Stevens Creek Nature Center and Preserve in Charlotte, NC (Blog Hike #1009)

Trails: Stevens Creek, Heelsplitter, Quartz, and Sawmill Trails
Hike Location: Stevens Creek Nature Center and Preserve
Geographic Location: east side of Charlotte, NC (35.14244, -80.64475)
Length: 3.9 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: March 2024
Overview: A figure-eight route featuring restored wetlands along Stevens Creek.
Park Information: https://parkandrec.mecknc.gov/Places-to-Visit/Nature/stevens-creek-nature-center-and-preserve
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: On the east side of Charlotte, take I-485 to Lawyers Road (exit 47).  Exit and go north on Lawyers Rd.  At 0.8 miles, take the second exit from the traffic circle to continue on Lawyers Rd., then almost immediately turn left on Thomson Road.  Drive Thomson Rd. south 0.8 miles to the signed Nature Center entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the preserve, and park in the large parking lot in front of the Nature Center building.

The hike: Purchased by Mecklenburg County in 2001, Stevens Creek Nature Center and Preserve is the newest of the 4 nature preserves owned and operated by Charlotte-Mecklenburg County.  The preserve protects 2 miles of Stevens Creek, which features an extensive wetland that was rebuilt a few years ago in an expensive and time-consuming restoration.  Most of this land was logged and/or farmed before 2001, and this preserve still has its youthful rough-around-the-edges feel.  It will be fun to watch this forest and wetland mature over the next few decades.

            In terms of amenities, the preserve features only a nature center and 4 hiking trails.  The 4 trails form a figure-eight route with the nature center at the north end of the northern lobe.  Thus, it makes sense to combine all 4 trails into a single figure-eight hike, and such is the hike described here.

Trailhead at nature center

            From the nature center, head south on the concrete trail that passes the main information board.  This ADA-accessible path leads to Stevens Creek, and it serves as an entrance trail for the entire trail system.  After about 1000 feet, the concrete turns to elevated boardwalk as you enter the Stevens Creek wetland.  The trees and grasses planted here during the restoration are not yet fully established, and therefore it still looks and feels like a young wetland.  Also, wildlife was not particularly plentiful when I came here, so hopefully more fauna will call this wetland home in the future.

Restored wetland

            On the south side of the wetland, the trail surface turns to dirt, which it will remain for the rest of the trail system.  You are now on the Heelsplitter Trail, which is marked with orange squares painted on trees.  This trail is named for the Carolina Heelsplitter, an endangered freshwater mussel naturalists hope to introduce to this park's wetland in the future.

Hiking the Heelsplitter Trail

            The next 1.6 miles is a very gradual and rolling climb: the trail has a net gain of about 100 feet of elevation over that span.  Where the Sawmill Trail exits left or the Quartz Trail exits right, stay with the orange squares to remain on the Heelsplitter Trail; we will use the other two trails on our return route.  The forest here has the typical Piedmont mix of beech, pine, hickory, and sweet gum.  I-485 forms this park's southern boundary, and while the forest and hills filter out some of the noise, highway sounds are your near constant companion on this hike.

Starting the Quartz Trail

            1.9 miles into the hike, you reach the Heelsplitter Trail's south end at a junction with the Quartz Trail, which goes right and left.  The trail going left leads to a secondary parking area on Hooks Road, so you want to turn right to begin your return route.  The initial segment of the Quartz Trail follows a power line corridor, and I had to navigate a few muddy areas when I hiked here on a warm afternoon in early March.

            After curving right to leave the power line corridor, the trail passes some small exposed quartz veins that give this trail its name.  At 2.4 miles, you reach a stack of bricks, all that remains of an old homesite.  Some daffodils growing here were just getting ready to bloom on my visit.

Old homesite

            Just past 2.5 miles, you reach the north end of the Quartz Trail at an intersection with the Heelsplitter Trail.  You walked through this intersection about a half hour ago: this intersection closes the south lobe of the figure eight.  Turn left to begin retracing your steps on the Heelsplitter Trail, then at the next intersection angle right to begin the Sawmill Trail.  One of several nice benches sits at this intersection, providing ample opportunity to rest, rehydrate, and have a trail snack.

Hiking the Sawmill Trail

            The Sawmill Trail travels through a stand of young forest with skinny dense trees.  This land was cleared not too long ago, and while there is no evidence of a sawmill on this property, the adjacent town of Mint Hill had many sawmills in the 1900's.  At 3.3 miles, you reach the north end of the Sawmill Trail at yet another intersection with the Heelsplitter Trail you passed through before.  This intersection closes the north lobe of the figure eight.  Turn right to retrace your steps to and across the wetland to return to the nature center and complete the hike.

Paul Grist State Park: Red Trail (Blog Hike #1008)

Trail: Red Trail
Hike Location: Paul Grist State Park
Geographic Location: north of Selma, AL (32.59877, -86.99130)
Length: 3.7 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: February 2024
Overview: A loop hike around Valley Creek Lake.
Park Information: https://www.alapark.com/parks/paul-grist-state-park
Hike Route Map:

On The Go Map

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video:

Directions to the trailhead: From the intersection of US 80 and SR 22 on the north side of Selma, take SR 22 north 11 miles to CR 222 and turn left on CR 222.  Drive CR 222 west its full length of 1.7 miles to CR 37 and turn right on CR 37.  Drive CR 37 north 1.2 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the park entrance fee, and drive the main park road to the park office, which is located at the entrance to the main campground.  Park in the parking lot in front of the park office.

The hike: Somewhat of a hidden gem in rural western Alabama, 1080-acre Paul M. Grist State Park has a long and somewhat tortured history.  The park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930's as Valley Creek State Park.  In 1973, the Alabama State Legislature renamed the park to honor Paul Malone Grist, a nationally famous director of the YMCA who lived and worked in this area.

            In 2015, the park was closed by the state due to budget cuts, but 2 months later an agreement reached with Dallas County allowed the park to reopen under joint county/state management, a status that continues today.  The cozy park is centered around its 100-acre Valley Creek Lake, and it features swimming and fishing on the lake, a small 11-site developed campground, some picnic areas, and several trails open to hikers and equestrian users.  The hike described here forms the shortest loop around the lake.  I came into this park with a little trepidation, but I had a great hike and left the park with a high opinion of it.

Lake dam at end of park road

            The park road runs right along the west lake shore, and therefore this hike begins and ends with a road walk.  Head south along the park road, walking back out the way you just drove in.  At the first road intersection, turn left to stay close to the lake, heading for the primitive campground.  After 0.5 miles of road walking, you reach the primitive campground near the lake's dam.  The park road ends here.  Walk across the dam, looking for red trail markers.

Trail markers near spillway

            Upon reaching the spillway, the trail rolls off the right (downstream) side of the dam and crosses Valley Creek on a raised concrete structure.  Now the trail leaves the developed park area and enters the woods, where we will stay for most of the rest of this hike.  The forest here features some beautiful large beech trees, but the most common tree is the pine.  All of this park's trails are open to horses.  While this park is most famous as an equestrian destination, the trails did not show signs of heavy horse use on my visit.

Hiking the Red Trail

            At 0.75 miles, the Orange Trail exits right for the first of 4 times.  In all cases the Orange and Red Trails come back together, and the Orange Trail forms a looser loop around the lake.  Thus, you could use the Orange Trail if you wanted to lengthen this hike, but I chose to stick with the Red Trail to get better lake views.  I saw a large number of Canada geese and other birds in the lakeside areas of this hike, and some benches encourage you to sit, rest, and enjoy the lake.

Looking across the lake

            1.5 miles into the hike, the trail curves right to leave the lakeside area and embark on a rolling course in and out of a couple of ravines.  Soon the Orange Trail exits right for the last time, and shortly thereafter the trail starts heading northeast up one of the 2 main feeder streams for Valley Creek Lake.  A steep hillside can be seen to the right, and a marshy wetland area can be seen to the left.

Bridge over feeder stream

            2.1 miles into the hike, the trail curves left to head into the wetland.  Plenty of wet areas will need to be negotiated, but both of the main feeder streams are crossed on nice wooden bridges.  I managed to keep my shoes mostly mud-free while walking through the wetland.  A low ridge is crossed in between the two bridges, and this ridge provides the steepest areas on this hike.

Returning to the lake

            At 2.9 miles, you cross the second feeder stream.  The balance of the hike heads south on a wide trail.  The hillside rises on your right while first the wetland and then the lake appear on your left.  Ignore the Green Trail where it exits right.  At 3.5 miles, you come into the small developed campground, and 1000 feet later you return to the park office to complete the hike.