News – Page 3 – Alamance County Parks and Recreation

Cane Creek Mountains Land Acquisition

Written by on August 22, 2019. Posted in Miscellaneous, Outdoors, Parks & Trails.

Alamance Parks Acquires Land to Expand Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area

Alamance Parks has acquired a third land tract in the Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area. The Henderson-Dixon-Steele tract totals 152.5 acres bringing the total land acquired for the natural area to approximately 620 acres. This property once hosted the Pioneer Camp, a popular summer camp for area children in the 1950s and 60s. The acquisition was made possible by a 2017 grant from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund. Additional support was provided by The Conservation Fund, Piedmont Land Conservancy, and Alamance Parks.

The Cane Creek Mountains are located 8 miles south of the City of Graham and comprise the largest State Natural Heritage Area in Alamance County. The mountain range is also home to the highest peak in North Carolina east of Greensboro. Development of the park will protect the resources of this area while allowing for recreational and educational use of the property. Ultimately, Alamance Parks hopes to develop between 10-15 miles of trail network through the Cane Creek Mountain Natural Area properties. Upon completion, the Cane Creek Mountain Natural Area will be among the largest county parks in the state.

Development of the park began in 2019. A grant from the North Carolina Recreational Trails Program provided funding support for the first trailhead and trails of the park which are expected to open in 2020. Development of the Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area will continue for several years.

Champion Tree

Written by on August 1, 2019. Posted in Events, Miscellaneous, Outdoors.

Champion Tree of Alamance County is back! Alamance County is home to giant trees that have, against all odds, survived centuries of storms, pests, and development. These living monuments have cleaned our air, filtered our water and provided habitat for Piedmont wildlife over hundreds of years. From school grounds and city centers to backwoods and backyards, help us find, measure and celebrate the largest trees in Alamance County!

The deadline to enter a tree into the competition is September 30, 2019. Measuring will take place in October and winners will be announced in November via email. Official certificates will be sent to the champion tree nominators.

To nominate a tree, visit: www.championtreeac.com

2019 Spring Games

Written by Joseph Magyar on May 9, 2019. Posted in Athletics, Events, Miscellaneous, Outdoors, Special Olympics, Special Populations, Special Populations Events.

The 2019 Special Olympics Alamance County Spring Games took place on April 18th at Elon University’s Belk Track. Over 400 amazing athletes were celebrated for their abilities. Congratulations to all athletes on your accomplishments and thank you to all of the teachers, volunteers, and donors who made the day possible. We are grateful for your contributions!

Trout at Cedarock

Written by on December 3, 2018. Posted in Events, Miscellaneous, Outdoors, Parks & Trails.

The question we are asked most this time of year is “When will the trout arrive?”. We are happy to announce that the pond is stocked and ready for fishing! There are approximately 1,300 lbs of trout, ranging from 2-5 pounds each.

Each year the trout arrive in late November/early December once the water is cool enough for their arrival. For more information about fishing at Cedarock Park, visit our website. Grab your fishing gear, and come on out!

Fall Foliage

Written by on November 2, 2018. Posted in Events, Haw River Trail, Miscellaneous, Outdoors, Parks & Trails.

Fall is a wonderful time to visit the parks! The weather is crisp and cool and the changing leaves create beautiful scenery and photo opportunities. We encourage you to enjoy one of the many trails and outdoor recreation opportunities at Cedarock Park, the Pleasant Grove and Eli Whitney Community Centers, and along the Haw River Trail.

Capture a great shot? Send your best fall foliage photos to recinfo@alamance-nc.com or tag on facebook @alamanceparks.

Farm to Table 2018

Written by on September 28, 2018. Posted in Events, Miscellaneous, Outdoors, Parks & Trails.

On September 24-25, Cedarock Park welcomed approximately 900 area students for the annual Farm-to-Table Program. This event is sponsored by the Alamance County Agri-Business Committee and is a unique opportunity for students to learn about agriculture in Alamance County at no charge to the students. 4th-graders from all over Alamance County came to Cedarock Park for two days to learn first hand about how food is grown and produced on a farm and ultimately brought to the family table. Students toured the historical farm and learned about farm animals, plants, and farming equipment. They heard from industry professionals in nine different stations representing various areas of agriculture including dairy, poultry, farm technology, beekeeping, forestry products, beef cattle, field crops, soil and water conservation, and plant science.

For more information about this annual program, contact:

Lauren Langley
Chair, Agri-Business Committee
lauren_langley@ncsu.edu

If you’re interested in local farmers markets, check out this list of nearby Farmers Markets from NC State’s Extension group.

Pollinator Plot at Cedarock Park

Written by on August 31, 2018. Posted in Miscellaneous, Outdoors.

The pollinator plot, shown above, is sponsored by the Alamance County Soil and Water Conservation District. This acre of sunflowers, cowpeas and buckwheat drew a lot of attention from visitors and was very popular with area photographers during the late summer. The project is a part of a statewide conservation restoration initiative known as Butterfly Highway. The goal of the program is to restore native flowering plant networks in order to support pollinators.

For more information about the Alamance County Pollinator Trail, visit: https://www.alamance-nc.com/swcd/pollinator-trail/

Wildlife Discoveries at Alamance Parks

Written by on August 1, 2018. Posted in Miscellaneous, Outdoors, Parks & Trails, Pleasant Grove.

One of the great things about our parks is the variety of wildlife we encounter. The photo above to the left is a mantis observed at Saxapahaw Island Park. The honey bee hive to the right was discovered at the Pleasant Grove Community Center. Honey bee colonies have been on the decline in recent years, so the discovery of this feral hive is exciting. Hives such as this one assist in pollination and benefit all gardeners and farmers living within a 2-3 mile radius.

We encourage you to visit one of our many parks or trails in the county and find a discovery of your own. Remember to leave only footprints!

Civil War Trail Alamance County

Written by on February 2, 2017. Posted in Miscellaneous, Outdoors, Parks & Trails.

The Civil War Trails is a historic preservation organization based in Virginia, which works with communities in numerous states including North Carolina to help preserve the heritage of the American Civil War. This past month, the Civil War Trails organization began overhauling longstanding and worn Civil War Trail interpretive markers across numerous states, which designate historic events and places during our nation’s most tragic and significant period, 1861-1865. Included in these upgrades are the markers in Alamance County, where there are currently nine interpretive marker locations that tell the story of both the soldiers and the community’s involvement in the war. Alamance County’s Civil War Trail takes about 3 hours to complete if you visit every location.

The first initial sign enhancement is located at Swepsonville River Park, recently transferred to Alamance Parks from the town of Swepsonville. The park is also home to a section of the Haw River Land Trail and two access points on the Haw River Paddle Trail. Here along the riverfront of the historic Haw, in April 1865, several thousand soldiers of the Confederate Army crossed the river en route to Greensboro, where they would ultimately be discharged following the surrender agreement between General Johnston and Major General Sherman at the Bennett Farm just outside Durham. The interpretive marker is located along the riverfront where visitors can stand and view the river crossing, and get a visual sense of what it might have been like for the men wading across the river with their knapsacks, personal belongings and muskets. Sadly, the deep rocky river presented a risky crossing and some soldiers died during the passage, just days before the war would come to an end. There are more fascinating stories like this one exhibited at the other locations across Alamance County.

For more information about visiting the Civil War Trail through Alamance County, please visit the website of the Alamance Convention and Visitors Bureau: http://www.visitalamance.com/location/civil-war-trail/ (link will open a new window). You can also download a printable brochure of the Civil War Trail in Alamance County here (PDF will open in a new window).

Happy Holidays from Alamance Parks!

Written by on December 19, 2016. Posted in Miscellaneous.

The staff at Alamance Parks would like to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year! Thank you to everyone who visited our parks and trails this year, supported the department and Haw River Trail, came out to our events, and helped make our facilities a great place to visit.

We hope that you will bring your families out to enjoy the parks and trails over the holiday break. Cedarock Park, Shallow Ford Natural Area, Great Bend Park, and the Haw River Trail Paddle Accesses are open every day except Christmas. Come enjoy looking for the painted snowmen as a Holiday Hike at Cedarock Park, Shallow Ford Natural Area, or Great Bend Park. Snap a selfie with the snowman and post it to our Facebook pages for a chance to win a prize (www.facebook.com/cedarockpark and www.facebook.com/hawrivertrail).

It’s cold out, but don’t let that keep you cooped up inside- winter is a great time to get outdoors, even when there isn’t snow! Here are a few fun ideas for a winter visit to the parks or just getting outdoors at home over the holidays (remember to dress warmly and use good sense in the cold):

Enjoy a hike with your family…bring the family dog
Bring along binoculars and a bird guide…winter is one of the best times for bird watching…the leaves are off the trees and songs carry well in the forest
Keep an eye out for animal tracks on the trails, especially near the creeks and river
Collect interesting sticks, leaves, and other natural items and make a nature collage with your kids
Make a natural bird feeder out of pine cones, peanut butter, and bird seed
Pack a wintry picnic…bring warm blankets and a thermos of hot soup or hot chocolate to enjoy together in the chilly air
Take a walk in your neighborhood to admire the holiday decorations
Enjoy a campfire for toasting marshmallows or making s’mores

County Commissioners

County Manager

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