Description

Welcome to our Winter/Spring 2026 Sunday Monthly Hike Series! This series offers 8 guided hikes, 6 on the first Sunday of the month, plus two bonus Sunday hikes to kick off the year! In addition, for the weeks we don’t offer a guided hike, we offer a suggested hike you can do alone or as a group. Each recommendation comes with a GetHiking! eguide, which includes map, route description and general hike  info.  

This series provides you the incentive to keep hiking through winter, and the opportunity to explore new trails while enjoying the camaraderie of fellow hikers. We focus on the trails less traveled, at the times less traveled.  

What: 8 Sunday hikes on trails in the Triangle.

Experience level: Our hikes are geared toward hikers with some experience. You needn’t be fast; we lead our hikes from the rear, so no one is left behind. 

When: First Sunday of the month, January through June, plus the third Sunday of January (MLK Weekend) and the fourth Sunday of March. Hikes begin at 9 a.m.

Includes:

• The Wednesday before each hike you’ll receive an eguide for each hike, including map, route description, route overview, directions and other details. (Every Friday we send a hike reminder along with a look at the weather.)
• GetHiking! Guide to 25 Triangle Trails
• GetHiking! Guide to Winter Hiking

Cost: $295  for couples and families ($175 for single hikers).

Questions?  Email me at joe@getgoingnc.com.

Where we hike

January 4  Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake, DH-H, Shinleaf Recreation Area, Wake Forest, 6 miles. Duck in and out of several coves, disappear into upland hardwood forests, catch good views of Falls Lake on this out-and-back hike. 

January 18  Butner Game Lands: Flat River Access, Bahama, 5 miles. Part of the 40,000-acre Butner Game Lands located along the north shore of Falls Lake, we hike the Brickhouse Road parcel, which includes wide open stretches, ponds, and encounters with the Flat River and Falls Lake.   

February 1  Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake, DH-8  (NC 50 to NC 98),  Raleigh, 7.2 miles. This is the longest continuous section of the MST along Falls Lake, with views of the lake, passage through a long-abandoned farm, and stretches that feel as remote as any you’ll encounter in the Triangle.

March 1  Mountains-to-Sea Trail, DH-P (Hickory  Hill Boat Ramp), 6 miles. A great trail for spotting the first trout lilies, spring beauties and other signs of emerging spring.  It’s been rerouted in spots, so even if you’ve hiked this trail, if you haven’t hiked it recently you’re in for a surprise.

March 22 Cane Creek Mountain Natural Area: Oak Hill Trailhead, Snow Camp, 6 miles. A bonus Sunday hike to welcome Spring (which arrives on March 20) at this  new network that’s similar to the Uwharrie Mountains, but without the drive.

April 5  Horton Grove Nature Preserve, Bahama, 6 miles. A GetHiking! favorite, this Triangle Land Conservancy property north of Durham is good in any season, but especially in spring, where a rich mix of hardwood canopy and understory captures the pastel blooms of spring. 

May 3  Eno River State Park: Pleasant Green Access to Cabe Lands Access, Durham, 5 miles. We start in a bottomland forest, then climb a ridge dense with mountain laurel before descending down to the Eno and circling the Eno Quarry. 

June 7  Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake, DH-R,S Redwood Road to Red Mill Road, Durham, 6 miles. A mix of forest and meadow, this hike includes a brush or two with Falls Lake, an old railroad trestle, a long-abandoned barn. Our favorite Winter Hike along Falls Lake.