Umstead South Circuit

Hike: Company Mill/Reedy Creek/Loblolly Circuit
Location: Umstead State Park
Nearby Town: Raleigh, NC
Elevation (Max): 400'
Elevation Gained: ~280'
Mileage: 5.2
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Trailhead: Take Exit 287 off I-40. Turn toward Umstead State Park (on the R exiting from I-40 W, on the L if exiting I-40 E) and follow the road until you reach the parking lot. The trial leaves out of the back left corner (behind the pavilion) from the perspective of the parking lot entrance. Same trailhead as the Company Mill Loop hike.
Web Site: http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/wium/main.php

On a pleasantly warm January day, I headed out to Umstead State Park to go on my first hike in a while. I felt energized by the sunny, warm day in the middle of January, so I planned on doing a longish circuit of the Company Mill, Reedy Creek, and Loblolly Trails. I began on Company Mill Trail, which I've become pretty familiar with by now, and if I had to guess, I'd say it is the most popular trail in the park. Immediately the trail descends to a small stream, then rises and falls for a while until descending down to Crabtree Creek at the site of the old Company Mill dam. Cross the bridge to the other side and turn right. At this junction, if you plan on doing the Company Mill loop, you can go either left or right and you eventually return from the other direction (as E and I did here) but this circuit only uses one half of Company Mill so go right along Crabtree Creek. When I went, Crabtree was pretty swollen and there were plenty of rapids around the dam.

Crabtree Creek from the bridge

I followed the trail along the bank of the Creek for a while before it peeled away up into the woods and past enormous loblollies. The trail then ascends somewhat steeply to its highest point on a quartz covered hill before descending a bit to the junction with Reedy Creek Rd. At this point the Company Mill loop continues ahead, but for this circuit, turn right. Walk along the bridle trail for a while (you will likely encounter many mountain bikers) before it descends a long hill to Crabtree Creek and shortly from there, Reedy Creek Lake. You can take a quick detour to check out the lake (artificially formed by a dam), or if you feel like a shorter hike, you can take the path across the Reedy Creek dam, which will eventually lead to a paved road onto which you should turn left, then follow the road until the Loblolly Trail intersects it, at which point you should turn right to return to the parking lot.

Crabtree flowing through a breach in the old dam

For the full circuit, though, return to Reedy Creek Road and continue onward up the hill rising from the Lake. As the trail flattens and straightens out, be on the lookout for the junction with the Loblolly Trail on the right. The Loblolly trail has the roughest terrain on the circuit with narrow trails, multiple switchbacks and lots of tree roots (it is by no means excessively difficult, but it is quite a difference from Reedy Creek Road). The trail winds its way through the forest up and down small hills, crosses Reedy Creek, then climbs out of the gully and soon reaches a paved road. Cross the road, continue onward, and only a short walk remains to the parking lot. GPS track of the route below.