WAKELY DAM TO LAKE DURANT This section of the N-P Trail crosses the Blue Ridge Wilderness Area. Approximately 6.3 miles of this section of trail was rerouted off of Cedar River Rd. in 2009. (The old section of trail through private land formerly known as McCane’s Resort is permanently closed to the public.) The result is a delightful walk through emerging forest that proceeds from birch to maple, including some very large old specimens, before blending into balsam fir and mixed hardwoods. The trail crosses into numerous small streams that provide ample water, with several interesting erratic boulders along the way. As you near Stephens and Cascade Ponds you’ll find the trails are very heavily used by day hikers coming from Blue Mt. Lake Village and Lake Durant Campground, especially in the summer season. Because these hikers are often reluctant to get their footwear muddy, the mud holes in this section tend to be rather wide and sloppy. (To minimize impact, responsible hikers walk directly through the center of a trail, including muddy parts, to avoid widening the trail and escalating the problem.)