From the Visitor Center just inside the park entrance head down the Palmetto Boardwalk. It’s a good warm-up, especially for folks who tend to go out too fast: you can’t here because there’s so much to see along the way.
After a half mile or so, the boardwalk Ts; go right on the Ivey Gut Trail, which will take you along Goose Creek, then the Goose Creek Trail. Ivey Gut Ts into Goose Creek Trail; go right for a quick, scenic out-and-back to the point where Goose Creek feeds into the wide Pamlico River. Reverse course and take the trail east, nearly the length of the park. Piecing together the Live Oak and Huckleberry Trails will bring you to the Tar-Kiln Trail, which takes you back to the Palmetto Boardwalk.
The run takes you through a great example of coastal forest, under bald cypress, tupelo and oaks draped with Spanish moss, through marsh and swamp environments that nourish a remarkable variety of shrubs and undergrowth. A scenic passage guaranteed to make the miles fly by.
More info: Goose Creek State Park
Maps: Downloadable here, also available at the park.
Getting there from downtown Greenville
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Difficulty: easy
Distance: 40 minutes from downtown Greenville
Length: 7 miles
Time to complete: 1 to 3 hours
Address: 2190 Camp Leach Road
City: Washington
State: N.C.
Zip: 27889
Latitude: 35.4818
Longitude: 76.9014