Medoc Mountain State Park - A jewel in North Carolina

Want to know a secret?  An amazing park just off busy I-95 in North Carolina is Medoc Mountain State Park.  This year we had limited travel time... thus it seemed the best route from Florida to New York is the infamous I-95, the road everyone loves to hate but we are all thankful it exists.

Bluff Loop Trail

In searching for interesting overnight stops and adventure stops I found this...
Trails beckon as light filters through branches overhead and falls on paths that hold the promise of new frontiers. The peacefulness gives the opportunity to refresh. The silence of the forest is broken only by bird songs and the occasional drumming of the pileated woodpecker. Grab your hiking boots. Load your camera. Spend some time at Medoc Mountain State Park and let nature renew your spirit. (http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/memo/main.php)

Flowers to delight your senses

Rapids in the Little Fishing River
to renew the spirit

Well, the park description and location certainly caught my attention and we are glad it did.  The campground was almost empty!  It was like a private park which was good for walking the cats.

Slipjig feeling confident on this walk

With more than ten miles of hiking trails there was no question about Wednesday's adventure.  We were up early to walk the cats in the sparsely populated campground and open fields... 

Sleepy-eyed Bill walking Anna
At 5:30 AM Bill can awake slowly

Early morning sun reflects
on tall pines

...then off to hike the trails.  The first trail required bicycling to the educational trail at the Park Office.  This trail is paved and informs us about Clean Air and how to keep our air clean.  While at the Park Office, tour the museum to learn about the park.

Changing colors due to the dry summer

Returning to the campground, parking the bicycles, it was time to hit the longer trails.  The first choice was the three mile Bluff Loop Trail.  This promised views of the Little Fishing Creek from the high bluffs above the river.  Of course, the trail descended to the creek in many locations with the most interesting being the rapids caused when the creek narrowed.

  

Stairs on the Bluff Loop Trail
Climb up/down the bluff

Walking along the Bluff Loop Trail
renews your energy

At 325 feet above sea level Medoc Mountain is all that remains after millions of years of erosion on a mighty mountain range. The eroded peaks were formed by volcanic action during the Paleozoic Age, about 350 million years ago, so this is an old granite dome with a rich history.  When hiking the Summit Trail there are numerous outcroppings of granite and large granite stones.

Medoc Mountain Summit Trail

Considering the area was primarily agriculture since the early-1800s the road found on the Summit trail is not un-expected.  Nor was the cemetery; however, there was no mention of the Vinson family in the park literature.  This left me with more questions than answers on the Summit Loop Trail.

Vinson family  cemetary
Martha Smith Vinson
seems to have outlived most of her children

When there are not many people around the animals make their presence known.  We often saw deer, snakes, and toads on the trails.  

A huge black racer - 5+ feet
on the Summit Loop

One of the many toads in the park

Birds sang and called constantly... cardinals, crows, sparrows, woodpeckers, titmouse, wrens, hawks, and more.

Bird house are always a good sign

Although it has been dry, there was plenty of color in the leaves, trees, streams, and flowers. 

A dry summer season
brings color to the leaves

Interesting  formation in the clay
at the base of a tree

Lovely daisy plants
decorate the trails

When will we return?  For certain whenever we are in this area of the country.  Medoc Mountain State Park is a perfect stop over or vacation spot.