I know how hard it is to get young kids out of the house to go somewhere - even quick outings require you to pack enough snacks, diapers, and toys to make you think you’ll be gone for a week. And who wants to wrestle kids in and out of carseats just to find out that your destination isn’t kid-friendly? That’s why I’ve decided to visit Triangle area sites to see if they’re worth your trip. I won’t use a rating system but I’ll try to describe what you’ll see well enough for you to decide if your kids would find it interesting. I’ll also give you the heads up on bathrooms, stroller accessibility and any other SNAFUs I encounter.

5/09/2013

Neuse River Trail milepost 17 - 15.5 - Raleigh



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       Trailhead and parking for this section is at Anderson Point Park near the boat launch, before you drive over the overpass. I chose this entrance to the Trail because it was the closest trailhead to the new Mingo Creek Greenway. I had seen an article on the Town of Knightdale website about a portion of Mingo Creek opening and I wanted to try it out.

          We reached the Mingo Creek Greenway trailhead rather quickly off of the NRT.



And crossed a very impressive bridge over the Neuse.



      There are no mileposts yet on the Mingo Creek Trail, but I would guess about a quarter of a mile from the bridge the asphalt ends and the gravel and mud begins. I just wasn't in the mood to push two kids in the small-wheeled, double stroller through gravel so we headed back to the NRT and kept going.

Where the pavement ends on the Mingo Creek Trail

       Most of this section of the NRT is swampy but shaded. The smell of honeysuckle was thick in the air.

       We ended our hike where New Bern Avenue crosses the Neuse River. A number of monarch butterflies were clustering under the bridge.

       On the way back we interrupted a small turtle trying to cross the Trail.