Activities

There is a lot more to see and do in the park than first meets the eye. And sometimes doing nothing, or just reading a good book, is all a person needs to depart refreshed and re-energized.

Playing
Watching children play should be a required activity for every adult. We have considered paying the kids to play in the park so we could enjoy their spirit, but they volunteer freely. The park is one fine playground. The proof is in the pudding. Tell any child in the park it's time to go home, and see what happens. While he or she is negotiating for another 15 minutes, you can obtain many worthy benefits at home though some creative trading: feeding the rabbits, doing the weeding.

Reading
The lost art of learning from a good book is alive and well at the park. More interesting spots to read than in any public library we have visited.

Snoozing
The fine art of creative snoozing is alive and well in Valle Crucis.

Fishing
We have about a half mile of Watauga River Front, one of the finest fishing rivers in the Southeast. Need we say more?

Walking & Running
While highly disturbing to the more sedate among us, we do enjoy watching walkers and runners make their contribution toward healthy living, hoping to enjoy some by osmosis. The “Figure 8” track loop measures .95 miles.

Picnicking
What's a snooze without a picnic before? If you have been looking for picnic heaven, you have arrived. Stop by the Mast General Store before to get some drinks. Those folks have done so much for the park you'd need to purchase about 1,000,000 bottles of RC Cola and 2,000,000 Moon Pies before they'd make a profit on the park!

Birding
Join the High Country Audubon Society every Wednesday morning at 8:30 for a birding tour of the park! For more information about these events, please contact the park director.

Around 150 species have been documented at the Valle Crucis Community Park, and a few of them are first county records which include Dickcissel, King Rail, Sora, Sedge Wren, and Orange-crowned Warbler. About 45 species are likely to breed in the park, and 30 of these are easy to observe during the nesting cycle.

Key Birds: Summer: Green Heron, Tree, Barn, and Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great Crested, Acadian, Willow, and Least Flycatchers, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Red-eyed, Yellow-throated, Blue-headed, and Warbling Vireos, Cedar Waxwing, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Yellow Warbler, and Common Yellowthroat. Winter: Yellow-rumped Warbler, Swamp, Lincoln's, White-crowned Sparrow, and Savannah Sparrows. Year Round: Eastern Phoebe, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Downy and Pileated Woodpeckers, and White-breasted Nuthatch.

Best Times to Bird: Good birding year round. The late spring/early summer is especially nice with easy looks at breeding species. Migration periods are productive and this has also been a good site for unusual sightings.


"A man practices the art of adventure when he breaks the chain of routine and renews his life through reading new books, traveling to new places, making new friends, taking up new hobbies and adopting new viewpoints" ~ Wilfred Peterson