South of Raleigh is the Sand Hills region of North Carolina. This is an area of sandy flat-topped ridges with a climate that is typically milder than the piedmont: less humid, warmer in winter, and cooler in summer. The natural vegetation is predominantly pine forests. It's a noted resort area--especially among golfers who may be familiar with the towns of Southern Pines and Pinehurst and the World Golf Hall of Fame.

How we got there As usual, our trusty Volkswagen brought us here, but this park's purpose is to preserve the natural Sand Hills habitat, so there's no camping offerred here. According to the little museum here, regular, natural forest fires foster the the growth of pine forests. These fires clear out the land, and the pines grow up in the sunshine. Oaks and other hardwoods would normally grow up in the shade created by the pines, but before they can mature, another fire occurs and the pine forest is renewed. In contrast, oak forests manage to mature and dominate in the peidmont. I forgot how the museum must have explained why so many more fires occur here than in the Piedmont.

With modern development, forest fires are usually suppressed, so the Sand Hills are in danger of losing their natural pine forests to oaks and other hardwoods. Controlled burns at Weymouth Woods help preserve the natural environment. This is important because these pine woods are the habitat of some endangered species, notably the red-cockaded woodpecker, the pine barrens tree frog, and the bog spicebush.

By the way, Pine Barrens is a misnonmer. These woods are full of life. Early European settlers mistook the open spaces between the trees as barrens. We didn't see any red-cockaded woodpeckers [unfortunately], but we did see lots of birds, colorful butterflies, lizards, and a variety of delicate plants.

For more information on Weymouth Woods State Park, go to its webpage, or get a map (in adobe format), or see the North Carolina State Park Info Page for something about all of North Carolina's state parks.