a mile or so, we came to Foster Falls.  Its more of a big rapid than a waterfall, but there was a campground and other amenities here.

The Foster Falls Inn was very scenic.

There was some Dame's rocket flowering along here.

We went another couple miles and then turned around.

We stopped at Rio Grande in Hillsville for lunch and then made our way home.