Sunday, February 17, 2019

Fayetteville Waterfalls

Sunday, we checked out of the hotel and headed north towards Fayetteville.  We first drove to J. Bayard Clark Park and Nature Center and the Cape Fear River Trail parking.  After getting our stuff together, we headed into the park.  Clark Park Falls is right behind the Nature Center.


It's not a huge waterfall, but pretty impressive being in Fayetteville.  Right next to the nature center was a covered bridge.


Across the bridge, we could get to the other side of the gorge for some more pictures of the falls.  There was a lot of down trees in the gorge so hard to get an unobstructed view.


Then we set off on the Cape Fear River Trail heading north.  This paved greenway trail is part of the East Coast Greenway.  About two thirds of the way, the trail runs over a covered bridge under the railroad tracks.


After the railroad tracks, the trail crosses another bridge over Sandy Dam on a tributary of Cap Fear River.  There was another waterfall here.  The upper part is over a manmade dam but it was really scenic in high water.


Another unexpected waterfall in Fayetteville.  We followed the trail to the end at Jordan Soccer Complex and turned around.  Our next stop was at Methodist University.  Parking at the baseball fields at the back of the campus, we hiked the Pauline Longest Nature Trail system to another tributary waterfall.


This one fell into a small slot canyon.  Really scenic and out of the ordinary for here in the Sandhills.  After some pictures, we started making back and driving home.


Near Erwin, we parked at the Cape Fear River Trail Park.  A half-mile gravel road ran along the river parallel to the road and factory.  Right past the factory, a connector trail led to the Dunn-Erwin Greenway Trail.  The trail ended where a small tributary dropped into Cape Fear River.


And there was another small waterfall down here.  I found a way down to river level here.


It was tricky getting back up the tributary for a picture of the waterfall.


When we were done, we headed back to the car and finished making the drive home.

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