Welcome back to “Alamance Awaits,” an exploration of some of the beautiful outdoor spaces offered throughout Alamance County, made possible by Alamance Parks. I’m Ali Evans, and in addition to being a member of the 97.9 The Hill & Chapelboro.com team, I’m also a resident of Alamance County who is eager to learn more about where I live!
Over the next several months, I’ll be journeying through the lovely outdoor spaces in Alamance County, and if that isn’t enough, I’ll also share pictures of my hiking buddy, my husky mix Cameron. As you can see, we’re both very excited for our next adventure.
If you haven’t read the debut column of “Alamance Awaits,” I encourage you to check it out! I visited Saxapahaw Island Park in the historic river mill community and Cameron and I had such a fun afternoon there.
Next up is Great Bend Park in Glencoe, right down the road in Burlington. Before you even get to the park, you’ll enjoy a drive through a historic part of town including the Historic Glencoe Mill Village and the Textile Heritage Museum. There’s so much history around every corner of this beautiful state.
Like a true hidden gem, Great Bend Park is down a quiet road that doesn’t seem like it has a park at the end of it. Most of the hiking trails here are hidden under trees, so I recommend a lot of bug spray — whether you bring it, or you borrow theirs!
We walked along two different trails within the park – the Highland Trail and the Haw River Trail. The Highland Trail is completely “inland” walk through the woods, which at times featured slightly uneven terrain and briefly steep uphill and downhill moments. With a 55-pound-dog who thinks she’s pulling a sled at all times despite living in the Piedmont of North Carolina, I found it a little challenging at times to navigate the Highland Trail. On a less muggy day with a more well-behaved dog, I imagine the constant tree cover gives you the shade you want on a hot summer day.
The other trail we enjoyed was the Haw River Trail. This one is slightly more open as it’s closer to the river and features the picturesque dam that makes this park so instagrammable. There is also a beautiful seating area overlooking the dam that would be perfect for a picnic, reading, or just sitting and enjoying the sounds of the water. The next time we visit, now that I know this beautiful view is only about 3-minutes from the parking area, I’ll probably pack a lunch and in case Cameron is reading this, a few dog treats.
A couple of safety things to note about this area of the park. First, the dam is to be enjoyed by your eyes and your ears — do not try and access the water at this point of the trail. As you can see in the photo below, it’s incredibly steep and dangerous. Seriously, do not go down there. Second, when I visited the park, there was a group enjoying the view with a couple of free roaming dogs. The dogs appeared to be very well behaved good boys or girls, but it’s a rule of the park (and common courtesy in general) to have your dog on a leash. This is for their safety, your safety, my safety, and my dogs safety. Luckily, my husband came with me on this adventure, and could distract Cameron for a bit while I went to grab a few photos. However, we unfortunately couldn’t spend much time enjoying the dam because of this group.
In addition to the views of the river there are beautiful wildflowers, an open meadow, and several benches and tables near the water to sit and relax.
We were not able to explore the Island Trail you can see on the map at the top. It’s right across the water, and appears to be a fairly easy 0.5 mile walk. Overall, we really enjoyed the quiet walk through the woods at Great Bend Park, and will definitely be visiting again soon! Between the varying terrain found on the different trails, there’s a little something for everyone.
You can learn more about the people, places and events at Alamance Parks by visiting their website, or by following along on their Instagram. Cameron and I will see you next month for another stop on our journey through Alamance Parks!
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