From 1937 to 1955, local school teacher and principal Cynthia Lindsay and husband Bill ran a summer youth camp in what is now Cane Creek Mountain Natural Area. Pioneer Youth Camp operated between school sessions for 8-13 year old youths. There were several cabins like the one above. A main lodge served as the food hall. It is gone except for the two chimneys below. Remnants of 6 or so of the cabins remain.
The former camp has been absorbed into the 1000 acre Cane Creek Mountain Natural Area. The park is now owned and operated by Alamance County. It was made possible through funding by generous conservation buyers and North Carolina Land and Water Fund. Piedmont Land Conservancy and the Conservation Fund facilitated the purchase. Alamance County built most of the infrastructure with help from many volunteers primarily from the Mountains to Sea Trail's local trail crew.
The first trail system opened in 2020 with 4.5 miles of hiking trails. More recently another trailhead has been opened with 6 miles of trails. I am hiking one of those trails today, the Pioneer Camp Trail. Early on, I hiked through the area of the camp remains. It was here I began seeing Pinxter Azalea in bloom.
The trail climbs up into a wonderful hilltop capped in rhyolite and shaded by Chestnut Oaks. These oaks dominate the rocky tops of Uwharrie hills. They tend not to grow straight.
The usual flowers of spring began making their appearance as the sun came out. Some Perfoliate Bellwort was spotted. Below, some Cinnamon Fern grows near a creek.
Believe it or not, this small pond was the camp's swimming hole. The dam has been breached slightly which would have made for an extra foot of water. Still, a rather small and shallow place to swim.
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