This Land, Your Land

The state Parks and Recreation Division is taking a closer look at North Carolina's paddling community as it helps local governments create paddle trails and find grant money.

The division's State Trails Program found in a study released this week that paddlers most often participate in the sport within 50 miles of home and that the Neuse, Cape Fear and Nantahala are the most popular among North Carolina rivers.

More canoeists and kayakers come from the Piedmont - the state's most populous region - than any other area of the state, the study says.

The 2008 Paddle Tourism Study found that North Carolina is a destination for paddlers from other states, primarily Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, and revealed that respondents who consider themselves avid paddlers took an average 17 paddle trips last year, with most paddlers preferring camping for overnight accommodations, a news release about the study says.

The state is currently developing the Deep River State Trail, which will be a canoe/paddle trail along the river corridor from Guilford County through Randolph, Chatham and Moore counties to the confluence of the Deep and Haw rivers in Lee County. The state has already established paddle trails on the French Broad and New rivers.

The State Trails Program joined with North Carolina State University’s School of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management to conduct the study. More than 2,000 online responses were collected from paddling enthusiasts and outdoor outfitters.

The 68-page study report is available online as a .pdf document.

It's the most popular request users make, but showers aren't feasible at Great Smoky Mountains National Park's major campgrounds, park management tells the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

The three campgrounds - Smokemont near Cherokee and, on the Tennesse side of the park, Elkmont near Gatlinburg and Cades Cove near Townsend - have restrooms with flush toilets and running water, but the water supply and the drainage capacity are not enough to support showers. If the problem were to be fixed, camping fees would rise sharply.

"It's a top request, along with hookups for RVs," park management assistant Bob Miller tells the newspaper. "We've considered it. But it's a question of enough water and gray water (disposed from showers)."

The newspaper lists commercial campgrounds outside the park that let park campers shower for a fee.

We received the following from Park Ranger Greg Orcutt through the Triangle Hiking and Outing group:

"Just wanted to pass along to you that there have been a rash of vehicle break-ins around the area, specifically Hwy 50 boat ramp, the FALA trail heads on Hwy 50, and the fishing access near the Hwy 98 bridge (near the FALA Trail head on Hwy 98). Just wanted to make you aware so you could spread the word to any hikers/volunteers that will be around these areas to make sure they lock up all valuables in their trunks and not left out in plain view. Most of these break-ins have occurred during daylight hours and the victims have stated that their stolen valuables (were) in plain view.

Thanks,

Greg Orcutt, Park Ranger II
Falls Lake State Recreation Area
13304 Creedmoor Rd.
Wake Forest, NC 27587"
Phone: 919.676.1027
Fax: 919.676.2954
http://www.ncparks.gov

Wake County reopened the swimming area at Beaverdam beach at Falls Lake State Recreation Area on Thursday.

The beach was closed July 21 because of elevated levels of the enterococci bacteria, but was reopened today after bacteria levels tested within EPA standards for two consecutive days, the county said.

The County routinely tests recreational lakes for bacteria and when levels exceed EPA standards, the area is closed to "primary contact recreation," which includes swimming or any activity where a person’s head may go underwater. The county samples these lakes weekly each summer.

Wake County also closed the waters at Beaverdam July 7 to 10, July 1 to 3 and June 9 to 12. The county closed Sandling Beach swim area at Falls Lake May 22 to 24.

As The News & Observer pointed out Saturday, while Wake County routinely tests public lakes, there's no requirement, and other counties don't.

The state Division of Parks and Recreation has extended a suspension of its new reservations system at Kerr, Jordan and Falls lakes.

"Advance reservations at Kerr Lake, Jordan Lake and Falls Lake state recreation areas cannot be made at this time." the Division says on its Web site. "This is due to unexpected problems with Internet connectivity at entrance stations. This 'blackout' period for reservations will prevent double-booking and ensure there are no unreasonable delays for visitors at the entrance stations."

Last week the state announced a reservations blackout period for July 15 to 22 at the three parks.

The internet-based reservations system was launched in April, allowing reservations for nearly 3,000 campsites as well as picnic shelters, cabins, community buildings and other facilities at state parks on July 15 and thereafter. Reservations for most facilities can be made up to 11 months ahead. There is a $3 surcharge per night's stay or per reservation to support the system.

The state parks Web site - www.ncparks.gov - will be updated when the system resumes full operation. The system is available online at each park's page on the site and by phone at 877-7-CAMPNC or 877-722-6762.

The National Forest Service has announced $9,449,000 in stimulus fund money to rehabilitate trails and facilities in North Carolina's National Forests.

Among the spending announced Tuesday:

- $6.2 million for rehabilitation and replacement of trail bridges in each of the state's national forests; rehabilitation of the Roan Mountain Trail, which includes replacement of a raised viewing platform; repaving of the Forest Discovery Trail at the Cradle of Forestry; and deferred maintenance activities on forest hiking, biking, equestrian and off-highway vehicle trails.

- $734,000 to restore Civilian Conservation Corps shelters and towers, including repairs to the rock walls, roof, and stairs of the observation tower at Wayah Bald, trail shelters on the Appalachian Trail and a tower at Pine Cliff recreation area at Croatan National Forest.

- $545,000 for deferred facilities maintenance at Croatan, Uhwarrie and Nantahala forests, including replacing water and wastewater systems, repairing roofs and lighting at buildings, sidewalks and campsites.

- $230,000 at Roan Mountain to remove encroaching blackberry plants and shrubby growth to restore the native ecosystems of the grassy balds.

The News & Observer shed some light Saturday on why two beaches at Falls Lake State Recreation Area have been repeatedly closed this summer because of high bacteria levels while a third hasn't been affected, namely, it's not tested.

There are no laws requiring that waters be tested, so while Wake County tests Sandling and Beaverdam public beaches on Falls Lake and has closed them three times this summer, Durham County simply does not test waters at Rolling View beach, just across the lake. "In fact, no tests are done at Rolling View to ensure its waters are safe for swimming," The N&O says.

The state does require tests for coastal waters and pools, the paper says. And the state parks system has tested its waters in a couple of situations where problems became apparent, but does not routinely do so.

The second of three fee-free weekends at National Parks this summer is this weekend, July 18-19. The third fee-free weekend is August 15-16.

Entrance fees will be waived at 147 sites that usually charge admission ranging from $3 to $25. The 244 other parks do not charge entrance fees.

Among North Carolina's nine national parks, entrance fees will be waived this weekend at the Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kitty Hawk and at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site at Flat Rock.

The Wright Brothers Memorial charges people 16 years old or older $4 for entry, and the Sandburg Home charges $5 to tour the house if you're 16 or older ($3 if you're 62 or older).

Entry to the grounds at the Sandburg Home, which include five miles of trails and the goat barn (below), is always free.

Grandfather Mountain State Park closed three trails after bears, including a mother bear with cubs, were seen in the area, the Division of Parks and Recreation said Wednesday afternoon. The Grandfather Extension Trail, the Black Rock Trail and the Grandfather Trail from the swinging bridge to MacRae Peak were closed.

Park rangers were also discouraging hikers from accessing Grandfather Mountain from the parking areas at the Profile Trail and the Daniel Boone Scout Trail, the division said in an alert posted on the state parks Web site.

The bear population has grown across the state, with a black bear shot in a Winston-Salem neighborhood on Tuesday and bears seen in Guilford County and Durham this summer.

The Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge warned visitors in June to not approach or feed bears. At Great Smoky Mountains National Park, warnings of bear activity are currently posted for nine backcountry campsites, eight shelters and five trails.

The Alligator River news release says North Carolina has a healthy population of black bears, with hundreds of bear in Dare and Hyde counties alone. "There are populations both in the mountains and along the coast, and bears are also gradually spreading into the Piedmont area. Their range appears to be increasing."

The black bear (Ursus americanus) is the only bear species in North Carolina, said Sherry Samuels, animal director of the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, in an article for The News & Observer. There are only about 4,000 in the wild in North Carolina, mostly in the mountain region and coastline area where more than 100,000 once roamed.

"We encourage visitors to view bears from a distance, if they happen to come across one on the road," said Alligator River's Visitor Services Manager Bonnie Strawser. "Never approach it, never try to feed it, and never leave food out for the bear to take later. Bears are unique and intriguing, but they are wild animals and should be treated as such."

A good place to see blacks bears just before dark is the Wildlife Drive on Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, the release says.

The state Parks and Recreation Division is experiencing "unexpected problems with Internet connectivity at entrance stations" and therefore cannot take reservations for the next eight days - July 15 to 22 - at three parks with some of the system's most popular campgrounds: Kerr Lake, Jordan Lake and Falls Lake state recreation areas.

"This 'blackout' period for reservations will prevent double-booking and ensure there are no unreasonable delays for visitors at the entrance stations," the Division says in an alert. The state parks Web site will be updated when full reservations service resumes, it says.

The internet-based reservations system was launched in April, allowing reservations for nearly 3,000 campsites as well as picnic shelters, cabins, community buildings and other facilities at state parks on July 15 and thereafter. Reservations for most facilities can be made up to 11 months ahead. There is a $3 surcharge per night's stay or per reservation to support the system.

The system is available online at each park's page on the state parks Web site - www.ncparks.gov - and by phone at 877-7-CAMPNC or 877-722-6762.