North Carolina State Parks: Pettigrew State Park & Mattamuskeet & Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuges

North Carolina State Parks: Pettigrew State Park & Mattamuskeet
& Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuges - 6/5/24 – 2 miles

Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge

Raise your hand if you’ve ever started a small endeavor that expanded into a massive undertaking. Only everything we’ve ever done, right? Most of the time it’s a good thing.

My North Carolina state parks project has broadened to exploring the areas surrounding each park, the counties, towns, riverwalks and wildlife refuges that are so close by that it will just take a few more minutes…And the next thing you know, it’s a lot more miles, detours, diversions and discoveries.

One expedition to the far eastern part of the state was delightful in unexpected ways. The woods, the water and the people I encountered were diverse and unique. Humans and the land hold an intertwined, complex history.

I stayed at a cozy Airbnb in Bellhaven, NC that thankfully stocked Keurig coffee and cream and sugar to get me up and out early. Today my explorations took me in a huge counterclockwise circle through four counties (Beaufort, Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington).

Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula, was not on my original must-see list until a friend recommended it. Lake Mattamuskeet’s name comes from the local Algonquian Native American tribes, translated as “dry dust.” It is North Carolina’s largest natural lake – 5 miles wide, 14 miles long, an average depth of 1.5 feet (maximum 5 feet). Yes, you read that right. And it’s a Carolina bay lake, which I learned all about on a visit to Jones Lake in 2019.

My usual first stop in a new place is the Visitor Center, for maps, orientation, and exhibits. Here I met Connie, a volunteer for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. She and her husband retired, sold their home, bought an RV, and travel the U.S. while serving as volunteers. They stay two to three months in one place and explore the area on their days off. I always thought this type of volunteering meant being camp hosts, but Connie likes being inside in bad weather and chatting up visitors.

Which explains why I lost track of time and, after 30 minutes of hanging out with Connie, I had no time left for my own exploring other than driving across this intimidating body of water on Highway 94, the two-lane built-up roadway. There are few places to stop for photos, so if you’re going, pay attention and pull over for a moment of awe for a 1.5-foot-deep lake.

In Tyrrell County, about 40 miles north of Lake Mattamuskeet is Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. One of its signature projects is the Red Wolf Recovery Program. Once prevalent along the Eastern Seaboard and as far west as Texas, the only confirmed wild red wolves in existence today live on NC’s Albemarle Peninsula, extremely endangered. The Red Wolf Center doesn’t have regular open hours and they were closed when I passed by. Cool building, huh?

Pocosin is the Algonquian word for “swamp on a hill” and today these land features are called southeastern shrub bogs or wetlands. (Actually, bogs and wetlands are not the same thing, different sources of water…but I digress.) 

The Walter B. Jones, Sr. Center for the Sounds and the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters (whew!) are under one roof in Columbia, NC, on the edge of the Scuppernong River. 

Here I met a husband-and-wife team with the same story of traveling the U.S. and volunteering at national wildlife refuges, working for 3 days, off for 4 days, and staying at the campgrounds for free. The universe is trying to tell me something.

The volunteers walked me through the well-curated displays, pointing out two stuffed red wolves representing the plight of the species. At the time of my visit there were only about 20 wolves tagged and monitored. BUT…they told me that the Red Wolf Center may have been closed today because staff were out in the field: a litter of 8 puppies had just been discovered!

Beside the Visitor Center is the Scuppernong River Boardwalk and I took a little stroll to see what I could see. Some sections of the boardwalk felt a little soft and mushy and I stepped carefully. No dunking in the blackwater river today! 

 Cypress knees

Continuing west along Highway 64 into Washington County, just 15 miles from Pocosin Lakes, is Pettigrew State Park. What looks like a small area on a map is packed with critical natural and human history. Of particular importance to me was visiting Somerset Place State Historic Site, one of the Upper South’s largest plantations. The extensive website topics include the group of men that first claimed the land, the people that lived there, the Civil War's impacts, and much more. 

The Collins Family Home (the Big House)

From the history page of the website: “Somerset Place is a representative state historic site offering a comprehensive and realistic view of 19th-century life on a large North Carolina plantation. Originally, this atypical plantation included more than 100,000 densely wooded, mainly swampy acres bordering the five-by-eight mile Lake Phelps, in present-day Washington County. During its 80 years as an active plantation under slavery (1785-1865), enslaved persons converted thousands of acres into high yielding fields of rice, corn, oats, wheat, beans, peas, and flax. Meanwhile, enslaved and free millwrights operated sophisticated sawmills that turned out thousands of feet of lumber. By 1860, Somerset Place was one of the Upper South's largest plantations.”

Of the 50 or so buildings on the grounds during its 19th century operations, 7 original buildings remain today. Some others have been reconstructed. During its 80 years as an active plantation, three generations of owners, more than 860 enslaved persons lived and worked at Somerset Place. Read more about the enslaved community on this page of the website. 

I joined a tour focused on the enslaved persons of Somerset Place. It was a moving experience, glimpsing the lives that I could not imagine on my own, the suffering and the strength. That this history was being acknowledged and presented by a white female employee of NC State Parks was impactful, rather than relying on a Black person to tell the painful story. I strongly recommend visiting Somerset Place. Take a tour or wander around the grounds and inside the restored buildings. Talk with the staff. Ask questions. Learn about it. Share it.

I was not expecting little ol' Pettigrew State Park to include Lake Phelps, the second largest natural lake in North Carolina. Do you remember the largest one? Scroll back to the top of this post! Like its big sister, Lake Phelps is a Carolina bay lake and its depth varies from 4.5 to 9 feet. And like other bay lakes, its only water source is rainwater. At 16,600 acres, Lake Phelps is so big that it straddles Tyrrell and Washington Counties.

The Algonquians called the lake Scuppernong, meaning “the place where the magnolias grow.” The name Phelps is attributed to Josiah Phelps, the first white man to enter the water and name it for himself while on a group hunting trip. (Why am I not surprised?)

From this website I learned something UH-mazing about Lake Phelps: Some researchers think the lake’s unique water quality may be the reason for its capacity to preserve wood. At least 30 Native American dugout canoes have been discovered on its bottom, some dating back nearly 4,400 years. One of them is 36 feet long! 

Pettigrew State Park itself is named for James Johnston Pettigrew, a Confederate general whose family home was located a mile east of Somerset off the old carriage road. (Who’s in favor of renaming it Algonquin State Park?) 

I stopped in at the Visitor Center, a small building that dates to the 1970s, and met Renee, the NC State Parks employee on duty. I think I surprised her, strolling in on a Wednesday, but she was very friendly. She suggested walking the Lakeshore Trail that leads down to a boat ramp and then circles through the small campground (13 sites, no electricity or hookups for RV’s).

As I strolled through the campground, a man with an elaborate setup (including a fishing boat) spotted me and, with a friendly smile, told me to watch out for the big rattlesnake that just passed through his site a few minutes ago. Well, that’s an invitation to chat! We talked about how he’s been camping there for many years, how much he likes it, used to be at full capacity all the time, but now most people have RV’s and want the hookups and wifi.

An incredible day exploring the uniqueness of eastern North Carolina’s natural and cultural treasures and people – and I didn’t even tell about some of my other stops! So much more to see and do…A return trip is on the list.

After making my way through the small towns of Roper and Plymouth and back to Bellhaven, I was ready for some good food. I can recommend Fish Hooks Café to send you away fuller’n a tick. 

And all the sweet tea you can drink, y’all

“Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.”
 ~Wallace Stevens

Pisgah 400: Shakedown Backpack - Day 2

Pisgah 400: Shakedown Backpack – Day 2

South Mills River Trail at Wolf Ford Campsite to Turkey Pen Trailhead

5/24/24 - 10.1 miles

Read about Day 1 here. 

We left the tent’s front entry rain fly open when we turned in last night. Despite feeling exhausted when I collapsed on my sleeping pad, my jittery, jumpy legs wouldn’t let me to rest. While my pack weight was reasonable (23 pounds), I hadn’t modified my usual dayhiking pace or habits for eating and drinking. Going slower, stopping more often would have been smarter. (And where the heck were my electrolytes?)

My thoughts turned to the Timberline Trail hike, which is much more strenuous than what we did today. Three nights, four days, 40 miles, 10,000 feet elevation gain, deep and swift glacial river crossings – could I carry all my gear and food for that? Lying there in the pitch dark Pisgah night with my twitchy legs, I began to feel doubts rising. Maybe we should focus on dayhike options in the Mount Hood area instead?

Eventually sleep overtook me and my legs and my worries.

The sky was lightening when Jim and I awoke. I could hear the babble of the river, but I must have missed the birds’ dawn chorus, which is one of my favorite things about camping. In our tent we yawned, stretched and figured out how to pack up in our small space.

More camp chores: Jim had a little trouble putting in his contacts using the tiny mirror he brought. Our hanging clothes were slightly damp as we shoved them into our backpacks. I retrieved our bear bag, undisturbed during the night, and we repacked food bags so snacks are handy. Predictably, we decided to skip lighting the stove for hot oatmeal because we’re walking out today.

At 7:00 a.m. we were ready to hit the trail. Our first task was finding where to cross South Mills River. The remains of a swinging bridge hung in tatters, destroyed in a tropical storm years ago. (You would be surprised how much damage the remnants of a Gulf hurricane can inflict upon the mountains of the Carolinas.)

A closer look shows that half the bridge has been tossed up sideways on the far bank

So we crossed at the horse ford. Jim walked through in his shoes right away. I removed my shoes and socks and waded through wearing Crocs. It wasn’t long until another crossing appeared; so much for keeping my shoes and socks dry for about 15 minutes.

Along this 5-mile trail section, the crossings were 20 to 30 feet wide and relatively flat, no rapids. If you lose your footing, you’ll get wet but you won’t get swept away. The water was enchantingly clear in slow moving areas.

In total we forded the river 11 times. The shallowest crossing was up to my calves, the deepest part reached my upper thighs. At the start we were cautious and analytical about the best way to cross, taking care not to get a foot stuck and avoiding slippery-looking rocks. (Jim had a near full immersion once.) Before long we were stepping with more confidence, knowing that there was more than one way across, we were always going to have wet feet, and we had dry shoes in the car.

Otherwise the trail was pretty flat, alternating between trenches with high sides, dog hobble and rhododendron and flat open spaces, lush ferns and wildflowers.

Wild geranium

There were many stretches of trail that were muddy and wet from recent rains, looked like they are never dry. Tricky footing there slowed us down, not to keep from getting muddy but to avoid slips and falls. I didn’t mind, but Jim wanted to make fast time to finish.

A sign of past residents

South Mills River Trail sits high above the river as it approaches the intersection with Cantrell Creek Trail. Through the trees we saw a group of people, coolers, and several tents. Party time! The thought crossed my mind to scramble down the embankment and join them, but then we would have to climb back up…

As often happens on the last section of a dayhike or a backpack trip, we went too long without a true rest break. At this point we had completed the lollipop portion of our route and faced the final 4 miles back to Turkey Pen Trailhead. My legs had begun to twitch again and my knees were shaky. Is it the pace or is it the extra weight? Most likely a combination of the two. At the Cantrell Creek Lodge clearing we stopped for 20 minutes for a sit-down rest and snacks.

The last half-mile, I knew, was a steady uphill and I knew that Jim was antsy to finish.  I did not want to hurry, so he moved on while I did my work slowly and steadily, counting my steps. Would I slow down on the Timberline Trail when needed or be anxious to finish? What can be a bail-out plan?

We arrived at our car right at noon.

We both changed clothes from the skin out and cranked up the A/C. Food first or something to quench our thirst? The sweet spot was a half hour drive to Bold Rock Mills River Cidery.

Our shakedown trip was a success – our equipment was in good condition and we worked well together. BUT…I hate carrying weight and Jim hates camp setup…tell me again why we are considering backpacking the Timberline Trail in Oregon? 

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Pisgah 400: Shakedown Backpack - Day 1

Pisgah 400: Shakedown Backpack - Day 1
South Mills River Trail/Cantrell Creek Trail/Squirrel Gap Trail/Horse Cove Gap Trail
5/22/24 – 15.2 Miles

A trip to Oregon has been percolating, a new state for Jim and me. Itinerary planning quickly got out of hand: “Oh, if we’re going that far we should include ABC…XYZ.” Get ready for amazing adventures, mostly outdoors.

Hint: we needed a shakedown practice backpack trip to prepare for hiking the Timberline Trail circumnavigating Mount Hood (!)

I worked out a long lollipop route deep in the backcountry of Pisgah National Forest Ranger District, perfect for an overnight trip. 

Day 1: South Mills River Trail to Cantrell Creek Trail, then counterclockwise up Cantrell Creek to Squirrel Gap Trail to Wolf Ford backcountry campsite.  Day 2: turn left onto South Mills River Trail again and follow it all the way back to the trailhead.

Two unknowns: The lower portion of Horse Cove Gap Trail is incomplete on maps and apps and might add more miles than I anticipated. In addition, I pinpointed Horse Cove Gap as our camping spot, but I wasn’t sure if it had a space flat and big enough for our tent. Mountain bikes and horses also use the trail, so we shouldn’t encroach on it.

Nerdy enough for you yet? When I need reliable on-the-ground trail info, my go-to source is dwhike.com. His hike reports are clear and concise with photos, like an encyclopedia entry. I studied what he had to say about Horse Cove Gap Trail here.

Since Jim’s recent retirement we’re not tied to clocks or calendars, so as soon as we saw a great weather window we pulled our gear together. We packed side by side to make sure we had all the shared equipment, stove, fuel, first aid kit, dividing the tent gear (Jim carried tent/tarp/ground cloth and I carried poles/stakes).

At the Turkey Pen Gap trailhead with paper maps and navigation ready

First long bridge over South Mills River

Saturating shades of spring

Another long bridge over South Mills River

At about 4 miles, after crossing the second bridge, the trail turns away from South Mills River and crosses Cantrell Creek on an old log footbridge. In a clearing there is the former site of Cantrell Creek Lodge. Originally built as housing for student rangers of the Biltmore Forest School, only the main chimney remains here. The building has been moved to the Cradle of Forestry.

Read more about Black Forest lodges and Cantrell Creek Lodge here and plan to visit the Cradle of Forestry while you’re “in the neighborhood.”

About a quarter mile past the clearing is the junction where South Fork Mills River Trail turns left (back towards the river) and Cantrell Creek Trail keeps straight. The loop part of our route starts here and we’ll be back at this intersection on Day 2.

Fairy wand

Another quarter mile brought us to another junction signed for Horse Cove Gap, confirming what I’d learned from dwhike.com. Unfortunately, it was quite a bit further than I estimated. Nothing to do but press on. Most of our elevation gain was on Cantrell Creek, but it was very well switchbacked and moderately graded. 

A resident reptile

When we reached the intersection of Cantrell Creek Trail and Squirrel Gap Trail, I paused to reflect that I was here just a month ago tackling another complicated hike that included Squirrel Gap Trail. Read about it here.

At the next crossing of Cantrell Creek Jim and I stopped to filter water. Horse Cove Gap, where we hoped to camp, was just 1.5 miles away and this was the closest water source. Two mountain bikers came along, moving slowly over the narrow trail’s roots and rocks. The only folks we saw all day. 

At Horse Cove Gap, the intersection of Squirrel Gap Trail and Horse Cove Gap Trail

So far we had hiked about 9 miles. I was disappointed (but not really surprised) to see that Horse Cove Gap was not suitable for camping. While it would do in an emergency situation, we had other options. Decision time! Wolf Ford, designated backcountry campsite was 2.2 miles further on Squirrel Gap Trail with water, flat tent sites, no worries. Jim and I were both getting tired.

But I’m a Pisgah 400 Challenge girl and Horse Cove Gap Trail must be conquered. I could do it today or come back another time without a loaded backpack and do it all again. Double ugh.

The short version: We did it. It was not fun, but it’s done.

The long version: We emptied our packs of most of our stuff, keeping food and water and stashing everything else behind a big log. The downhill portion of the trail was very steep, as expected, but the conditions were poor, no maintenance in quite a while. We crossed Cantrell Creek 3 times in tricky, wide rock hops (then 3 times on the return).

Jim crossing Cantrell Creek

I tried to hustle on the return climb, got overtired and cranky (poor Jim). By the time we got back to the gap where we left our gear, I was feeling nauseous. I sat down to rest, drank nearly a liter of water, and tried to eat a nut butter bar. Could I even hike the upper portion of Horse Cove Gap Trail?

Jim offered to carry extra water for me and I could hike with nothing, so we did it. This segment was shorter and the grade was not as steep. Drinking and eating had clearly helped me and we finished quickly.

For fellow challenge completers who may want to do this: Horse Cove Gap Trail is about 2.2 miles long (4.4 miles out-and-back) and 1,000 feet elevation gain/loss.

By now it was nearly 5:30 p.m. and we had hiked almost 14 miles. Wolf Ford campsite still was 2.2 miles, mostly downhill. Tired and stumbling a little, we rolled into camp with an hour or two before dark.

Jim is not a fan of camp chores at the end of the day and, to be fair, he’d been taking care of me all day. For me, putting down the backpack felt liberating and I was ready to do all the things. We set up the tent together, then cleaned ourselves up and changed clothes. We filtered drinking water, hung up a little clothesline for our smelly clothes, and even set a bear hang for our food. 

Jim hanging his backpack on a tree

No campfire, but as we ate our dehydrated meals I felt myself relaxing. We’d hiked about 16 miles but landed in a fine campsite with everything we needed. South Mills River gurgled along beside us. An owl hooted overhead. Nighty-night!

“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.”

 ~T.S. Eliot