WAKE FOREST, N.C. — North Carolina has almost 38,000 miles of rivers, 22 natural lakes in the coastal plain and even more man-made lakes. Many outdoors activists are trying to encourage people to get out and enjoy these treasures.
Chris Day has been leading tours for three years, but he’s been doing outdoor activities since he was a kid in summer camp.
“The biggest thing is to expose people to the outdoors,” Day said. “To give people an opportunity to try something they've never tried before.”
At Forest Ridge Park, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, mountain biking, hiking and fishing are among the activities offered.
“These are all experiences, I think, that contribute to the health and wellness of our communities and do a lot to really bring people together,” he said. “I mean, I can't think of anything better to do than just to be outdoors.”
As an instructor, Day not only teaches safe practices, he also shares his passion for the outdoors.
“We want them to come out and enjoy the experience and not have to worry about, ‘Do I have the right gear?’” he said.
At Forest Ridge Park, tours run through September. Falls Lake is one of the only ones in the area that has no private docks or access points, so the shoreline is as natural as it gets.
“You do have tremendous growth as far as housing developments and things like that that are popping up near the lake,” Day said. “You want to provide recreational opportunities, but with that also comes more people, more people on the lake, more people using the resources.”
He hopes people don’t take their outdoor resources for granted but instead keep nature beautiful and continue to explore.
“I think one of the best things that we can do is help people appreciate the resource. When they come out and they recreate here, they see the value in it,” Day said. “And by seeing the value in something like this from a recreational perspective, I think it creates a sense of stewardship and that we want to do more to protect it and keep it around for a longer time.”
Raleigh Parks and Recreation also offers paddle tours at Lake Johnson and Lake Wheeler.
Other parks and recreation departments across the state have equipment rentals available for people to explore the outdoors.