Piedmont Environmental Center

Review

If you love a good lake hike, you'll like hiking at the Piedmont Environmental Center in High Point, a 376-acre preserve, a goodly portion of which is enveloped by High Point Lake. The 11 miles of trail that cover the preserve are perhaps best represented by a four-mile loop that begins from the center. For the most part, the loop consists of the Bill Favre Lakeshore Trail. Off the BFLT you'll find various short, themed loops. The 0.2-mile Wildflower Trail, for instance, takes you through a portion of the preserve especially rich in wildflowers. Likewise, there's the Fiddlehead Trail, the Pine Thicket Trail and the Dogwood Trail. Racoon Run Trail, on the other hand, doesn't necessarily take you through a colony of masked mammals. Rather, it explores an arrowhead-shaped peninsula that juts into the lake. The loop's proximity to the lake and the mostly mature hardwood forest the trail penetrates makes this a particularly popular hike during the colorful fall leaf season. More info: Piedmont Environmental Center Maps: Available at park