Recent Greenway notes and observations from our Greenway Scouts.
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Monday, October 28, 2024
From: FoOG, Greenway Friend
A Month After Helene
My dogs and I walked the middle section of the greenway a couple of days ago from Berkeley Road to the kiosk and back. It's been almost a month since tropical storm Helene devastated a great deal of western North Carolina, and the Oklawaha Greenway was not spared. But the City of Hendersonville deserves kudos for getting it back open quickly. Yes, there are still piles of silt. Yes, there are still tree trunks and limbs stacked alongside the path waiting to be picked up. And yes, you can tell exactly how high the water rose, at least until a heavy rain washes the "mud line" off the trees and shrubs. But there were a lot of people enjoying beautiful fall weather. Birds were chirping and singing. The trees are changing color and on that day the sky was blue. So come on out and enjoy the greenway!
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
From: Jay, Greenway Scout
Memorial Garden in August
The garden at the kiosk was really beautiful yesterday! I guess it's partly the weather we've had this summer, with enough rain to balance the heat. But I think it's mostly the TLC from the Greenway Gardeners! Look for them on the first Thursday morning of the month. If you'd like to join the Gardeners, see the Volunteer page under the Support tab.
Thursday, June 1, 2023
From: FoOG, Greenway Friend
New Plant Tags in the Kiosk Garden
Thanks to the great Greenway Gardeners, there are now colorful and durable plant tags identifying many of the native plants growing in the Wes Burlingame Memorial Garden at the kiosk. While you're admiring the plants and learning more about them via the sturdy metal tags (that definitely won't wash away in heavy rains!), be sure to also check out the Plant of the Month posters at the kiosk.
Thursday, January 26, 2023
From: FoOG, Greenway Friend
Have You Seen The Trash Trout?
While walking recently, we came upon the Trash Trout, installed by Asheville GreenWorks, the City of Hendersonville and MountainTrue on Brittain Creek near where it joins the Oklawaha (Mud Creek). For more information on this innovative and ingenious device to help keep our waterways clean, see the Winter 2023 issue of the FoOG Newsletter, coming out in mid-February. You can see it on our website, or sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page to find it in your inbox!
Sunday, January 8, 2023
From: FoOG, Greenway Friend
After the Rain
Walking the Greenway north from 7th Avenue, there was plenty of evidence of high water, but the trail was dry. The memorial garden looked like it was in good shape. I noticed a new bench and some new trees, and a dead tree fallen over the water that's been there for a while.
Monday, July 25, 2022
From: Trail Writer, Greenway Scout
Just Around the Next Curve on the Oklawaha
On almost any outing on the Oklawaha Greenway, the trail presents very scenic twists and turns that leave the bicyclist or pedestrian asking, "what lies ahead just around that curve up ahead?" Perhaps a quick peek of the Mud Creek, a breathtaking view of the Native Plants Garden, maybe a welcomed bird sighting at one of the Greenway's Birding Hot Spots. Does a lovely blossom or bloom await you?
And, that's not all! Is a child's smile, the sound of laughter or a waiting friend just around the next bend?
What's in store for you on the Oklawaha Greenway?
Monday, June 20, 2022
From: Trail Writer, Greenway Scout
STOP!! AND SEE THE FLOWERS...
A blooming Trumpet Creeper heralds your arrival at the trailhead along with wild daisies and wild clover as they welcome you traverse the Oklawaha Greenway.
Just right for our bird-friendly trail is the Trumpet Creeper, a native to Western North Carolina, as it becomes covered in colorful flowers during the summer months. It's a lovely feature on the Oklawaha Greenway that attracts hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators
So, STOP the stressing and start a healthy habit on the Oklawaha Greenway.
Sunday, January 23, 2022
From: FoOG
Snow!
The snow that fell on Sunday, Jan. 16, was still very much here on Jan. 22. The Greenway was clear and walkable, though. Kudos to the City of Hendersonville maintenance people!
Saturday, September 4, 2021
From: FoOG
Wes Burlingame Memorial Garden workday
A few of the Friends recently weeded and mulched at the new memorial garden at the kiosk.
The garden is a memorial tribute to Wes Burlingame, native plant advocate, Hendersonville Tree Board member and beloved supporter and friend of the Greenway.
Friday, May 22, 2020
From: FoOG
Weather Update from City of Hendersonville's Facebook page
See https://www.facebook.com/HVLNC/
Today the City posted this information:
Due to high rain amounts, there has expectedly been some flooding in the Oklawaha Greenway section between North Main Street / 7th Avenue and behind the plant along the Berkeley Mills section of trail.
Our Public Works Department is aware and will reassess the water levels when they return to work on Tuesday, May 26. Once the areas have dried out, crew members will remove silt from the trail.
Please continue to maintain social distancing guidelines keeping at least six feet of space between you and anyone who does not live in your household.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
From: OGFriend
Unusual Times... and Cabin Fever
As the Times-News reported today, "On Monday, nearly every municipality in the county placed restrictions on parks in areas where people congregate, such as playgrounds and dog parks." But even when we're asked to stay home except for essential activities, exercise is always mentioned. For now, anyway, the Oklawaha Greenway is open and is a great place to get some fresh air and enjoy early Spring while perhaps forgetting for a little while what's going on around us. We encourage you to always behave responsibly and do all you can to maintain a 6' "bubble" between you and others. Stay safe!
Thursday, October 31, 2019
From: DogWalkerJay, Greenway Scout
A Very Flooded Greenway
Friends of mine who walk/run on the Greenway regularly didn't get very far today. They said this was the most flooded they had ever seen it. The photo here shows the Greenway looking from Main St. down toward the kiosk. This is what 24+ hours of rain can do when the ground is already pretty saturated, I guess.
Thursday, June 27, 2019
From: DogWalkerJay, Greenway Scout
Summer on the Greenway
This was our first outing on the greenway since the official start of summer last week. It was a beautiful day! We saw many other people — parents, children, walkers, runners, bike riders — and several other dogs all enjoying the greenway. The parking areas off of Berkeley Road and Balfour Road were almost full. New things we noticed: The grass along the sides of the greenway was recently mowed (shout-out to the City of Hendersonville maintenance people!); There's a newly paved connector with a bright yellow center stripe between the greenway and the new bridge just north of the kiosk; The cleared area to the north of N. Main St. is crossed by some mulched paths — see the next Greenway Newsletter in mid-July for more about this area; and finally, The living roof on the kiosk is looking really nice and healthy.
Saturday, June 1, 2019
From: DogWalkerJay, Greenway Scout
Today Is Mud Run Day!
The Mad Mountain Mud Run is a benefit for Hands On! Children's Museum in Hendersonville. It's held every year and uses part of the Oklawaha Greenway and surroundings. We (my dog and I) hadn't realized it was today when we arrived at the Berkeley Road parking area and headed north — but we soon encountered volunteers marking the course and vehicles and personnel from Mountain Home Fire Rescue turning dirt into MUD. We were back home long before the 1:00 pm start time, so we didn't get any photos of the fun. For more information, see the event website (will open in a new window).
Monday, March 25, 2019
From: BCRunner, Greenway Scout
Week on the greenway
Good morning! I ran the green way three times last week and thought I would take a minute to share some of the hazards still on the trail. Running from Jackson Park before the Four Seasons overpass there is still considerable flooding on the trail. People (including myself) have cut a path around the flooding. Several spots nearer Patton Park still have sand covering some of the trail but all the water was off the trail to the end in Berkeley Mills Park. This week is supposed to be wet at the beginning and beautiful through the middle and into the weekend so I’ll be back out today and a few other times this week.
Thursday, March 14, 2019
From: KenB, Greenway Scout
Wildflowers Starting to Bloom
The Greenway is approaching the exciting time of the year - wildflower blooming. So far I’ve seen Heal All (Prunella vulgaris), Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia), Confederate Violet (Viola sororia var. sororia), Gill-over-the-Ground (Glechoma hederacea) and one of the Speedwells (Vernonia sp.). I think that’s one of the pear trees (Pyrus sp.) blooming just north of Main Street. Hopefully, we won’t have a hard freeze or prolonged low temperatures that will hinder the future blooming season.
Sunday, February 24, 2019
From: KenB, Greenway Scout
Flooding Subsides
Just about the time that the Greenway dried out, we had another rain event. Over the last few days the constant, not torrential, rain flooded the paths again. By today the creek has subsided but there is still some deep water covering the Greenway. Here is a comparison of one of the footbridges 2/21/ to 2/24. Just South of the footbridge on the 24th, the water was still too deep to wade without getting your socks wet.
Thursday, February 14, 2019
From: KenB, Greenway Scout
Flood Aftermath
The flooding of the Greenway over the last year has been severe and frequent. The last one at the beginning of this year created a number of dramatic flooding photos. However, now that the waters have receded, the silt deposits that remain are dramatic in their own right. It will interesting to see how those areas impacted will recover.
Thursday, October 25, 2018
From: DogWalkerJ, Greenway Scout
Progress on New Bridge
We had a lovely autumn stroll on the Greenway yesterday. Fall flowers are almost gone, and there's not a lot of fall leaf color this year. But there are plenty of good things we noticed: The water stations are still on -- it's so helpful not to have to carry water with us. And there's a lot of progress being made on the new bridge across Mud Creek just north of the kiosk. I don't know the exact timetable, but it looks fairly near completion to me. Good news for the bike riders: the steel plate (bump!) that covered the excavation along the greenway is gone and the path has been paved. There was still some evidence from the heavy rains around the remnants of Hurricane Michael, but basically it was a great day to be out on the Oklawaha Greenway!
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
From: HendoAmbler, Greenway Scout
"Volksmarch" On the Greenway
Saturday was my first event with the Asheville Amblers Walking Club as well as my introduction to "Volksmarching" or Volkswalk to be exact :-) According to the American Volkssport Association (AVA): "A volksmarch is a noncompetitive 3.1 mile (5 km) or 6.2 mile (10 km) walk. It's not a pledge walk, it's not a race, it is a fun activity you do with a club, with your family, with your pet, or all by yourself. Volksmarching got its name from its origins in Europe. Today there are thousands of Volkssport clubs around the world, allied in the International Volkssport Federation, the IVV."
About 35 club members showed up at Jackson Park to register for the walk at 8:00. We had a choice of the 6 or 10 km volkswalk, the latter including a trip down Main Street to see the bears and I opted for the shorter route. The plan was to walk from Jackson Park along the Oklawaha Greenway to Patton Park and then return. Due to Friday night's rain, the newly created Jackson Park "lake" caused a detour from the Greenway and through the Historic 7th Avenue residential area. Our group still enjoyed much of the Greenway and they expressed interest in holding more Volkssport events here in the future!
The Asheville Amblers Walking Club ended the morning's adventure with a picnic catered by "Harry & Piggy's" of Hendersonville. I'm looking forward to our next event here on the Greenway!
Monday, July 9, 2018
From: Johanna, Greenway Scout
Summer
Summer on the Oklawaha Greenway has been a lively one so far this year. Evidence of the annual mud run that takes place along the greenway can still be seen. Although it is quite impressive how little one would actually notice unless they were looking for it. The big indicator would be the mud pit near Berkeley Mills Park. Each morning cottontail rabbits freeze at the sight of runners, walkers, and the like before they dash away into the thicket. A number of turtles have made appearances lately to the delight of my small children. Another new sighting is that of an excavator clearing land near the Main Street bridge which is most likely the beginning of the soon to be, or hopefully soon to be, pedestrian foot bridge crossing Mud Creek. This will be a wonderful addition to the greenway as it will extend access to the other side of the creek.
Friday, June 1, 2018
From: DogWalkerJay, Greenway Scout
More Rain
I've been away and haven't yet seen the "flooded" greenway, but a friend who runs on the Oklawaha sent me some photos. He said "This is from the small parking area just off Berkeley. That water under the bridge has to be over my head."
Thursday, May 24, 2018
From: Johanna, Greenway Scout
Drying out
The greenway is mostly clear again! After days of heavy rain, Mud Creek flooded a good portion of the path making it impassable to anyone without a pair of webbed feet. It was striking to see it looking so much like a lake instead of a path. As soon as the waters receded, a brigade of motorized mud scrapers descended and began shoveling and bulldozing heaps of soppy mud off of the path. It took about a day and the greenway was ready to be traveled on. There is a tinge of grey and brown on most of the vegetation and benches. Evidence of a high water line and what a week of rain can do in a flood plain. The pollinator habitats sprinkled along the greenway seem to have faired quite well with all of the rain and even the flooding. Their brilliant colors are just beginning to burst forth with yellow, white, and pink. It is a marvelous sight, and worth maybe a little dirt on the shoes.
Friday, May 11, 2018
From: Outdoor Katky, Greenway Scout
Riding the Greenway
I am one of the cyclists on the Greenway. I am also a hiker so I know the jolt of fear I feel when a biker surprises me on the trail. That is why I use the four magic words when I ride my bike - “Passing on the left.â€
Interrupting the silence and peace of the trail is not something I like to do, but my desire not to crash or hurt someone is stronger. If you don’t like to shout out a warning, consider getting a bell on your bike. That’s what my husband did. Like a bird’s song, the bell signals your presence and you can continue on your way down the path. He has a black one, but you can get them in all colors and designs, smiley faces, flowers, skulls or even in the shape of a hamburger. They’re less than $10 and easy to put on the bike. Be generous and ring them several times when passing.
Sometimes people have their ear buds in and I’m not sure if they hear me, but normally, I get a “thank you†in return for letting walkers know I’m passing them. I also go far into the left lane in case people get confused about what is left and right. So if you ride your bike, warn the walkers, give them a wide berth. They will appreciate it. I guarantee you.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
From: Johanna, Greenway Scout
Observations
Jogging along the greenway this week has been visually stunning. Spring wildflowers are scattered along the banks of mud creek, mostly yellow, with occasional bursts of white and purple. The violet wisteria winding its way through the trees has been a spectacular sight this year. Mud Creek runs along most of the greenway, providing pedestrians with a visual reminder of the recent rainfall—slowly receding for days after the storms. Mud creek touched the top of its banks during both of the previous storms. Fortunately the creek stayed within its banks, sparing pedestrians from the mud that is deposited throughout the floodplain, and allowing the greenway to remain passable. The greenway is bursting with life this week from the buttercups to the finches, wood ducks and Pileated woodpeckers. Nesting birds and frogs are an auditory splendor this time of year. Spring is a remarkable time to be wandering about through the trees and marshes along the path of the Oklawaha Greenway.
Saturday, April 21, 2018
From: Nature Walker, Greenway Scout
Pollinator Planting on the Greenway
The Hendersonville Tree Board and the Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway celebrated Earth month by planting several hundred pollinators along a 300 foot section of the Greenway. Ten volunteers planted 14 different varieties of native wild flowers, including bee balm, Joe Pye weed, Ironweed, mountain mint and goldenrod between Berkeley Road and and the Berkeley Mills Park Trailhead.
The Tree Board carefully selected plants that will bloom at different times so as to keep butterflies and pollinators fed throughout the summer and early autumn.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
From: DogWalkerJay, Greenway Scout
Earth Week on the Greenway
Kodiak and I initially went out on the greenway to see what evidence, if any, remained from the weekend's Ville to Ville relay, a small portion of which was run on the Oklawaha Greenway. But there was nothing to see... no litter, no signs, no wear and tear. So kudos to the event organizers and volunteers, and to the City maintenance crew.
Instead we saw beautiful signs of spring such as a mallard enjoying a wet area near the pollinator meadow, bright green grass shooting up from the erosion control matting alongside the trail, native wisteria blooming near the spur trail to Sullivan Park, lots of buttercups and a bright blue sky. We also saw three separate groups working along different parts of the greenway and Mud Creek in honor of Earth Week (this year being celebrated not only on Earth Day but that whole week and even the entire month of April). MountainTrue and others were removing invasive species from the area between the kiosk and the (closed) boardwalk. Canoes from Asheville Greenworks were removing litter and obstructions from Mud Creek, and another small group of volunteers were picking up litter near the Main Street underpass. We were there in the late morning; I expect all these groups had been working for at least a couple of hours by the time we saw them.
My dog was pleased that the blue water stations were in operation — a sure sign that winter has passed, finally. These clever stations offer water bottle filling and drinking fountains for humans and canines.
Thursday, March 29, 2018
From: RR-CC, Greenway Scout
Ride on the Greenway
Today a group of staff from Conserving Carolina took to the Oklawaha Greenway for an afternoon bike ride. The weather was sunny and cool, and the flora was beginning to show the first signs of spring, making for a beautiful scene. We took off from Jackson Park to Berkeley Mills Park, stopping at three additional parks along the way. We passed people of all ages on leisurely walks and even some furry friends. We spoke to one retired couple who expressed their gratitude for the greenway and the improvements they had seen just in the last year; they use the greenway every day to exercise and walk their dogs. Our entourage also passed by a pair of young parents walking with a toddler and an infant in a stroller, and later, a woman on a run.
Each of our encounters perfectly illustrated the wonderful thing about the greenway; it welcomes individuals, couples and groups of all abilities. It is accessible to wheelchairs, bikes, skates and strollers, and it is open rain or shine. Best of all, it contains a balance of urban and rural. It provides the relief and tranquility of the wilderness without ever feeling far from civilization. If you want a little bit of nature in your exercise routine or simply want to take an easy stroll by streams and forest, the Oklawaha Greenway is for you.
See the video of our ride.
Saturday, March 3, 2018
From: DogWalkerJay, Greenway Scout
Early Spring on the Greenway
Today was beautiful with sunshine and blue skies, but windy. We walked a total of 4.8 miles, beginning at the Berkeley Mills parking area. At 7th Avenue we turned around and retraced our steps. It's been a while since Kodiak and I were on the Greenway. We saw a lot of new green - grass emerging, shrubs beginning to leaf out - but nothing in bloom yet except a couple of mature trees just north of Main Street. The trail was dry and walkable everywhere we went, but there were areas of standing water off the greenway in the usual places, including one near the pollinator meadow where we saw two mallard ducks. We noticed several places along the trail, especially on the side away from Mud Creek, where the City has installed mulch and grass seed; should look very nice soon. The boardwalk which parallels the spur trail to Patton Park, is still closed and can't be used. Also, the blue water stations are still turned off.
Monday, July 31, 2017
From: DogWalkerJay, Member, Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway
Seventh Avenue Community Garden
Today my dog and I walked our 5-mile route. It's been a while since we've been on the Greenway, for one reason or another, and I wanted to see what had changed, especially with the pollinator habitats and other plants along the way. It's a beautiful, cool but sunny early summer day. We also visited the Seventh Avenue Community Garden, a short distance off the Oklawaha Greenway via a spur trail. The garden is located on Ashe Street right across from Sullivan Park between Martin and Parkview, tucked between the street and the railroad embankment. It's a community collaboration planted and maintained by residents in the area, and it looked really good today, just like a well-cared-for early summer garden should. Worth a side trip sometime. You can continue on to King Park a short distance away using neighborhood streets. From there, another spur trail rejoins the greenway near 7th Avenue.
