The last stop on our Junior Naturalist Challenge was the American Tobacco Trail (ATT). There are many entrances to this 22.6-mile long trail but Wake County owns the portion you can access in Apex, which is down near Harris Lake County Park. The trail runs from Durham to New Hill along an abandoned railroad bed originally built for the American Tobacco Company in the 1970s.
This “park” visit was the last on our Junior Naturalist Challenge because unfortunately there aren’t as many staff-led programs listed on their calendar, especially ones that worked around my kids nap schedule. It’s just a trail so really the only thing you can do there is hike, which is hard since I have a one year old who likes to be carried a lot. However, we finally found an 11am class that was called “All About Beavers” so we figured this was our best shot at completing the challenge!
Our class met at the lone picnic table down the hill at the entrance of the trail. The beginning of the trail was rough gravel and not very stroller friendly so I was a little worried that our class description mentioned a hike at the end. Luckily, the further we went the smoother the path became, so I was able to push the stroller during our hike at the end of class. I’m glad I had it since my 3 year old got tired on the way back and needed to ride. However, I don’t recommend pushing a stroller at all, so it may be best to wait and visit once your kids are old enough to comfortably walk a mile, or find a baby carrier that works for you.
Restrooms
There is a restroom facility at the beginning of the trail, but it’s really just a fancy port-a-potty. My kids were too scared to use it since it was deeper and darker than your typical blue port-a-potty and had a strong stench when you entered.
Class Experience
Our class began with a coloring sheet while everyone arrived. Then the teacher brought out a real beaver taxidermy, which was pretty fascinating because I had no idea beavers were that large! She asked the kids what they knew about these rodent animals and shared some interesting facts. Did you know that teenage beavers are kicked out of the lodge and have to find a new pond to build their own lodge in far away from their parents? 😂
I’ll admit, the class started out a little slow for my preschoolers. They learned some facts along the way, but I’d say it would be best for 3rd-5th grade. What stuck out to my kids the most is that they got to help dress up one child as a beaver. She wore a rain poncho to simulate their water proof fur, a paddle to represent the beaver tail, and giant orange teeth just like a beaver!
Hiking Experience with toddlers
After about an hour of class, we started our hike down to the Beaver Creek Dam about a half a mile down the trail. It overlooks the wetland area that was created by the beaver dams. Beavers are nocturnal animals so we had no chance of seeing a live one during the day, but there were lots of chewed branches along the trail as evidence of their presence. The teacher told us the bridge overlooking the wetland used to have a beaver lodge in view, but the animals moved their home recently so you can no longer see it.
It was a beautiful walk and a great trail, but I couldn’t really enjoy it with my one year old in tow. We started the hiking part of class right at noon, which is when my kids usually eat lunch so they were getting hungry. We had a large class, so it was hard to keep my 3 and 4 year old with me and I lost them in the crowd quite a bit. By the time we finally turned around and headed back my crew was DONE, and it was a rough, crying walk back to the car. Everyone else in our class seemed to enjoy themselves though!
If you are a hiking family, definitely go check it out! The trail is wide and accessible, and we saw lots of bikers on the path as well. You can also use the trail for horseback riding, but we didn’t see any horses while we were there.
If you have really young ones or aren’t really into hiking, I recommend waiting to visit when the kids are older. It was probably one of the most educational classes we attended through the Wake County Parks, but was a little too slow and advanced for my 3 and 4 year old to really stay focused the whole time. The mile hike was also difficult for my younger kids, but it was extremely hot that day so that may have made it worse. If I had my husband with me I think it would have gone MUCH better since he could have helped hold kids or push the stroller.
If you’re out in the area though, swing by Carolina Tiger Rescue only 15 minutes down the road!