GLENCOE ON THE HAW RIVER 

In 1880, the sons of textile magnet Edwin Holt constructed a mill on the banks of the Haw River where for 74 years flannel, plaid and other cottons were made. 

 In 1954, the mill closed and the workers abandoned their company owned homes in search of work elsewhere.  The village of Glencoe stood unoccupied until 1979 when Preservation NC acquired the 95 acres and repurposed the village.

Now a restored village of period correct mill houses and a textile museum occupies the site.  Alamance County has constructed a park on the 95 acres adjacent to the Haw River.

Alamance County is working hard to connect their trails along the Haw River with the Mountain to Sea Trail.  The trails we hiked today are a part of that effort.  The Great Bend Park on the outskirts of Glencoe is an example of such efforts.  It features Seller's Falls, a scenic waterfall stretching the width of the Haw River.

The dam is located a short walk of less than a half mile from the parking lot.  The location is the paddling port for folks who want to kayak and canoe upstream. It is a majestic fall flowing steadily over the rock dam constructed decades ago to serve the Glencoe Mill. 

Photos were abundantly taken from many angles each as spectacular as the next.  It is a place where you can have picnic.  Several trails leave this area.  A study of the trail map is recommended. 

Near the dam is a scenic mill race.  It would be nice to have a better understanding of the purpose of these precisely engineered structures. 

I assume the mill race was used to power the electric turbines at the Glencoe Mill.

The Great Bend Park at Seller's Falls is about halfway along an 8-mile river side trail leading from the Indian Valley Golf Course to the Stoney Creek Marina.  After leaving the waterfall, we opted to hop on the trail from the Glencoe Paddle Access near NC 62 bridge.  We chose not to out and back from Great Bend parking lot since the trail leaves the river to tour the Glencoe restored Hamlet. 

The trail begins at a picnic area near a memorial rock. 

A trail station provides, maps and even bug spray!   

Another great picnic area right near the NC 62 bridge over the Haw River. Not so sure about the meaning of this ominous piece of graffiti but at least someone over sprayed a halo.

The trail is a flat trail along the Haw River, much of it on the banks of an old canal.  It is very well maintained with new bridges, stairs and blazing. 

A couple of downed trees proved to be obstacles easily overcome.  Our destination was the old Carolina Mill about a mile from the NC 62 bridge.

There are many spur trails to the riverside where many scenic views can be enjoyed.  This section of the river is shallow and very rocky.  I am not sure how 'paddlers' would make it very far down this section from Glencoe.

Just past the Carolina Mill building are some pretty impressive rapids that seem to extend across the width of the river.  There were some places where a canoe may be able to navigate but only when the river is up as it was today.

The trail ends in the lawn of the old Carolina Mills Building.  The building has been closed for some time and its windows are boarded over and the edifice is now a canvas for graffiti artists and vandals.

(Notice the make shift ladder beneath the open window...not sure I would care to use that "ladder" even if I had the nerve to venture in the empty factory)...We were initially confused.  There was no trail markers.  But as we walked to the front of the building I spied the trail marker along the road near the driveway of the factory.  

The trail continued along the river side passing the rapids and emerging on the road about a quarter mile from the mill site.  There the trail leaves the riverside and crossed a wooded hill to the Stoney Creek Marina. The marina was probably less than a half mile away but, not understanding where the trail was going, we decided to turn around and return to some riverside vistas on the way back to Glencoe. 

We discovered some new trails hidden in rural Alamance County, not far from I-85 some 50 miles from both the Piedmont Triad and the Research Triangle. Between the two locations we hiked about 3.25 miles. Trail access is an 8.  Small trail head parking lots are not as easy to find without GPS...but all are well maintained.  The trails are well maintained and marked -9; the scenery is an 8+;  the effort to view tends to be about right an easy trail and moderately spectacular views  Overall it is a solid 9 trail and props to the County of Alamance for its vision and efforts.  The restoration and repurposing of the Glencoe Village is a great example of historic preservation.  

We will return as there are many other interesting places along the Haw River to discover...a great Sunday afternoon adventure!