North Carolina Fall Hikes Ending in a Breathtaking View

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One of the allures that drew you initially to North Carolina was its four “full” seasons. The distinct and enjoyable weather patterns for each season now that you’ve opted to relocate to Rocky Mount are a major factor in many choosing to call NC their home. Of those seasons, there may be none prettier than the Fall. Couple that weather with the changing of the colors coinciding with the autumn season and it is the perfect time to spend outdoors. That along with your great location at Belmont Lake Preserve gives you countless incredible options for North Carolina Fall Hikes that all showcase the true beauty of our state.

Sure, in a perfect world, we would all like the chance to get away for a weekend. Soak in the brisk fall air and marvel at the spectacular oranges, reds, and yellows, that fill the natural scenery. But in reality, many of us don’t have the time or money for this type of weekend excursion. Thus, these North Carolina Fall Hikes that follow are ones that can easily be accomplished round trip on the same day.

North Carolina Fall Hikes Where the Beauty Matches the Heights

Obviously, some of the most breathtaking points in all of North Carolina are those from its highest points, the mountains. As you can imagine, with all the colors and natural beauty of the season these are even more spectacular each Autumn. While these may not be the longest or most strenuous walks, the following North Carolina Fall Hikes will certainly give you a view that screams, “I made the right choice moving here.”

Jomeokee Trail, Pilot Mountain

Speaking of shorter trails, this may be the shortest on our list. However, at just under one mile, the view from the Jomeokee Trail makes up for any distance. Of any of these North Carolina Fall Hikes, this one may be the best to enjoy even when. alone. With numerous “nooks” and rocky “hideaways,” you may literally gasp at the gorgeous view from here.

Craggy Gardens

Referred to at the website “Only in Your State” as a “fairytale year-round,” Craggy Gardens is another amazing entry to our North Carolina Fall Hikes. This one-and-a-half-mile trail is accessible from a parking lot just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are two separate amazing overlooks on this hike that give you a “peek” from two of NC’s highest “peaks.”

Whiteside Mountain

When locals hear the name Whiteside Mountain, they immediately suggest you enjoy this entry to the North Carolina Fall Hikes in the late fall. This is one of two points in the year that you can see the amazing “Shadow of the Bear.” All that aside, the incredible surroundings you will pass by on the 2.5-mile walk along the Whiteside Mountain Trail will take you to a stunning view from the cliff at its end.

Chimney Rock

Talk about an awesome view. Now, let’s talk about Chimney Rock, the next of our North Carolina Fall Hikes. To make it to this incredible point, one may first ask how you are climbing stairs or steps. Why? Well, this is a 500-step climb to its top, but once you are there it is said the awe-inspiring panoramic views you see can reach an almost 75-mile radius.

Lower Cascade Falls at Hanging Rock State Park

Ok, so this is another of the North Carolina Fall Hikes that is not the longest of walks. Actually, it’s only about a half of a mile, but once you reach the end, you’ll probably want to stick around and enjoy a bit. Once you reach the trail’s end here, you will find a spectacular waterfall that is surrounded by rock formations that combined with the soothing sounds of the rushing water is about as pleasant as one could imagine.

Flat Laurel Creek

The last of our North Carolina Fall Hikes is one that takes you on an equally amazing, but somewhat unique 2.5 miles. To look at the surroundings, one may think for a second that they were somewhere in the mid-western part of the country. However, any feeling of that should suffice once you’ve entered the spruce-fir forests. This trail actually lies under both Black Balsam Knob and Sam’s Knob and can easily lead to a nearby waterfall that lies on the Creek.

You’re Never Too Far from the North Carolina Fall Hikes when You’re At BLP

Through all your research and preparation for the move to the Belmont Lake Preserve you have become familiar with “Lifestyle Redefined.” Likewise, the “Location” section at belmontlakepreserve.com reminds you that when you are at BLP ” you are never too far from” all the great sights and places of the state. This couldn’t be truer as you set out to enjoy the gorgeous NC fall season and all the surrounding beauty in which it entails.

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East Carolina University: “Built by the People, For the People”

east-carolina-university-belmont lake preserve

In his inaugural address, the school’s first President, Robert Wright described East Carolina University in words that still ring true today. “It was built by the people, for the people, and may it ever remain with the people, as a servant of the people.” This powerful statement has proven to be true in numerous ways over the years. However, now your child has decided to pursue an education at the highly decorated college located in Greenville. This played heavily into your choice to relocate to the Belmont Lake Preserve (BLP) community in Rocky Mount. Thus, making you and your family those “people” that President Wright spoke of. Likewise, this is a good thing for your family, as he notes in his speech, what lies ahead will no question “remain with you” as “the people.”

Once your son or daughter made their final pick of East Carolina University, yours for BLP was an easy one. From the front door to your new home in Rocky Mount to the Greenville ECU campus is just a 53-minute drive (48.7 miles). With such a short distance and your child’s unlimited opportunities in many fields of study, your collective decisions for ECU and BLP can also be described in abbreviated initials. Those initials would be “A-1.”

What Makes the East Carolina University Experience Unique? It’s All in the Numbers!

Sure, it is fantastic that your new residence at Belmont Lake Preserve is so close to your child’s college. However, most importantly, is the education received and the opportunities post-graduation that your child will get as a result of attending ECU. Not to worry though, the accolades and honors heaped on ECU are plentiful and quite impressive. With some of the top publications and organizations in. the U.S. consistently praising East Carolina University, we will look at some of the accolades below.

First off, with such other highly accredited colleges in North Carolina, as UNC, Duke, and many other, any school that is the “only” in any area is a strong statement. Well, East Carolina University is just that. Consequently, the school is the only NC university with a dental school, medical school, and a college of engineering at the same institution. The lofty honors for ECU do not stop there, however.  

In 2019, ECU’s School of Dental Medicine was given the prestigious Gies Award for Vision, Innovation, and Achievement. This is handed out by the American Dental Education Association for giving future dentists a chance to learn breakthrough approaches to the field through practical learning experiences.

U.S. News and World Report Recognition of ECU

As we discuss in other posts about the colleges in NC, possibly the foremost authority on analyzing and recognizing them is U.S. News and World Report. Just in their most recent 2019 annual U.S. college analysis and rankings, the publication honors East Carolina University as being in the top 25 percent of schools nationwide in 9 sperate areas. Shown below in bullet points are each of these honors.

U.S. News and World Report Honors for East Carolina University

Two different demographics that the annual study listed ECU under was their “Top 15 Percent” and “Top 25 Percent” listings. This simply means that for the programs listed that U.S. News and World Report places ECU in these top percentiles nationally.

Top 15 Percent of U.S. Colleges 

  • Education- Best Online Graduate Programs 
  • Top Performers on Social Mobility

Top 25 Percent of U.S. Colleges

  • Physical Therapy- Best Graduate Programs
  • Rehabilitation Counseling- Best Graduate Programs
  • Primary Care- Best Medical Programs
  • Doctor of Nursing Programs- Best Nursing Schools
  • Master’s in Nursing- Best Online Programs
  • Education- Best Online Graduate Programs
  • Criminal Justice- Best Online Graduate Programs

A Start at East Carolina University Often Becomes a Life in North Carolina

While you made the over to be close to your child’s academic journey at ECU, four years can go fast. However, as you fall in love with Belmont Lake Preserve, Rocky Mount, and the state of NC during this time, do not fret! If history is any indicator, there is not only a strong graduation rate at ECU. But also a large number of graduates who join the work force in their field of study right in NC. Thus, upon receiving their degree about half of ECU graduates choose to stay right in North Carolina.

As a matter of fact, East Carolina University boasts a near 50 percent rate for those coming out of their Brody School of Medicine that stay and practice in NC. With very similar percentages in several top graduate programs, it seems your child made the right decision of school…and by default for you as well.

To read all things about Greenville’s East Carolina University, visit ecu.edu. If you want any information on the Belmont Lake Preserve new home community, visit our official site here.

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Cast Away and Relax: Spots for the Best Fishing in North Carolina

At Belmont Lake Preserve, you get some of the most scenic and beautiful surroundings anywhere in the state. By moving into your new home in Rocky Mount, the local parks and green spaces are truly something to behold. But for the outdoorsman who avidly likes to fish, you also are in a prime location to set up day or weekend fishing trips at the finest spots to “drop a line” across NC. In this post, we will look at the Best Fishing in North Carolina and where exactly you can find it.

To come up with an accurate and definitive list of the spots for Best Fishing in North Carolina, we turn to the experts. Actually, they refer to themselves as the “authority resource for everything to do with the Great Outdoors.” Of course, I speak of the website Wilderness Today and their hands-on, experienced staff of authorities on all things fishing and otherwise in nature.

The Best Fishing in North Carolina: The Top Five Locations!

1) Lake Fontana

According to Wilderness Today, Lake Fontana is the number one destination for the Best Fishing in North Carolina. They immediately note that this destination is best for bass fishing, but there also are trout to be caught in some of the many streams that feed into the lake. 

Lake Fontana features a water surface of 10,230 acres with countless different branches and streams. Couple this with the 400 yards of shoreline, and you have a fishing experience that awaits you your pole, and a peaceful, serene, time on the water.

2) Jordan Lake

The second choice from Wilderness Today for the Best Fishing in North Carolina, is Jordan Lake. This 13,940-acre reservoir is in the New Hope Valley, just to the west of Raleigh. Nate Drescher, columnist, and blogger at Wilderness Today describes this spot as follows. ” It is a popular destination for those who want to get out of town for some quality fishing time.”

Lake Jordan does have areas of Shoreline that are not easy to access. However, there is 180 miles of uninterrupted shoreline on the lake also. There are many campgrounds, local shops, and restaurants, etc. in this area too, making the destination one that could call for a weekend trip. Whether you are trying to hook large or smallmouth bass, yellow perch, Channel catfish, or more, Jordan Lake for sure has some of the Best Fishing in North Carolina. 

3) Lake Norman 

Another popular spot to fish for bass is next among our Best Fishing in North Carolina list. Likewise, at Lake Norman, you can also find some big catfish and white perch, too. Lake Norman can get crowded, as it is a very popular fishing spot. However, with 500 miles of shoreline around this 32,000-acre lake, you can surely. find a more private spot if you prefer.

This lakes’ access to a wide array of catfish certainly adds to its popularity. However, it must be noted that you do need a license to catch fish at Lake Norman. But they do not have seasonal restrictions on bass, so you can catch them at this stop for the Best Fishing in North Carolina year-round.

4) Lake James

Next, we take a look at the 6,800 -acre, cold water lake that’s fourth on our Best Fishing in North Carolina, Lake James. Boasting depths of up to 1220 feet below surface, this entry for Best Fishing in North Carolina. This is noted as being an especially popular spot in the summertime.

The Wilderness Today blogger, Drescher explained the following about Lake James. ” For those of us who want something beyond the typical bass fishing experience. There is the thrill of chasing Northern pike or tiger muskies on this beloved NC lake.” That being said, add in some amazing scenery and the crystal-clear water here, and this is a stop you don’t want to miss.

5) Lake Chatuge

The final of our five Best Fishing in North Carolina entries is Lake Chatuge. Situated in the spectacular Blue Ridge Smoky Mountains, anglers have over 7,000 acres of water surface at this destination during the summer. All types of bass are the most common fish caught here. These include spotted, white, largemouth, and hybrid bass.

Lake Chatuge sits right near the North Carolina and Georgia border. Thus, you can use a fishing license from either of the two states when “casting out” at Lake Chatuge.

The Best Fishing in North Carolina: You’re Never too Far Away

Any of the five above Best Fishing in North Carolina destinations will be an easy “getaway” spot to plan from your new home at Belmont Lake Preserve. Some may be a bit farther than others, but all are worth planning a trip to for some incredible fishing.

To see more of the Best Fishing in North Carolina destinations ranked by Wilderness Today, click here. Likewise, for any information, you may need on BLP, visit belmontlakepreserve.com.

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