Alamance Battleground

Before the first shots were fired in America’s battle for independence, NC farmers formed associations in the 1760s to protest local government corruption. These Regulators aired their grievances against excess taxes, illegal fees and corrupt officials. In 1771, Regulators gathered in a field just south of Alamance Village and unsuccessfully engaged with Governor William Tryon’s British militia.

Visitors to the Alamance Battleground State Historic Site walk the battlefield between the British lines at the visitor center and the Regulator lines near what is now Highway 62.

Lisa Cox, the historic interpreter at the site, weaves a tale of exasperated farmers fighting for equal justice under British rule and the battle’s aftermath. She notes that most Regulators remained loyal to Britain — even fighting for the British — and simply wanted equal treatment.

Textiles to trails

A few miles away from the battleground sits the Alamance County Historical Museum, within the 19th century home of the Holt family. Textile pioneer Edwin Holt helped build the economic engine that would add more than 50 mills to the region. His “Alamance Plaid” was the first commercially woven colored cotton fabric made in the American South. Later, nearby Haw River would become the “Corduroy Capital of the World.” The Textile Heritage Museum in historic Glencoe, near Glencoe Mills, details the history of the industry, as does the local town museums and along the Textile Heritage Trail.

The Haw River powered the textile mills and now powers a burgeoning outdoor industry. The Haw River Paddle Trail offers 14 access points to the river as it flows through the county and passes towns the river helped build (the entire trail covers five counties). The paddle trail is part of the Haw River Trail corridor, 80 miles of paddle and hiking trails from Haw River State Park to Jordan Lake State Recreational Area.

Want a view above the river and trees? Head to Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area in Snow Camp and hike to the Monadnock Tower via either the Northern Approach Trail or the Lookout Trail, two of the 10 trails available. Climb 80 feet to survey the rolling hills and forests of the Cane Creek Mountains Range, which boasts the highest peak east of Greensboro at 987 feet.

Small town charm

After hiking or visiting the past, the area’s downtowns offer local shops, breweries and eateries to satisfy every taste.

And a historic ride awaits young and old at the Burlington City Park: on the restored 1910 Dentzel Menagerie Carousel. Choose from a cat, an ostrich, lion or horse (with real horsehair tails) — just a few of the 46 unique hand carved animals to relive your childhood. And not to be overlooked at the park, ride on the mini classic diesel-powered train — an appropriate ride for a town built by the railroad industry and once known as “Company Shops.”