Bridle Trails at Raven Rock

Sunday, I headed to the Avents Creek access on the north side of Raven Rock State Park.  The main side of the park is usually packed on the weekends, but this side is not so well known.  When I arrived, there were a couple horse trailers but just one other vehicle.  I first hiked down the East Loop Bridle Trail.

The trail made a loop through the eastern end of the park with several crossings of small tributaries.  All were easy enough to cross dry.

After about four miles, the east loop ended back at the parking area and I got on the west loop.  Heading up to River Road, I made a quick detour to see the small waterfall on Avents Creek just upstream of the road.

Then I got back on the trail to loop around the western side of the park.  As the trail looped around, there were some nice little cascades on Avents Creek.

Soon, I came to the ford of Avents Creek below Jumping Fish Falls.

I couldn't get across this one dry.  The water was refreshing and I waded around for a bit.  There was a fish not far below the falls, but he wasn't jumping.

I climbed up on the other side for a view of the falls, but the lighting was poor.  It's not a huge waterfall but pretty nice for this far east in North Carolina.

As I was putting my boots back on, some horseback riders came through.  The horses stopped for a drink.  One waded into the deeper part for a drink so she didn't have to bend over so far.  It was just a short but uphill hike back to the trailhead.

Lake Johnson and Yates Mill

Saturday morning, we took Alex for a hike at Lake Johnson.  We got an early start to avoid the heat and crowds.  Parking along Avent Ferry Road, we first hiked the unpaved west loop.

The lake was really pretty in the early morning light.

A boardwalk in the northwest corner led to a gravel road to hike back.

Back at Avent Ferry Road, we crossed and took the paved Lake Johnson East Loop along the north shore of the lake.  It was more crowded on this side, but plenty of places for a nice view of the lake.

When we got the dam, a great blue heron was out in the lake.

There were some Canada geese along the dam as well.

Alex was getting hot at this point so he and Sandy headed back while I went east on the Capital Area Greenway following Walnut Creek Trail.  Where the trail passed the headwaters of Lake Raleigh, I got off the trail and bushwhacked into Lake Raleigh Woods.  This NC State University property has some trails along the south shore of the lake.

Several boats were out on the lake and there were lots of nice views from the trail.

The trail ended near the dam and I found a spot to rock hop the creek below the dam.  Once across I got back on Walnut Creek Trail and started heading back.  At Lake Johnson, I went left to finish up the east loop.

I finished the hike back up at the parking on Avent Ferry Road.

Before heading home, I wanted to get in another hike, so made the short drive over to Historic Yates Mill County Park.  After parking, I hiked down to the millpond.

It was bright sunlight and the water level was low, but the old mill was scenic.

There were a lot of people hanging out here, so I climbed up for to avoid the crowds.

I continued along the millpond.

At the split, I went left on High Ridge Trail and took that down to the other end.  Across the wetlands boardwalk, I took Creekside Trail out to make a partial loop.

On the way back, I went out on the pond boardwalk and then followed the millpond back.

It seemed to be getting more crowded and it certainly wasn't getting any cooler so I took off and headed home.

Twin Boulder Falls

Sunday morning, we broke camp and headed to the Davidson River area of Pisgah National Forest.  We parked at the trailhead for Daniel Ridge Loop and the parking was already nearly full.  On our last visit, the water level was too high to cross Right Fork, but today we were determined to get Twin Boulder Falls.  We hiked across the bridge and went left to start the Daniel Ridge Loop.  There were some wild roses blooming in the woods.

We hiked quickly but stopped to see a nice waterfall on Davidson River.

At Farlow Gap Trail, we turned left and were able to successfully cross Right Fork.  The water level was high but it was possible to cross this time.  At the third switchback, we got off the trail and followed a faint path upstream along Right Fork.  Shortly, we had to cross the creek above a scenic little waterfall.

After that, we crossed Lanning Branch and then headed up to continue up Right Fork.  It was about half a mile before the path descended to the creek.  The twin boulders were just upstream, but couldn't really see the waterfall from here.

We bushwhacked up the river right side and found a rock that made a great viewpoint for the waterfall.

It's a pretty impressive waterfall and the water level was high enough that it looked really good.

After some pictures, we headed back.  To make a loop, we went left on Daniel Ridge Loop Trail.  Where the trail intersected FR-5046, we made a short detour to see Upper Toms Spring Falls.

Then we returned to Daniel Ridge Loop Trail.

At the end, we made a quick stop at Toms Spring Falls.

It was a short walk back on the road from here to the trailhead.

Driving home, we stopped at Las Salsas for dinner for some delicious fajitas.  We hadn't been here in a while and it was just as good as I remembered.

Panthertown Waterfalls

Saturday morning, we had breakfast at camp and then headed to the Cold Mountain section of Panthertown Valley in Nantahala National Forest.  The parking area was almost full but we found a spot.  We took Mac's Gap Trail down to Greenland Creek Trail and followed that up to Greenland Creek Falls.

The waterfall was really pretty in the early morning light.

A lot of mountain laurel were blooming around the falls and along Greenland Creek here.

After some pictures, we followed a steep unofficial trail up alongside the waterfall and continued following Greenland Creek upstream.  It was about 3/4 of a mile to Carlton Falls.

At the base, we had to wade to the other side for a good view.

There was a really cool cave to the side to get a side view of the falls, the Burnt Kitchen I presume.

There wasn't a good view of the upper section from here though, so we continued up the trail.  The rocks along the side were dry enough to go out and get a nice view of the upper section.

A lot of mountain laurel blooming here too.

We waited for a bit up here and our patience paid off when a cloud covered the sun briefly for a good picture.

After some pictures, we headed back down past Greenland Creek Falls and stayed on Greenland Creek Trail.  Where it left the creek to head up to the parking, we got on the unofficial trail that follows the creek closely.  First we came to Mac's Falls.

Mountain laurel and rhododendron were blooming around the falls and there was a beautiful reflection in the pool.

Looking downstream, we could see the top of Potholes Falls.  We continued on the trail and found a spot to get out for a view of the waterfall.  Potholes in the rock made it easy to walk out for a view.

Right past here, were heard some falling water just off the trail.  A very small tributary made a cute little waterfall in front of a rock overhang.

Continuing down the trail, there was another nice drop on Greenland Creek Trail a little further down.

There were more cascades a little drops on the creek as we continued down.

This was definitely the scenic route to take though a little more difficult than an official trail.
Soon, the trail came out beside Schoolhouse Falls, but it was really crowded so we continued to Panthertown Valley Trail and got on Devil's Elbow Trail.  In about half a mile, the trail went through a powerline clearing.  There were some beautiful flame azaleas blooming here.

After crossing Little Green Creek, there were some fire pink blooming.

At the next intersection, we went left on Riding Ford Trail and descended to the ford in about 0.1 miles.

From here, we went left through a campsite to Jawbone Falls.

There was a lot of mountain laurel blooming around the falls and the pool was very scenic.

On the way back, we saw (and smelled) a lot of galax.

Back at the ford, we found a scramble path down to the base of Riding Ford Falls.

There were some rocks to climb around on for a nice view of the falls.

At the bend in the river, there was a rock overhang with some beautiful rocks.

Then we headed back to Devil's Elbow Trail to continue.  In about 0.3 miles, we turned left on an unofficial trail and then left at the next fork.  This trail came out at Elbow Falls, but the lighting was poor so we didn't stay long.  There were some nice cascades in the river just downstream.

Heading downstream, we soon came to Red Butt Falls.  A scramble path led to the big rocks at the base.

There was a cool rock overhang here where the river made a sharp turn.

On the hike back, some clouds had rolled in so we stopped back at Elbow Falls since its on the way and took a break.

It's a small waterfall, but I thought it was really scenic surrounded in mountain laurel.

There was some cool potholes in the rock.

A fallen tree on the rock here made a nice seat to enjoy the view of the waterfall and cascades downstream.

After our break, we started heading back.  Near the powerline clearing, we stopped for a beautiful view of Panthertown Valley.

There were a lot of butterflies here.

A spicebush swallowtail was collecting nectar from a flame azalea.

At the end of the trail, we turned right on Panthertown Valley and an immediate left on Little Green Creek heading over boardwalks.

Just past here, we came to the to Schoolhouse Falls.

It was less crowded by now.  I waded across the pool and went behind the waterfall for some pictures.

It's a really scenic waterfall and easy to visit so very popular.  Then we finished up our hike by taking Panthertown Valley Trail back to the parking area.

We stopped in Rosman and got a pizza to bring back to camp for dinner.