Reedy Creek Park and Nature Preserve: Umbrella Tree/Big Oak Loop (Blog Hike #486)

Trails: Umbrella Tree and Big Oak Trails

Hike Location: Reedy Creek Park and Nature Preserve

Geographic Location: east side of Charlotte, NC (35.26187, -80.71891)

Length: 1.9 miles

Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)

Date Hiked: August 2014

Overview: A rolling loop through nice forest with lots of boulders.

Park Information: https://parkandrec.mecknc.gov/Places-to-Visit/Nature/reedy-creek-nature-center

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=727137
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: On the east side of Charlotte, take I-485 to Rocky River Road (exit 36).  Exit and go west on Rocky River Rd.  Drive Rocky River Rd. 2.7 miles to the signed park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, and follow signs along the main park road for the Nature Center.  Be careful driving over the speed bumps on the park road: they may be higher than you think.  Park in the large blacktop parking lot for the Nature Center.

The hike: For my general comments on Reedy Creek Park and Nature Preserve, see my hike to Robinson Rockhouse, also located at this site.  This hike combines two different trails to explore the southern section of the nature preserve.  This route does not pass any historical sites such as Robinson Rockhouse, but it does offer a quiet rolling nature hike through some nice forest.

Umbrella Tree Trail trailhead

            Start by walking the paved/gravel path around the Nature Center and crossing a gravel road to reach the signed trailhead for the Umbrella Tree Trail.  This trailhead is located just to the left of a mowed-grass clearing marked as the “gathering area.”  A brochure that corresponds to numbered posts may be available at this trailhead.  The wide trail heads southeast into the forest.

            At 0.1 miles, you reach a small prairie that is surrounded by woods.  Prairies used to cover large portions of the southeast, but only small pockets such as this one remain today.  Near the other side of the prairie, you need to angle right where an unmarked connector trail heads left toward Dragonfly Pond.

Hiking through the prairie

            Now back in the woods, the trail descends moderately to reach a junction with the South Fork Trail, which exits to the left.  Continue straight to remain on the Umbrella Tree Trail as it crosses a small unnamed creek on a nice wooden bridge.  The Umbrella Tree Trail gets its name from the wide, waxy leaves of the magnolia tree, though I saw very few magnolia trees on this trail.

Stairs out of ravine

            Across the creek, the trail climbs out of the ravine using a wooden staircase and then curves right as it undulates through some smaller ravines.  At 0.6 miles, you reach a junction with the Big Oak Trail.  Turn left to begin the Big Oak Trail and head into the southern reaches of the nature preserve.

Starting the Big Oak Trail

            Marked with blue triangles, the Big Oak Trail stays on the ridgetop as it treads around a large shallow ravine, which falls away to the right.  There are some large old oak trees in this area, but there are also some good-sized beech and poplar trees.  Perhaps the most noteworthy feature is the large number of boulders scattered across the fairly level ground.

            At 0.9 miles, you reach the big oak for which this trail is named.  Typical of the scenery here, washing machine-sized boulders surround the tree’s base.  1.3 miles into the hike, the trail curves right to join an old dirt road.  The noise of cars buzzing along Plaza Road filters through the trees from the left.

Big oak tree

            The trail curves right as it nears the preserve’s western boundary.  Some more decent-sized oak trees grow over here, but they live about 30 feet off of the trail.  Just before reaching the west end of the Big Oak Trail, you pass a recent trail reroute where the old eroded trail is blocked by a pile of brush.

            At 1.6 miles, the Big Oak Trail ends at its west junction with the Umbrella Tree Trail.  Turn left on a wide gravel trail to continue this loop.  After passing through one final ravine, you come out at the staff parking area behind the Nature Center.  Angle right, walk around the Nature Center, and arrive back at the main visitor parking area to complete the hike.

Andrew Jackson State Park: Crawford Trail (Blog Hike #485)

Trail: Crawford Trail

Hike Location: Andrew Jackson State Park

Geographic Location: north of Lancaster, SC (34.84080, -80.80626)

Length: 1.1 miles

Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: August 2014

Overview: A quiet lollipop loop past the tent camping area.

Park Information: https://southcarolinaparks.com/andrew-jackson

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=332406
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: Near the North Carolina state line, take I-77 to US 21 (exit 77).  Exit and go south on US 21.  Drive US 21 4.3 miles to SR 5.  Exit and turn right (east) on SR 5.  Drive SR 5 east 8 miles to US 521.  Turn left on US 521.  The state park entrance is 0.5 miles ahead on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the small entrance fee, then continue straight to the large paved parking area at the main road’s end.  Park here; the trail starts beside the meeting house at the rear of the parking area.

The hike: For my general comments on Andrew Jackson State Park, see the previous hike.  This trail starts at the park’s main parking area and takes you on a pleasant forest stroll to the tent camping area.  This hike does not have the lake views of the Garden of the Waxhaws Trail, but it also does not have the crowds of anglers drawn by the fishing lake.

Boy of the Waxhaws

            The most interesting things to see on this hike may be at the trailhead.  The most obvious site is the famous Boy of the Waxhaws statue, which depicts Andrew Jackson as a young man riding a horse and gazing off to the west.  Created by Anna Hyatt Huntington, the statue was dedicated in 1967, and it gives Jackson a fresh look compared to the older Jackson normally depicted in portraits.  Beside the statue lies a monument describing Jackson’s birthplace, and the park’s museum housing Jackson and Revolutionary War artifacts sits across the mowed grass field.

Crawford Trail trailhead

            Just left of the signed trailhead sits the blue park meeting house.  The trail itself arcs around the right and back sides of the meeting house to reach an information board, where the trail forks to form its loop.  As directed by another trail sign, I chose to turn right and hike the loop counterclockwise.

            Almost immediately the trail crosses paved Old Church Road and reenters the woods on the other side.  Old Church Road is a rural road with little traffic, but what traffic does frequent this road moves at a high rate of speed.  Thus, you need to look and listen carefully for vehicles before you cross the road.

Hiking the Crawford Trail

            The trail heads south with the road’s noise audible through the trees on the right.  At 0.2 miles, a side trail goes left into a depression.  Some short but steep ups and downs need to be negotiated before you reach the park’s tent camping area at 0.3 miles.  As directed by another sign, turn left to continue the loop.

            The trail traces the north perimeter of the campground before descending slightly to reenter the woods.  This part of the forest is typical Piedmont forest with a mixture of pines, hardwoods, and a few red cedars.  At 0.6 miles, the trail curves left to join what appears to be an old logging road.  You ascend gradually as you cross some wooden waterbars.  Small chunks of asphalt and concrete get you over wet spots, but they look very out of place in the middle of the woods.

Waterbars and asphalt

            0.9 miles into the hike, the old logging road ends at a wooden vehicle gate and a junction with paved Old Church Road.  To continue, you need to turn left and walk about 150 feet along the road’s shoulder to where the trail reenters the forest on the other side of the road.  A short distance later, the meeting house comes into view through the trees on the right as you close the loop.  A short walk back to the trailhead is all that remains to complete the hike.