5 places to find spring in North Carolina
The temperature was in the 50s, the sky a blue we haven’t seen much of this year. I was scanning the ground along the Pump Station Trail, eager for signs of spring. It was the third week of February, late by seasonal norms for the first sign of spring’s first responders: the spring beauty, its five rounded pedals scanning the sky for sun like a satellite dish seeking a signal, and the trout lily, with its delicate fingers of crimson and yellow. Alas, the best I could do was one mottled leaf of a trout lily, barely penetrating the leaf litter. Spring was on the cusp.
And that’s OK, because when spring-like weather finally hits — when temperatures reach the 60s for two or three days straight and the sun quits being coy, we’re in for quite the show.
Ah, but where to catch the show that represents the psychological start of spring? Today, we look at five spots with excellent odds for spotting memorable ephemerals.
1. Eno River State Park, Durham
Pump Station Trail, 1.5 miles
The Eno River Association, the half-century-old non-profit responsible for most of the land in this linear state park, says “Pump Station Trail is known as the best spring wildflower trail in the park.” The reason: a bottomland hardwood forest along the Eno River’s south bank whose rich soil and ample exposure provide the ingredients for a jumpstart on the spring growing season.
Look for carpets of spring beauties and collections of trout lilies, followed by cranefly orchids and a number of other spring ephemerals.
Learn more here.
2. Raven Rock State Park, Lillington
Raven Rock Loop Trail, 2.6 miles
For variety, you can’t beat Raven Rock State Park. Dutchman’s breeches, bloodroot, saxifrage, trailing arbutus, Solomon’s seal, bellwort, spring beauty — there’s a who’s who of spring wildflowers within this 4,684-acre park, which straddles the Cape Fear River where the piedmont grudgingly gives way to the coastal plain.
A variety of options ensures a longer viewing season, beginning in early March and extending well into May. Add the 1.5-mile Little Creek Loop Trail for more viewing opportunity.
Learn more here.
3. Pilot Mountain State Park, Pinnacle
Mountain Trail, 4.3 miles
There are a couple of benefits to hiking this trail. One, much of this trail, which nearly circles the base of the mountain, is in mature hardwood forest with extensive early season exposure on the mountain’s south and west flanks. Another advantage: You can avoid the crowds that flock to Pilot Mountain on a gorgeous spring weekend by avoiding the mountaintop access and starting instead at the Pinnacle Hotel Road/Culler Road parking area.
Learn more here.
4. McDowell Nature Center and Preserve, Charlotte
Chestnut Trail (1.2 miles) and Kingfisher Trail (0.9 miles)
Fortunately, this 1,115-acre preserve operated by the Mecklenburg County Division of Nature Preserves and Natural Resources has 7 miles of trail to handle the crowds. You should have some elbow room as you search for the 32 species of spring wildflowers found here.
And you shouldn’t feel rushed if you’re with folks not as keen on wildflowers as yourself: the park, which abuts Lake Wylie, also has 119 species of birds identified (not all of which are year-round residents), 21 mammals, 21 reptiles and 14 species of amphibians.
Learn more here.
5. Grandfather Mountain State Park, Linville
Profile Trail, 3.6 miles
It should come as no surprise that Grandfather Mountain, one of the most ecologically diverse places in the country, is a prime spot for wildflower viewing. So prime that, in normal years the park sponsors a weekly wildflower walk from April into June.
What might be surprising, since a mountain rises more than 2,100 feet from its base, is that some of the best viewing opportunities involve little climbing. The Profile Trail, on the mountain’s northwest flank, does minimal climbing during its first mile, a mile spent in a lush hardwood forest and, for a short bit, along the Watauga River, an area with prime wildflower viewing.
Learn more here.
