Neusiok Trail
Encyclopedia
The Neusiok Trail is a 20.4 miles (32.8 km) hiking trail located in the Croatan National Forest
in Carteret County
, North Carolina
. The trail traverses the forest from a sandy beach on the Neuse River
to a salt marsh
on the Newport River
, and along the way, it crosses cypress
swamp
s, hardwood ridges, longleaf-pine savannah
and pocosin
—shrubby bog
s The entire Neusiok is part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail
(MST) which spans North Carolina, and the MST in the Croatan is a designated National Recreation Trail
.
s.
Each of the three-sided shelters has a fire grill and accommodates about three people. No drinking water is available along the trail; however, each shelter has a water pump
. It is not recommended to rely upon the water pumps.
The Oyster Point Campground is the southern trail-head for the Neusiok, and it is situated on the banks of the Newport River
. The year-round campground is nestled under tall loblolly
pines, and it features 15 sites and two vault toilets. Each site has a picnic table, fire grill, parking spur, tent pad, and lantern post. Oyster Point also has a shallow water boat ramp which provides a launching point for boaters and anglers to access the Intercoastal Waterway.
Camping is not permitted at the Pine Cliff Picnic Area, the Neusiok's northern trail-head.
and the American Black Bear
. Poisonous snakes, copperheads
, cottonmouths
, timber (canebrake) and pygmy rattlesnakes, live in Croatan National Forest, so hikers are recommended to look before placing their hands or feet in thick brush.
Croatan National Forest
The Croatan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest, was established on July 29, 1936, and is located on the Atlantic coast of North Carolina. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, a part of the United States Department of Agriculture...
in Carteret County
Carteret County, North Carolina
Carteret County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 66,469. Its county seat is Beaufort. Most of the county is part of the Crystal Coast....
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The trail traverses the forest from a sandy beach on the Neuse River
Neuse River
The Neuse River is a river rising in the Piedmont of North Carolina and emptying into Pamlico Sound below New Bern. Its total length is approximately , making it the longest river entirely contained in North Carolina. The Trent River joins it at New Bern. Its drainage basin, measuring in area,...
to a salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
on the Newport River
Newport River
The Newport River is a small river in North Carolina that runs approximately twenty kilometers southeast through the town of Newport with its mouth opening into Bogue Sound, between Morehead City and Beaufort. It is popular for flatwater paddling and canoeing....
, and along the way, it crosses cypress
Cypress
Cypress is the name applied to many plants in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is a conifer of northern temperate regions. Most cypress species are trees, while a few are shrubs...
swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s, hardwood ridges, longleaf-pine savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
and pocosin
Pocosin
Pocosin is a term for a type of palustrine wetland with deep, acidic, sandy, peat soils. Groundwater saturates the soil except during brief seasonal dry spells and during prolonged droughts...
—shrubby bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s The entire Neusiok is part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail
Mountains-to-Sea Trail
The Mountains-to-Sea Trail is a long-distance trail, for hiking and backpacking, that runs across North Carolina from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks. The trail's western endpoint is at Clingman's Dome, where it connects to the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National...
(MST) which spans North Carolina, and the MST in the Croatan is a designated National Recreation Trail
National Recreation Trail
National Recreation Trail is a designation given to existing trails that contribute to health, conservation, and recreation goals in the United States. Over 1,000 trails in all 50 U.S. states, available for public use and ranging from less than a mile to in length, have been designated as NRTs...
.
History
The Neusiok Trail was created in 1971 by the Carteret County Wildlife Club. They battled briars, mud and mosquitoes for about five years to build the Neusiok Trail in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service. The club continues to help with trail improvements.Hiking the trail
Hiking is best from October through May when the brush is thinnest and insects are sparse. The trail crosses several roads, so the trail can be shortened to suit a hiker's tastes. The trail crosses many wet areas, and despite a number of bridges and boardwalks, hikers may still need to wiktionary:wade through water.Navigation
The trail is marked by rectangular aluminum tags that are undamaged by regular prescribed burning. The trail is also marked in places with Mountains-to-Sea Trail signs, as well as the MST's white, circle blazeTrail blazing
Trail blazing, or trailblazing, is the practice of marking paths in outdoor recreational areas with blazes, markings that follow each other at certain — though not necessarily exactly defined — distances and mark the direction of the trail...
s.
Lodging and camping
Hikers may camp anywhere along the trail; however, three trail shelters offer a dry refuge:- Copperhead Landing is about halfway between the Pine Cliff Picnic Area and NC 306North Carolina Highway 306North Carolina Highway 306 is a state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina that runs north–south in the eastern part of the state.-Route description:...
. - Dogwood Camp is less than a mile south of NC 101.
- Blackjack Lodge is about one mile north of Mill Creek Road.
Each of the three-sided shelters has a fire grill and accommodates about three people. No drinking water is available along the trail; however, each shelter has a water pump
Hand pump
Hand pumps are manually operated pumps; they use human power and mechanical advantage to move fluids or air from one place to another. They are widely used in every country in the world for a variety of industrial, marine, irrigation and leisure activities...
. It is not recommended to rely upon the water pumps.
The Oyster Point Campground is the southern trail-head for the Neusiok, and it is situated on the banks of the Newport River
Newport River
The Newport River is a small river in North Carolina that runs approximately twenty kilometers southeast through the town of Newport with its mouth opening into Bogue Sound, between Morehead City and Beaufort. It is popular for flatwater paddling and canoeing....
. The year-round campground is nestled under tall loblolly
Loblolly Pine
Pinus taeda is one of several pines native to the Southeastern United States, from central Texas east to Florida, and north to Delaware. It is particularly dominant in the eastern half of North Carolina, where there are huge expanses consisting solely of Loblolly Pine trees...
pines, and it features 15 sites and two vault toilets. Each site has a picnic table, fire grill, parking spur, tent pad, and lantern post. Oyster Point also has a shallow water boat ramp which provides a launching point for boaters and anglers to access the Intercoastal Waterway.
Camping is not permitted at the Pine Cliff Picnic Area, the Neusiok's northern trail-head.
Hazards
Hunters sometimes walk the Neusiok, so during hunting season, October through December, hikers are recommended to wear a bright orange hat or vest. The trail passes through the habitats of the American AlligatorAmerican Alligator
The American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
and the American Black Bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
. Poisonous snakes, copperheads
Agkistrodon contortrix
Agkistrodon contortrix is a species of venomous snake found in North America, a member of the Crotalinae subfamily. The more common name for the species is "copperhead". The behavior of Agkistrodon contortrix may lead to accidental encounters with humans...
, cottonmouths
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Agkistrodon piscivorus is a venomous snake, a species of pit viper, found in the southeastern United States. Adults are large and capable of delivering a painful and potentially fatal bite. When antagonized they will stand their ground by coiling their bodies and displaying their fangs...
, timber (canebrake) and pygmy rattlesnakes, live in Croatan National Forest, so hikers are recommended to look before placing their hands or feet in thick brush.
External links
- Carteret County Wildlife Club website, whose members built and help maintain the trail.
- Unofficial website, with detailed information about the trail.
- Official Brochure
- Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail website