NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina has a number of trails with minimal obstacles.  Some are very easy and others are wheelchair accessible.  Here are just a few of them.
These links  were found through Internet search.  I would love some first-hand information. With your help, we can share our knowledge with disabled people everywhere and also increase awareness of the need for more accessibility. Please e-mail me with your suggestions using the form in the sidebar.

Federal
State
Local
Private
Miscellaneous

Federal

• Big Oaks Recreation Area 
  Big Oaks Recreation Area is a summer day-use area on Hartwell Lake,  a man-made  56,000 acre lake bordering Georgia and SC on the Savannah, Tukgaloo and Seneca Rivers.  Description on Oh Ranger!    Map  Phone (706) 856-0300    Hartwell Lake Visitor Center  phone 888-893-0678   Here is their website.   Reviewed on tripadvisor
  Hartwell Dam Walking Trail  on the Georgia side  1.37 miles one-way “….follows the shoreline of Hartwell Lake from Big Oaks up to the concrete portion of the dam on the Georgia side.”
  Hartwell Dam Walking Trail  on the South Carolina side  0.75 mile one-way.  “….follows the shoreline up to the concrete portion of Hartwell Dam on the South Carolina side. For a shorter walk, you can access this trail from the South Carolina Recreation Area, located approximately midway between the South Carolina Overlook and the GA/SC border.”

• Blue Ridge Parkway  
  The Parkway is a 469 mile drive “revealing stunning long-range vistas and close-up views of the rugged mountains and pastoral landscapes of the Appalachian Highlands.” The Blue Ridge Parkway is in both Virginia and North Carolina.
  Here is their website. Phone 828-348-3400   Recorded Park Information line 828-298-0398
  Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville, North Carolina  828-298-5330    Map   Real time open/close road status map   –  Accessibility

  The Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia 
  Peaks of Otter
  Abbot Lake Trail  One mile loop around the lake “…through a woodland forest and open field.
  Trails in North Carolina  This site gives mileage and a rating of easy, moderate or strenuous and links to trail maps.  I can not tell just how easy is “easy” and there is no indication whether there might be obstacles such as stairs.
  Rocky Knob
  ? Rocky Knob Picnic area trail “… is an easy 1-mile loop and offers a pleasant walk through a mature forest of large oaks, ashes, hickories, Fraser magnolias, hemlocks, and other native trees and shrubs.”

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
  “Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America’s most visited national park.”
  Here is the Park website.    Phone 865-436-1200    Maps  
  Trails accessibility information
    Hiking In The Smokies.com – difficulty has a trail list with difficulty ratings.  You can see that the rugged Great Smokies offer little in accessibility.  You might try Randy Johnson’s Best Easy Day Hikes guide.
  
  NORTH CAROLINA
  Deep Creek Trail to Tom Branch Falls   “The trail begins as a wide path as it traces Deep Creek upstream. The 80-foot Toms Branch Falls is located only three-tenths of a mile from the trailhead. The park service has provided several benches for visitors to admire these beautiful falls, which spill down into the creek from the opposite bank.”

  TENNESEE
  Sugarlands Valley Nature trail is 0.5 mile round trip.  Reviewed on AllTrails.com    It is located on Newfound Gap Road, just south of Sugarlands Visitor Center.
  Spruce Fir Trail is 0.35 miles with an elevation gain of just 25′ according to the author of Hiking In The Smokies.com.
  Laurel Falls 2.6 miles  Map   EveryTrail.com says the trail is paved and is suitable for strollers, but considered ‘moderate” in difficulty.  “wideopencountry.com” warns that the first half is uphill.
  Metcalf Bottoms Trail  1.4 miles.  A short nature hike through the woods to Greenbrier School. Map from EveryTrail
  Middle Prong Trail   Trip Advisor   hikingproject.com   maliasmiles   4 miles.  The trial is a 12′ wide graveled railroad grade for the first two miles.  Descriptions vary for the difficulty after that.  Video by The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog

• The National Forest Service website lists a great many trails, but with no details. You have to already know the name of the trail you might be interested in.  I suggest you call the supervisor’s office in Asheville for information: 828-257-4200.  The NFS published this helpful Recreation Guide in 2011.

• Pisgah National Forest
  “The Pisgah National Forest is a land of mile-high peaks, cascading waterfalls, and heavily forested slopes.”
  Here is the Forest website.  Map Phone  828-877-3265
  Roan Mountain Gardens Trail  Brochure   “On a clear day you can enjoy views of Mount Mitchell, Grandfather Mountain, Table Rock and Hump Mountain. This trail passes through a large patch of Catawba rhododendrons and consists of two loops. The upper loop is wheelchair accessible, while the lower loop has several steps.”
  ? Deerfield Loop Trail in the Bent Creek area 0.8 miles with a 100′ elevation change. This is described as easy, but you might call ahead to ask about conditions.
  Wiseman’s View in Grandfather District   a 0.2mile access trail to a spectacular view.
  ? Tom’s Creek Falls   near Marion.  This 0.8 mile trail is described as easy, but the last 0.2 miles get steeper and may be too much for you.

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State

• North Carolina State Parks – this is a page from which you can look for accessible facilities in the state parks.

• Goose Creek State Park
  Goose Creek State Park brings a “…broad range of coastal experiences—live oaks draped in Spanish moss, wetlands along the Pamlico Sound and a cypress swamp viewed from an extensive boardwalk. A visitor and environmental education center explains it all with detailed exhibits. Getting into or onto the waters of the sound is easy at a sandy swim beach, a boat ramp or a separate paddling launch.”
  Here is the Park website.   Phone 252-923-2191  Map
  Palmetto Boardwalk Trail 0.5 mile across a freshwater marsh.

  There are 7 trails described as “easy”.  They include the Flatty Creek, Huckleberry, Goose Creek Trail, Ivey Gut , Live Oak, Mallard Creek and Tar-Kiln trails.  Be sure to check at the Environmental Education Center to see if these are easy for you.

• Hanging Rock State Park
  Hanging Rock State Park has a “73-site campground, picnic grounds, stocked lake for swimming and canoe rentals and more than 20 miles of hiking trails that climb onto spectacular views and weave alongside clear streams and waterfalls. ”
  Here is the Park Website. Phone 336-593-8480 Map
  Rockgarden trail 0.1 mile one way

  Upper Cascades Trail. “The trail to the Rock Garden is a paved 0.1 mile walk (0.2 miles round-trip). The trail to the Upper Cascade Falls is a 0.2 mile walk (0.4 miles round-trip) on crushed rock. The entire TRACK Trail is 0.6 miles round-trip.”
  Tory’s Den Cave and Waterfall Trail 0.2 mile

  Riverbluffs Trail 1.3 miles round trip. Call ahead to be sure this is easy enough for you.

• Jockey’s Ridge State Park
  Wetlands, grassy dunes and maritime thickets, massive dune field and the tallest living sand dune on the Atlantic coast are attractions at Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
  Here is the Park Website   Phone 252-441-7132   Map
  “By calling ahead 24-hours in advance, it’s possible for mobility-impaired visitors to schedule a ride in our all-terrain-vehicle to the top of the dunes.”
  Boardwalk 0.07 mile  “A short option for a partial view of the dunes. The 360 feet of boardwalk begins just behind the visitor center and leads to a deck with benches. Along the way, live oak branches curve overhead and wildlife tracks are often seen.”
  Soundside Nature Trail  0.60 mile round trip

• Jordan Lake State Recreation Area
  “Jordan Lake State Recreation Area is a collective of nine access areas scattered around the shoreline of this undeveloped, 14,000-acre reservoir.” There are campsites, swim beaches, and nearly 14 miles of hiking trails, most of them easy.
  Here is the SRA’s website.   Phone 919-362-0586  Map
  Be sure to call ahead as Jordan Lake is subject to flooding.
  “The beaches at Ebenezer and Seaforth are accessible, and all the campground beaches are accessible as well. Park staff will guide you to facilities best suited to your needs.”
  Seaforth Pond Trail 1.2 miles through “…Loblolly Pine forests, hardwood forests, an old field and past 3 ponds. A long boardwalk traverses a wetland teaming with Buttonbush, Black Needle Rush and other water-loving vegetation.”
  Children’s Nature Trail 0.5 mile loop

  There are six other easy, short trails

• Lake James State Park 
  Lake James State Park offers boating, camping, swimming and fishing and 25 miles of trails, 15 of which are open to mountain biking.
  Here is the Park website. Phone 828-584-7728 Map
  Holly Discovery Trail 0.75 mile round trip  “a flat, easy trek through riparian forest adjacent to Paddy’s Creek.”
  Overmountain Victory Trail  2 miles “follows the shoreline of Lake James and Paddy’s Creek through rolling terrain. Almost all of the trail is shaded under a mature, forest canopy.”
  There are some other easy trails shared with mountain bikers.

• Lake Waccamaw State Park
  The State Park lies along the southwest shores of 9000 acre Lake Waccamaw, one of hundreds watery, oval depressions called the Carolina bays.
  Here is the Park website.   Phone 910-646-4748  Map
  Boardwalk Trail 0.1 mile “A gravel path from the picnic area parking lot winds through the picnic ground and leads to a 700-foot boardwalk.”
  Sand Ridge Nature Trail 0.75  mile

  These and other trails are called “easy” on the website.  Call to be sure they will work for your abilities.

• Merchants Millpond State Park
  “Southern swamp and hardwood forest mingle at Merchants Millpond State Park, adorning the landscape with massive bald cypress trees, beech groves, Spanish moss and exotic wildlife.”
  Here is the Park website. Phone 252-357-1191   Map
  Cypress Point Trail 0.33 mile self-guided interpretive trail

  Coleman Trail and Bennets Creek trails both 2.0 miles described as easy.

• Mount Mitchell State Park   Map   (828) 675-4611  Trails described on the WNCoutdoors.info website.
  Commissary Trail  1 mile.  “Provides spectacular views of Mount Mitchell and the mountains below. Passes through grassy fields on Bearwallow and Grassy Knob Ridges; also Spruce-Fir forests.”
  Summit Trail 0.1 mile A paved path from the summit parking area to the observation deck at the top.
  The State Parks’ website says there is a trail for the visually impaired at Mount Mitchell, but I haven’t found any information about it.  Try calling the park.

• Mountains to Sea Trail  When complete, this 900+ mile trail will link the Mountains in the West to the Coastal Plain in the East.  Very little of it is easy, let alone accessible.
  ? From Sleepy Gap around Grassy Knob  near Asheville  This up to two mile trail is described as “nearly level with a fairly smooth surface. …… You will find a few rocks, roots, and muddy stretches here and there, but it’s nothing to worry about.”

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Local

• Holly Springs
  Bass Lake Park  Trails  Map
  Lake Trail is described as 1.25 miles and easy.  “The trail begins behind the visitor’s center and follows the shoreline with beautiful views of Bass Lake. Keep watch for waterfowl, osprey and snakes.”
  Greenway connection to Womble Park is a “1.32-mile paved greenway that travels past Sugg Farm to Grigsby Avenue across from an entrance to the paved Womble Park trails.”  I am assuming that this is accessible, but the website doesn’t say, so call first:  919-557-2496.

• Wake County
  Website for Parks and Recreation and Open Space  919-856-6170
  Blue Jay Point County Park is a “236-acre park located on the shores of Falls Lake in northern Wake County.  Blue Jay Point’s mission is to offer environmental education programming in a natural setting.”
  Brochure and Trail Maps      919-870-4330
  There are three short loop trails  Azalea 0.5mile, Sparkleberry 0.3 mile, and Laurel 0.2 mile which are described as old roads that are wide and mulched.
  Three short trails go to points on the lake.  They are the Sandy Point 0.2 mile, Blue Jay Point 0.3 mile, and Beaver Point 0.3 mile trails.  These are described as old road beds.

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Private

• Green Swamp Preserve
  The Green Swamp Preserve in Brunswick County, North Carolina has an easy trail running through it.  The 17,424 acre preserve, owned by the Nature Conservancy,  “…contains some of the country’s finest examples of longleaf pine savannas. The open savannas have a diverse herb layer with many orchids and insectivorous plants. Almost 13,000 acres of the preserve, however, are comprised of a dense evergreen shrub bog (pocosin) dominated by gallberry, titi, and sweetbay.”  Phone 910-395-5000  Here is their website.   Described on North Carolina Birding Trail  Thank you to Bill Blevins are letting me know about this preserve.
  The trail is 1 1/2 mile round trip and flat.  “A small portion of the trail is boardwalk through thick shrubs. The board walk can get quite slippery, so be careful.” Closed-toe waterproof shoes are advised.

• Nags Head Woods Preserve
  “This extensive ecological preserve on North Carolina’s Outer Banks protects a remarkable range of unique habitats, including forested dunes, interdune ponds, marshes, and wetlands.”
  Here is the Preserve website.  Phone 252-441-2525.   Trail Map
  Remember that “easy” is a relative term.  Call ahead or check at the office.
  The Nature Conservancy has built an accessible one mile trail through the maritime forest, with views of an interdunal freshwater pond and the brackish marsh system.
  Center Trail  0.25 mile “easy”

  Discovery Trail 0.5 mile “easy”

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Miscellaneous

• Access North Carolina, a vacation and travel guide for people with disabilities.

• Bridge II Sports in Durham, North Carolina, offers a wide variety of adapted sport opportunities.  In addition to team sports, they have fishing and kayaking.  Their phone  is 866-880-2742 and email is admin@bridge2sports.org .  Here is their website:  https://www.bridge2sports.org/about/ .  Thank you to Marya who wrote to tell me about Bridge II Sports and says she is starting to lead hikes for them.

• Carolina Outdoors Guide – A directory of public recreation in North Carolina.  Although this site does not specifically address disability, it provides contact information including phone numbers for the parks and forests.

• A guide to the accessible trails on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina.

• Guide book  Hiking North Carolina by Randy Johnson, 2nd edition.  This is a Falcon book published in 2007  with an appendix listing trails throughout the state noting accessibility.

• The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy lists wheelchair accessible trails in North Carolina.

• Here are some informative websites for hiking in North Carolina.  They do not specifically address disability, but have good descriptions and photographs.
  http://appalachiantreks.blogspot.com/
  http://blueridgencguide.com/
  Meanderthals – Easy Hikes

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