For the outdoor enthusiasts across the state of North Carolina, many enjoy the scenic trails and greenways for a peaceful hike as their favorite activities. Some get more vigorous with their hiking, while others, just enjoy the fresh air, exercise, and serenity of the surroundings. For those who truly seek the beauty of the trails and green space statewide that have a young family, like yourself, this can at times be difficult. Sure, there are many nice places for a walk, jog, or hike near your new home at the Belmont Lake Preserve new home and golf community. However, for those seeking more adventurous trails that even your children can endure and enjoy, we suggest trying the North Carolina Kid-Friendly Hikes listed below.
Now, we realize that you are busy as a parent. Raising a family and keeping the kids active is more than a full-time job. These spots for North Carolina Kid-Friendly Hikes are a bit of a distance from your new home in Rocky Mount. They are not somewhere that you will be going for a walk every day. However, they are each unquestionably a beautiful spot that is an easy hike for both you and the children in spectacular surroundings.
North Carolina Kid-Friendly Hikes the Head for the Mountains
Wait just a minute, you must be thinking. Didn’t we say North Carolina Kid-Friendly Hikes? Yes, rest assured, we did say that. Likewise, we understand your concern when the word “mountain” appears near these “so-called” kid-friendly paths. But, you will see, and just trust us, when we say, these are some of the most amazing hikes and they are not too difficult either.
Mount Mitchell Summit Trail-Burnsville, NC
To start the first of our North Carolina Kid-Friendly Hikes drive your car to the top of the mountain. (See, we told you we had you covered in the mountains!) Now once there, you are still at the base of the summit of North Carolina’s highest peak. Once you park and leave the visitor’s center, you and the kids have less than half a mile to reach the summit. The views once there are simply incredible.
Cloudland Trail- Roan Mountain
The second of the North Carolina Kid-Friendly Hikes brings us to the NC/Tennessee border. To be more specific you go to the place known as Carver’s Gap. Once here, there is a service station road that brings you (again by car) to the top of the mountain to access the Cloudland Trail. Here, depending on how long you or your children want to walk, you can choose your trail. The shortest of these paths is just a half a mile to the mountain’s peak, where the views are endless.
Craggy Pinnacle Trail- Blue Ridge Parkway
Ok, here is the only one with a bit of an uphill walk,” but it’s one we think the kiddos can handle. Just about a half-mile up from the starting point is one of the state’s most incredible overlooks. This is one of the most popular North Carolina Kid-Friendly Hikes, so you may have others to share the trail with, but hey, that may include some more children which can only serve to inspire yours to reach the top at Craggy Pinnacle Trail.
Two North Carolina Kid-Friendly Hikes Directly Out of the Fairytales…or at Least They Appear to Be!
All kids love fairytales, right? Well, even if they don’t, when you take a trail past some amazing sights and settings that they have only seen the likes of before in some type of fairytales, it’s a pretty cool thing. That being said, we have two more hikes that take you and the children through some pretty neat scenery.
Pisgah Covered Bridge Loop Trail- Asheboro, NC
This hike will bring you and the kids to one of just two remaining covered bridges in all of North Carolina. On top of that, this is just an 0.2-mile short loop trail that can give the kids a sense of accomplishment in making it “the distance.” heck, they may even way to tackle this trail ac couple of times, as it truly is an enchanting setting straight from a storybook. Perfect for picnics, too!
Cascades Trail- West Jefferson, NC
The final of our suggested North Carolina Kid-Friendly Hikes is another “loop” trail and is just under three-quarters of a mile long. Even more than the previous North Carolina Kid-Friendly Hikes, this one looks to be something from the fairytales. Enjoy the scenery that includes footbridges, enchanting staircases, and a windy creek featuring several cascading waterfalls.
North Carolina Kid-Friendly Hikes: We Told You So!
Every hiking enthusiast with children that read this headline at the top, admit it, you were skeptical at best. But now that you’ve read through and see the distances of each hike, the locations, and the scenery, we like to think you see where we are coming from. On top of that, we’d like to think that you and your entire family will have the time soon to embark on one of these North Carolina Kid-Friendly Hikes.
For more information about Belmont Lake Preserve, visit belmontlakepreserve.com.