health Coaching Program
Look and feel your best in the new year. The Rec Wing invites you to a 12-week coaching program led by our own Kevin Harper. You'll gain personal nutrition and exercise strategies to reach your wellness goals. Here's how it works:
- You'll receive a heart rate monitor to track real-time data
- Access to a mobile app for video-on-demand classes
- Livestream workouts to improve your heart rate
- Customized nutrition/meal plan
- Begins Wednesday, Jan. 27
- Accountability coaching with Kevin Harper, Rec Wing Director
join hiking group for
outdoor adventures
What to bring:
Saturday, July 10 at 9:00 a.m. – McDowell Nature Preserve
“Study nature. Love nature. Stay close to nature. It will never fail you” ~Frank Lloyd Wright
Where to meet:
McDowell Nature Preserve is located at 15222 York Rd, Charlotte, NC 28278. Follow signs in the park for the Nature Center parking lot.
What to expect:
McDowell Nature Preserve offers a number of beautiful loop trails over a variety of terrains. This gently undulating 2.5-mile hike will take us through the woods and along the banks of Lake Wylie across from Copperhead Island.
Day trip: Linville Falls -- Saturday, August 7, 2021 at 10 a.m.; Barbeque to follow at noon.
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.” ~John Muir
What to expect:
Gather mid-morning to take one of several hiking options, and then meet for barbeque and social time at Bob and Suzanne Henderson’s home.
Where to meet:
Wiseman’s View Trailhead parking lot. Directions will be provided upon registration.
Saturday, September 11, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. -- Seven Oaks Preserve
What to Expect:
We’ll hike three miles of this flat, natural surface, out-and-back trail hugging the banks of Lake Wylie and winding through hardwood forests and wildflower fields. This hike offers plenty of shade and opportunities to spot wildlife.
Where to meet:
The Seven Oaks Preserve trailhead parking lot is located at 6900 S New Hope Rd, Belmont, NC 28012.
Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. -- Pharr Family Farm Trail
What to expect:
This 1.7-mile (one way) Carolina Thread Trail traverses 66 lush, green acres protected by the Catawba Lands Conservancy. The single-track, packed-dirt, natural-surface trail is smooth with only gentle undulations and a few roots to navigate. It meanders through a rich forest ecosystem with an abundance of trees and wildlife.
Where to meet:
Pharr Family Preserve Trail is located near 9111 Mt. Pleasant Rd. South, Concord, NC, 28205. Follow a long gravel drive to the trailhead parking lot. The trail begins next to the map kiosk.
Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. -- Forney Creek Conservation Area
What to expect:
This three-mile hike traverses a couple of boardwalks and winds its way to two ponds, each offering an overlook. The Forney Creek Trail through the Catawba Springs Preserve is also a segment of the Carolina Thread Trail.
Where to meet:
Sally’s YMCA is located at 1601 Forney Creek Parkway, Denver, NC 28037. The trailhead access point is less than 0.2 mile past Sally’s Y on the right. It is marked by a map kiosk. Parking is available at Sally’s Y or on the street by the trailhead.
Saturday, December 11, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. -- Buffalo Creek Nature Preserve
What to expect:
This 3.5-mile hike will follow an easy, natural surface trail covering an interesting mix of terrains, including a Piedmont Oak savannah, farmland and forest. We’ll enjoy a trip across a suspension bridge at the turnaround point.
Where to meet:
The Buffalo Creek Nature Preserve parking lot and trailhead are located at 7911 Malibu Rd, Mt Pleasant, N.C. 28124.
- A mask to wear as we gather
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Water
- Hats, sunglasses and sunscreen
- Snacks or a picnic lunch
Saturday, July 10 at 9:00 a.m. – McDowell Nature Preserve
“Study nature. Love nature. Stay close to nature. It will never fail you” ~Frank Lloyd Wright
Where to meet:
McDowell Nature Preserve is located at 15222 York Rd, Charlotte, NC 28278. Follow signs in the park for the Nature Center parking lot.
What to expect:
McDowell Nature Preserve offers a number of beautiful loop trails over a variety of terrains. This gently undulating 2.5-mile hike will take us through the woods and along the banks of Lake Wylie across from Copperhead Island.
Day trip: Linville Falls -- Saturday, August 7, 2021 at 10 a.m.; Barbeque to follow at noon.
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.” ~John Muir
What to expect:
Gather mid-morning to take one of several hiking options, and then meet for barbeque and social time at Bob and Suzanne Henderson’s home.
Where to meet:
Wiseman’s View Trailhead parking lot. Directions will be provided upon registration.
Saturday, September 11, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. -- Seven Oaks Preserve
What to Expect:
We’ll hike three miles of this flat, natural surface, out-and-back trail hugging the banks of Lake Wylie and winding through hardwood forests and wildflower fields. This hike offers plenty of shade and opportunities to spot wildlife.
Where to meet:
The Seven Oaks Preserve trailhead parking lot is located at 6900 S New Hope Rd, Belmont, NC 28012.
Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. -- Pharr Family Farm Trail
What to expect:
This 1.7-mile (one way) Carolina Thread Trail traverses 66 lush, green acres protected by the Catawba Lands Conservancy. The single-track, packed-dirt, natural-surface trail is smooth with only gentle undulations and a few roots to navigate. It meanders through a rich forest ecosystem with an abundance of trees and wildlife.
Where to meet:
Pharr Family Preserve Trail is located near 9111 Mt. Pleasant Rd. South, Concord, NC, 28205. Follow a long gravel drive to the trailhead parking lot. The trail begins next to the map kiosk.
Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. -- Forney Creek Conservation Area
What to expect:
This three-mile hike traverses a couple of boardwalks and winds its way to two ponds, each offering an overlook. The Forney Creek Trail through the Catawba Springs Preserve is also a segment of the Carolina Thread Trail.
Where to meet:
Sally’s YMCA is located at 1601 Forney Creek Parkway, Denver, NC 28037. The trailhead access point is less than 0.2 mile past Sally’s Y on the right. It is marked by a map kiosk. Parking is available at Sally’s Y or on the street by the trailhead.
Saturday, December 11, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. -- Buffalo Creek Nature Preserve
What to expect:
This 3.5-mile hike will follow an easy, natural surface trail covering an interesting mix of terrains, including a Piedmont Oak savannah, farmland and forest. We’ll enjoy a trip across a suspension bridge at the turnaround point.
Where to meet:
The Buffalo Creek Nature Preserve parking lot and trailhead are located at 7911 Malibu Rd, Mt Pleasant, N.C. 28124.
