Travel NC With Kids: Longleaf Pine

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Lake Waccamaw State Park Boardwalk Trail 2 - Hidden Treasures Await!

Lake Waccamaw State Park Visitor Center © Katrena

Lake Waccamaw State Park, located 25 miles west of Wilmington, is rather unassuming in the midst of a Carolina Bay, named for the vast array of sweet bay, loblolly bay, and red bay trees found around the lake.

Lake Waccamaw State Park Map and Visitor Information © Katrena

My crew visited Lake Waccamaw in June 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trails and bathrooms were open when we visited, but the visitor center was closed. A trail map is located near the restrooms. You may find it helpful to take a photo of the map or print one from home if printed trail maps are not available at the park.

Baby Birds in Nest at Lake Waccamaw State Park © Katrena

When we first arrived, we didn't see any other people or any picnic tables, but we did see a LOT of bird nests along the porch of the visitor center. Baby birds were poking their heads out to take a peek while we observed. I think these were swallows.

Flowers at Lake Waccamaw © Katrena

We decided to drive further down in the park and found some picnic tables near the back parking lot. Some camping areas were in this area as well. We visited on a hot, humid day. Bug spray became our constant companion as we traveled to several state parks in the eastern portion of the state.

Longleaf Pine Forest at Lake Waccamaw State Park © Katrena

The area between the two parking lots have lots of pine trees. I believe they were longleaf pines, similar to the ones we saw at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve. As we were driving, we caught glimpses of several red headed woodpeckers. The white on their wings were a sharp contrast to their completely red heads.

Boardwalk Trail 2 at Lake Waccamaw © Katrena

We had the great opportunity to talk with a park ranger while we visited. He mentioned that a previous ranger had spotted a rare red-cockaded woodpecker, also known as the Yankee Doodle woodpecker, at the park. We asked about fox squirrels. He said the fox squirrels tend to stay on the back side of the lake. This area has gotten quite a bit of rain in the last weeks and he mentioned that the water and mud were quite deep on that trail, so we decided to try a short trail that was drier.

Endemic Animals and Rare Plants at Lake Waccamaw © Katrena

My group chose the boardwalk trail 2. It is paved up to the boardwalk and is handicap accessible. It begins behind the visitor center amidst the tall pine trees. This area seemed to be a haven for a wide variety of singing birds, such as warblers and nuthatches, as we heard a nice medley of tunes while we walked.

Secluded Boardwalk at Lake Waccamaw © Katrena

The trail leads to a boardwalk that is surrounded by trees and other vegetation. The lake is completely hidden on the majority of the trail, adding to a sense of mystery while we hiked.

Animals at Lake Waccamaw © Katrena

As we walked, various animals flew and crawled nearby. The dragonflies were about as elusive as the birds from a photography standpoint, but I did manage to get a few shots of wildlife.

Picnic Area on Boardwalk at Lake Waccamaw © Katrena

Along the boardwalk lie two sun shelters with picnic tables. If I had it to do over again, I would have packed the picnic and taken it up to this area to eat lunch with my crew. The frogs joined in the chorus near the water to create a natural symphony.

Informational and Educational Signage at Lake Waccamaw © Katrena

The boardwalk ends a short way into Lake Waccamaw. Several educational signs tell about various aspects of the park. One sign mentioned alligators. We didn't see any alligators personally, but some other family members who traveled to the park the same week say they did see an alligator!

Black Water at North Carolina State Park

The lake is quite dark in color and due to the low acidity of the water is home to several endemic species of animals, meaning they are not found naturally anywhere else in the world. Some endemic fish include the Waccamaw darter, silverside, and killifish. Several mussels and snails are only found here as well.

Eastern North Carolina State Park - Lake Waccamaw © Katrena

Several plants at Lake Waccamaw are on the rare list, including the water arrowhead, Venus-hair fern, narrowleaf yellow pondlily, and more. A storm was brewing as we traveled the boardwalk trail, so we didn't linger, but what we saw was quite interesting.

Unusual Lakes in NC © Katrena

If you would like to learn more about Lake Waccamaw's history, ecology, hours, directions, trail maps, camping information, or even watch a short video showcasing what the park has to offer, go to the Lake Waccamaw State Park official page of the North Carolina State Park web site. You can also find lists and quite a few pictures of plants and animals at Lake Waccamaw at the Natural Resources Inventory Database.

Pretty Scenery at North Carolina State Parks © Katrena

You might also wish to read some of my other articles, such as:

Unplug and Unwind at NC State Parks © Katrena

Thanks for visiting Travel NC With Kids!

North Carolina Hiking Trails and Boardwalks © Katrena

Sunday, June 14, 2020

Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve - Home of Longleaf Pines & a Million Dragonflies!

Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve Welcome Center © Katrena

Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, located 35 miles northwest of Fayetteville in central North Carolina, greets guests with a longleaf pine forest that is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including the rare red-cockaded woodpecker, also known as the Yankee Doodle woodpecker.

Longleaf Pine at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve © Katrena

The park has a welcome center with restrooms. When we visited in the spring of 2020, the welcome center was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the bathrooms were open. The restrooms were clean and well-stocked.

Birds at Weymouth Woods © Katrena

A plethora of birds, about 160 species, live in the preserve. We saw red-headed woodpeckers, warblers, sparrows, waxwings, cardinals, and more. Sitting and listening to the birds while eating a picnic lunch was a real treat for us.

Self-guided Educational Sign at Weymouth Woods © Katrena

Picnic Table at Weymouth Woods © Katrena

Picnic tables are located in several places near the parking lot, including some behind the welcome center near some birdfeeders. Educational signs offer added information about various interests at Weymouth Woods.

Hiking Trail at Weymouth Woods © Katrena

We hiked several trails at Weymouth Woods. They were well-maintained, clearly marked, and offered quite a mix of biodiversity. All of the trails we hiked were natural surface and one trail had a short bridge. It was a quiet, serene, peaceful, and enjoyable time for our family.

Trail Map at Weymouth Woods © Katrena

Printed trail maps were not available on the day my family visited due to the pandemic, but the park does offer a large map to the right of the welcome center. Visitors are welcome to take pictures of the maps or you might wish to print a trail map at home.

Bower's Bog Trailhead © Katrena

Bower's Bog Trail is a 0.3 mile easy loop that is an easy hike in view of the parking lot. Longleaf pines, ferns, and sassafras were plenteous along this hike.

Observational Deck at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve © Katrena

Bench Dedicated to a Beloved Dog Named Liam at Weymouth Woods Sandhills Preserve © Katrena

Pine Barrens Trail is a mile-long meandering loop trail that is also an easy hike without a lot of steps or steep hills to navigate. An observation deck that offers a view of the back of the welcome center is near one end of the loop.

We found a wide range of dragonflies, damselflies, plants, and other creatures along this trail and the detour trails we took. If you slow down and really look, you might be surprised at what you can find!

The Gum Swamp Trail is another loop trail that takes a detour off the Pine Barrens Trail. This half mile trail takes hikers along James Creek and a swamp under the canopy of hardwoods.

For me, it was well worth the detour as the wildlife diversity was quite different and interesting near the swamp.

From Gum Swamp Trail, we went 0.1 mile to Moccasin Crossing, which takes hikers to a short bridge over the James River. Hikers who wish to continue on in that direction will find a 1.8 mile loop called Holly Road Trail. My crew turned back and headed back to the Pine Barrens Trail.

We did manage to find some carnivorous plants, including the venus flytrap and pitcher plant. The venus flytrap in particular is quite rare and only found naturally in the world within about 75 miles of Wilmington, North Carolina. They are federally protected.

I would highly recommend bug spray for hiking these trails if mosquitoes are out. I would also recommend sunscreen despite the shade as the sun does come through in patches throughout the trails.

We are blessed with lots of beautiful protected natural areas in North Carolina. To keep them beautiful, take only pictures and leave only footprints. Enjoy the time together in nature and make memories!

For directions, trail maps, information on history and ecology, visit the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve page on the official North Carolina State Parks web site. You might also wish to see lists and photos of plants and animals along with their scientific names at the preserve. Looking for educational materials related to Weymouth Woods? Click here for free teacher resources.

Additional articles by Katrena:

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