Island Creek Trail, Croatan National Forest

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Island Creek Trail

The Island Creek Trail, near Pollocksville in the Croatan National Forest, is a half-mile loop interpretive trail the Forest Service describes as “perfect for an afternoon or morning hike.” We hit the trail to walk off lunch one day during Labor Day Weekend 2013.

The trail is easy and wide in most places, and marked, though it does narrow at some spots.

There are also numerous roots in the trail at many places.

The interpretive signs are an Eagle Scout project and identify 14 types of tree (yellow poplar and loblolly pine below) plus (below, at sign 6) a rock outcropping on the creek showing an example of marl, fossilized sea shells deposited when the area was at the bottom of the sea millions of years ago.

Many trees, like these loblolly pines, are 100 feet tall or more.

The interpretive sign explains a rock outcropping on the creek made of marl, fossilized seashell deposits formed millions of year ago when the area was under the ocean.

The most interesting tree (to us) was the umbrella magnolia (below), identified at Post 10 as growing 10 to 25 feet tall with elliptical or oblong leaves that are 8 to 24 inches long. It grows in rich woods and ravines of the “northern coastal plain” and is “not common anywhere.”

We identified several umbrella magnolia once we knew what to look for.

The Scouts didn’t point out that Magnolia tripetala blossoms in spring with an odorous flower that garden writer A.J. Jackson once described for The News & Observer as smelling like a “spicy sweat sock.”

About a third of the Island Creek Trail runs along the tannin-colored creek. Island Creek rises in Jones County and flows into the Trent River.

William S. Powell’s North Carolina Gazetteer says Island Creek is on the 1733 Moseley map (see Section 2), which also shows Murfy’s ferry across the Trent near the mouth of Island Creek.

Cypress knees along Island Creek.

We got thrown off by detours to check out the creek, and wound up on a small side-loop that’s actually a restricted area.

Farther along the trail, a sign taped to a tree indicated additional loops for hiking and single-track biking.

The additional trails are not officially open and are not marked, according to Croatan recreation staff officer Dennis Foster. The sign was put up by mountain bikers who live nearby.

Foster said forest officials understand the desire for additional trails at Island Creek, and the Forest Service is proposing to use the additional trails that exist. But environmental studies to determine whether there are protected plants or significant archaeology in the area must be completed first.

In September 2014, Croatan officials said illegal use by bikers and horseback riders had damaged the area. The Island Creek Trail remains officially open for hiking, nature viewing and outdoor learning.

A few images captured along the trail …

The Island Creek trailhead is about 8 miles south of New Bern in Jones County on Island Creek Road (State Road 1004), which is called Brices Creek Road in Craven County. From U.S. 70 East south of New Bern, turn right at the Burger King.