A GREENWAY SOMEWHERE IN THE TRIANGLE--It is beautiful out, at least from what I can make out. Late evening, past my usual bedtime. A gentle breeze rustles leaves, sways the dark giants that loom above. Ahead lies a path, discernible only by its flat consistency in contrast to the shadowy undergrowth through which it snakes. Most notable is the temperature, already 10 degrees off the day's 90-plus high of just a few hours earlier.

Come these dog days of summer, this greenway ramble is the quintessential outdoor experience. Just me and several hundred -- thousand, perhaps -- chatty night creatures, from green tree frogs to crickets to who knows what else.

Quintessential -- and illegal.

"Our facilities are designed for daylight use," says Dick Bailey, design development director for Raleigh Parks & Recreation. "It's a matter of user safety."

Joe Godfrey, who designs greenways for Cary, tosses on more water: "Our only after-dark facilities are tennis and ballparks, because they're lit."

Safety, lights. So much for a wild nightlife?

Not necessarily. Public green spaces -- be they city, county or state -- may observe a dawn-to-dusk policy for their trails, greenways and lakes, but that doesn't mean you can't be a law-abiding citizen and still have after-hours fun. These same parks, as well as numerous environmental education centers, recognize this nocturnal allure with a variety of programs.

Take a hike under a full moon on the American Tobacco Trail (Aug. 20), go fishing at Harris Lake (July 29), take a paddle at dusk at Lake Crabtree (tonight). You can even go in search of the wily lightning bug on a firefly safari at Crowder District Park (Aug. 19).

"It's the same old story," Crowder assistant park manager Susan Carl says of what's going on with the light show. "It's mostly the males doing it, trying to attract the females."

Travel farther afield and observe the night sky from atop Pilot Mountain (Aug. 13), catch sunset from atop a dune at Jockey's Ridge (every Wednesday through the summer) or identify the sounds of the swamp at Goose Creek State Park (tonight).

Night programs offer an escape from the heat. They also offer a glimpse into a natural world that's a different animal entirely after closing.

"It's a better way to connect with nature," says Banks Dixon, who leads monthly full- and no-moon paddle trips through his Durham-based Frog Hollow Outdoors outfitters.

"Listening, smelling -- it brings a person more in touch with his surroundings."

More programs

Find out about additional night programs at:

N.C. Division of State Parks & Recreation Web site: http://ils.unc.edu/ parkproject.

North Carolina Environmental Education Centers Web site: www.eenorthcarolina.org. From the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Office of Environmental Education, this site touches base with just about every environmental ed center in the state.