Davis - Best easy day hikes. Charlotte

Best Easy Day Hikes Series

Best Easy Day Hikes Charlotte

Jennifer Pharr Davis

Help Us Keep This Guide Up to Date

Every effort has been made by the author and editors to make this guide as accurate and useful as possible. However, many things can change after a guide is publishedtrails are rerouted, regulations change, facilities come under new management, etc.

We would love to hear from you concerning your experiences with this guide and how you feel it could be improved and kept up to date. While we may not be able to respond to all comments and suggestions, well take them to heart and well also make certain to share them with the author. Please send your comments and suggestions to the following address:

Globe Pequot Press

Reader Response/Editorial Department

P.O. Box 480

Guilford, CT 06437

Or you may e-mail us at:

editorial@GlobePequot.com

Thanks for your input, and happy trails!

Copyright 2010 by Morris Book Publishing, LLC

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

FalconGuides is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press, and Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris Book Publishing, LLC.

Project editor: Jessica Haberman

Layout: Kevin Mak

Maps: Ryan Mitchell Morris Book Publishing, LLC

TOPO! Explorer software and SuperQuad source maps courtesy of National Geographic Maps. For information about TOPO! Explorer, TOPO!, and Nat Geo Maps products, go to www.topo.com or www.natgeomaps.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Davis, Jennifer Pharr.

Best easy day hikes, Charlotte / Jennifer Pharr Davis.

p. cm. -- (FalconGuides)

ISBN 978-1-4930-0496-6

1. Hiking--North Carolina--Charlotte Region--Guidebooks. 2. Charlotte Region (N.C.)--Guidebooks. I. Title.

GV199.42.N662C53 2010

796.5109756 76--dc22

2009037963

The author and Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book.

Contents

The Hikes

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to the many park and preserve employees in the Charlotte area who have dedicated themselves to protecting the regions wilderness and educating others concerning its significance. In addition, I want to thank the trail maintainers and volunteers who help to keep these paths accessible to the general public.

I wish to recognize my grandparents, Jones and Polly Pharr. My visits to their farm outside Charlotte are some of my best childhood memories. Daily excursions on old gold mining trails and walks at dusk to search for deer grazing in the open fields fostered within me a love for hiking in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. I also want to thank my father, who kept me company on many hiking trips to Charlotte and who continually supports my passion for the outdoors.

Most of all, I want to thank my husband, whose love, encouragement, and trust allow me to pursue my dreams and the trails.

Introduction

My earliest memories of hiking come from my grandparents farm outside Charlotte. I will never forget the childlike joy and anticipation of searching for deer at dusk with my grandmother. And during the day I would spend hours searching under shrubs and bushes for hoppy toads to take to my grandfather.

As I grew older, I supplemented my search for animals with a more selfish pursuit. My grandparents would tell me stories of central North Carolinas gold rush and then take me on hikes to abandoned mines on the outskirts of their property. I used to dream of finding a huge gold nugget too big to carry, and I scoured every quartz rock and stream trying to find my prize. As I explore the trails near Charlotte as an adult, I still want to examine every glossy white rock I pass for a vein of gold running through it.

Writing Best Easy Day Hikes Charlotte provided me with the opportunity to return to my childhood fascination with the Piedmont forests. For despite the 8,000 miles I have hiked outside Charlotte and the six continents where I have trekked, the woodlands of central North Carolinathe vegetation, the animals, the historical significance of the arearemind me of why I originally fell in love with hiking and have restored my childhood wonderment.

Charlotte-area hiking is unique in that almost every trail travels on, by, or near a significant historic site. Whether it is a 200-year-old homestead, an abandoned mine shaft, a Revolutionary War battlefield, or a Native American trading route, the trails help communicate our history as a people by revealing insights into our past.

The Piedmont region is also significant due to its diverse ecological environment. Situated halfway between the mountains and coast of North Carolina, Charlotte-area forests are a collision of pine and hardwood trees. These trees show the effect of hurricanes and tornadoes that periodically ravage the Piedmont, but they also display the adaptive powers of Mother Nature as the strewn and fallen trees have created the ideal environment for many woodland birds, as well as providing cover for larger animals such as deer, bobcats, and coyotes. The multiple lakes and rivers in the region also provide homes for migrating winter waterfowl and give lodging to beavers and river otters throughout the year.

Regardless of whether your interest lies in history, ecology, or the simple recreational pleasure of hiking, the intricacies woven into the Charlotte landscape have the ability to turn a short stroll in the woods into a memory that will last forever.

The Nature of Charlotte

The hiking terrain surrounding Charlotte can range from flat shoreline strolls to a strenuous mountain ascent, but it is most often categorized by the rolling hills found between the extremes. Regardless of whether a hike is categorized as Easy or More challenging, arriving prepared at the trailhead can mean the difference between an enjoyable and a less enjoyable excursion. The information below will assist you in preparing for a successful and enjoyable day hike.

Weather

Charlotte is technically classified as a humid subtropical climate zone, which for a hiker translates into year-round hiking! With cool winters, inviting springs, hot summers, and colorful falls, the trails in Charlotte can be enjoyed in any season.

Precipitation: Charlotte receives approximately 44 inches of rain per year. Unlike regions where there is a defined wet and dry season, the precipitation in Charlotte is equally dispersed throughout the year. The majority of days fall within the sunny and warm category. For the most part, hiking can be pursued and enjoyed during the occasional rainstorm, but hikers should be wary of getting caught in infrequent but potential ice and snow in the winter and the more common thunderstorms during the warmer months.