Hiking at Jack Rabbit, North Carolina

See this little dude in the picture below? This is a kid that absolutely hated hiking last year.  We tried taking him a couple of times and he did more resting, snacking and crying than he actually did walking.

This is his second hike so far this year.  Two hikes in January for a kid that hated hiking is pretty impressive.  Today we did a 3.1 mile hike and he took it like a champ.  In fact, he ended up running  a lot of it.  We finished the hike the 90 minutes.  Last year, a one-mile hike would take us an hour or more. It’s amazing how much difference a year can make.

Today, our hike was at JackRabbit Mountain Biking & Hiking trails in North Carolina. This was the first time we have hiked the trail. Usually we bike it, but with all the wet weather we’ve had, walking was the way.

It’s amazing how the trail looked different today.  With hiking we noticed several things that we haven’t paid any attention to while biking.  One of those things was the foilage signs that are placed all through the trail to tell about the different types of plants.  So basically today wasn’t just a hiking adventure but an educational one as well.

We took the boys just on the main loop.  The main loop is 3.1 miles, but throughout you have the option to branch off into seven other different loops. The trails are very well-marked and at each branch off is a sign to let you know how many additional miles it will be.  The boys wanted to take the trail to SABA beach, but we weren’t sure how well our five-year old would do. 

The different trails are:

• Central Loop 3.1 miles
• Yotee’s Run: 1.5 miles
• Upper Ridge: 1.5 miles
• High Point: 1.0 miles
• Burrell Cove: 1.5 miles
• SABA Beach: 0.7 miles
• Sneaking Creek: 3.2 miles
• Burnt Tree Pennisula: 1.0 miles

While these trails are amazing to hike, I don’t think I would hit them during the peak season for mountain biking, which is why we generally ride them. These are single-track trails and for me it wouldn’t be enjoyable having to keep my eyes open for mountain bikers,  especially with the kiddos hiking with me.  JackRabbit does have an additional trail for just hiking where bikes are not permitted.  It’s a nice trail as well and around 2-3 miles in length.

Facilities:
At the trailhead parking lot, there are plenty of parking spaces, pit toilets, maps, and a grassy area with picnic tables and grills. You did get a nice lake view at the picnic tables.

Quick glance at our hike:

VISIT HERE FOR PDF OF JACKRABBIT TRAILS