Uwharrie National Forest is the closest backpacking option for millions of North Carolinians. The cooler months are the ideal time to hang in Uwharrie before the heat, bugs and snakes become a factor. Joey and I set out on this trip in February, our first backpacking excursion of the year.
We started at the 24/27 Trailhead in Southern Uwharrie. A bit of rain accompanied us for the beginning of our hike but quickly cleared off. We chose to tackle the Dutchman's Creek Trail portion of the loop first, it has more elevation gain and descent than the Uwharrie Trail portion. After about 5 miles we set up camp in a holler along Big Island Creek. Temps ended up dropping below freezing for a chilly night.
Our second day saw us cover about 10 miles, half along the Dutchman's Creek Trail and half along the Uwharrie Trail. There was a 40-mile trail run going on so we came across a good amount of runners - but the trails didn't feel too crowded. A day hiker we passed informed us that rain was expected to start around 5 PM, so we hustled to get to camp and set up before then. We enjoyed a relaxing evening with just a little sprinkle.
Day 3 finished off the trip for us along the Uwharrie Trail. We had several beautiful backcountry brooks to rockhop during this section. After another 5 miles we made it back to the trailhead and finished off our 3-day adventure. Uwharrie always feels like home to me.
Thanks for watching!
Layne
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