Kayaking Through Time: Paddling Brock's Mill Pond & Beyond

   Since we've been shipwrecked on the rural coastal plain of North Carolina, we've gotten a chance to paddle on waterways near and far. The sense of community is strong here - we love that - and it turns out we have quite a few adventures really close to us, actually in our community. 

   Welcome to Brock's Mill Pond {Brock Pond, Mill Pond, Brock Mill Pond}, located in our beloved Jones County. It's an easily accessible paddle with a historic mill on the property. In this post we'll share a few photos from the water, in our next post we'll take you inside the actual historic mill. Pack up your snake repellent and let's hit the water! 

   Full disclosure here, we saw no snakes on our paddle. Lots of birds, a few fish, and no sign of snakes or alligators (although it is very possible they are here, just keep your eyes open and you'll be fine!). Paddling up the creek (called Crooked Run) from Brock Pond takes you into the wilds just a touch - it can sometimes be tricky to navigate submerged trees, so best to paddle slow. We paddled our amazing Innova inflatable kayak with no worries.

   All & all, a great place to explore via kayak. Parking is limited but free, there isn't an actual dock to launch from but there are worn areas on the shore near the mill where it's easy to put in. There's a gas station and Subway just around the bend in Trenton if you need a bite. You could spend an hour or more on the water, we didn't make it too far upstream before the way became too thick to pass. Make sure to check out our next post where we really step back in time and venture into the actual Brock Mill on the property!

~Paul & Amber   ETC