Thornburg Trail

Location: Uwharrie National Forest - Birkhead Mountain, North Carolina

The Thornburg Trail was our third hike, and we kept it short for a couple of reasons: first, there were some NFL games we wanted to see, and second, hubby and I were both suffering from colds.

This trail starts at the Thornburg House - a historic house and outbuildings just off of the road.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take any pictures of the house!

We kept our packs light since the trail is only about 2 miles long.  It's not a loop - you head in, get to the end, and head back - so those 2 miles are just the distance to get to the end.  The total distance to get in and get back would be about 4 miles.

The trail itself is very well marked, and in places it is wide enough to walk two abreast.  It's also wide enough that our dog could easily walk alongside whoever was leading.

Early in the trail is a very nice bridge over a busy little stream.  If you'd like, you can walk down to the edge of the stream and watch the clear water travel over the rocks.  I was very pleased to find that the bridge was sturdy and stable - no wobble at all!

There were some dry stream beds that we crossed that may have running water in them in the spring.  There were plenty of conveniently flat rocks to cross on, and I didn't find a single wiggler when I stepped on them!

We did bring walking sticks this time, and I definitely noticed a difference.  I was far more comfortably on the downhill stretches, and catching my foot on a hidden rock or root was less of a problem.

There are a lot of beautiful views and interesting tree and rock formations to stop and look at, which are usually my excuses for stopping on the inclines to catch my breath.  I didn't need them on this trip, but we stopped anyway so I could get a couple of pictures.

The inclines are all fairly gentle and extremely easy to handle.  Almost all of the climbing happens on the way in, so on the way out there are almost no climbs to navigate when you're tired.

This trail sees a fair amount of use, but the only other group we saw was a father with a metal detector leading his two boys.  Otherwise, we had the trail completely to ourselves.

We brought our dog, Ella, with us on this hike and she enjoyed it far more than our Badin Lake hike.  The biggest difference to her was a lack of obstacles to try to maneuver around. 

This trail is great for a quick little trip into the woods.  The trail isn't demanding, the views are beautiful, and length is perfect for a lazy morning hike.