This series includes 9 guided hikes over the last four months of 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. 

This series provides you the incentive to get back on the trail during the best time of year to be doing so! Some of the hikes you may recognize from your past GetHiking! adventures, some will be new. Five of the hikes are during the day (Sundays and the Friday after Thanksgiving), four are on Tuesday evenings.

What: 9 hikes — 4 on Sundays, 1 on the Friday after Thanksgiving, 4 on Tuesdays.

Experience level: Our hikes are geared toward hikers with some experience.

When: First Sunday of the month, September through December, plus the Friday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) and the last Sunday of the year (Dec. 27). Hikes begin at 9 a.m., Tuesday evening hikes begin at 6:30 p.m.

Includes:

• The Monday before each hike you’ll receive an eguide for both hikes that week, including map, route description, route overview, directions and other details.
• GetHiking! Guide to 25 Triangle Trails

Cost: $95, $165 for couples and families. To register, go here for single hikers, here for couples and families.

Questions?  Email me at joe@getgoingnc.com.

The hikes

Sundays

October 4  Horton Grove Nature Preserve, Bahama, 5 miles. A GetHiking! favorite, this Triangle Land Conservancy property north of Durham is good in any season, but especially in autumn, where a rich mix of hardwood canopy and understory gets an early start on fall color.

November 1 Cane Creek Mountain Natural Area: Peach Orchard Trailhead, Snow Camp, 5 miles. We hike Cane Creek’s Pine Hill Trailhead when it opened in 2020, we hiked the Oak Hill Trailhead when it opened three years ago. Now, we hike the just-opened Peach Orchard Trailhead, where we can also climb the also recently opened observation tower.

November 27 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.

December 6  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.  

December  27 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.

Evenings

September 8 — Brumley Forest North, Hillsborough. 3 miles. Sunset: 8:35 p.m., twilight ends: 9:03. p.m.. A mix of meadows, ponds and mature forest make ideal features for enjoying sunset.

October 13 — Pennys Bend Nature Preserve, Durham. 3.2 miles. Sunset 6:44 p.m., twilight ends: 7:08 p.m.

A lollipop loop that goes out along the Eno River, returns, in part, through a Piedmont prairie.

November 10 —  Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake: Dayhike Section M, Durham County. 3

miles. Sunset: 5:13 p.m., Twilight ends: 5:39 p.m.. We’ll hike west on the MST through one of the more mature forests the trail encounters along Falls Lake. There’s a small waterfall a mile in.

December 8 — Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake, Dayhike Section T, 3 miles. Durham. Sunset: 5:13 p.m., Twilight ends: 5:38 p.m.. A hike we recently rediscovered after a long absence, we begin at Red Mill Road and hike west on the MST, mostly through bottomland forest until a climb takes us to our turnaround and a bluff overlooking the Eno River.

The post GetHiking! 2026 Fall Hike Series appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

On the first weekend in November we will gather in Hot Springs for two days of hiking and enjoying the ambience of downtown Hot Springs (through which the Appalachian Trail passes).

This year’s event is particularly special: Last September, Hurricane Helene swept through Western North Carolina wrecking havoc throughout the region. Hot Springs, on the French Broad River, was especially hard hit — but the town has bounced back and is again a vibrant hiking hub.

Our plan for the weekend

Friday: Arrive after 4 p.m. From 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.  we will have a campfire welcome with cheese, crackers, little round meats and beer.

Saturday: Pancake breakfast at 7:30 a.m. We will catch the shuttle to Garenflo Gap on the AT at 9:30 a.m., arriving by 10 a.m. for our 7.4-mile hike on the AT that will bring us back into town that afternoon. We will provide lunch; dinner is in town, on your own.

Sunday: Continental breakfast at 7:30 a.m. At 9, we will drive a short distance to Tanyard Gap for the 5.5-mile, mostly downhill hike on the AT back into town.

This trip includes

• 2 breakfasts (Saturday and Sunday mornings)
• 2 lunches (build-your-own lunch buffet)
• Trail snacks
• 2 hikes
• Saturday shuttle to Tanyard Gap
• eguide for both hikes and for the weekend in general (including information on restaurants in Hot Springs)

The hikes

Saturday: Garenflo Gap into Hot Springs on the AT is 7.4 miles. There’s some climbing in the first 3 miles, the last 4 are downhill. The trail is in good shape and easy to follow. We will stop for lunch at the Deer Park Mountain Shelter, where there is water to filter (I will bring a filter). Moderate difficulty.

Sunday: This 5.5-mile hike starts high at Tanyard Gap, ends low back in Hot Springs, and offers a long downhill passage through a hardwood forest that should have good color. Moderate difficulty.

Lodging

Lodging is not provided on this trip. Our base camp will be at the Hot Springs Resort and Spa, which offers a range of accommodations, including camping, small cabins, bigger cabins, two houses and rooms in the lodge. Campsites start at $45 a night, cabins start at $125 a night. Provided meals will be served at a campsite to be identified upon registration. The resort is just across the railroad tracks from downtown Hot Springs, a 5-minute walk, tops.

You can make reservations  by either visiting the website or calling 828-622-7676. You may find other lodging options in Hot Springs here.

Fee

Fee for the trip, excluding lodging: $295. Though Hot Springs has made considerable progress and is again a viable trail town, recovery from Helene continues. Of your fee, 20 percent will go to ReBuild Hot Springs, a local non-profit created to aid in the recovery. Check it out here.

Refund policy

Full refund for cancelations made up to 7 days in advance of the trip’s start; credit give for cancelations made 1 to 6 days before the trip; no refund for cancelations made less than 24 hours in advance.

Questions?

Contact Joe at joe@getgoingnc.com

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On the first weekend in November we will gather in Hot Springs for two days of hiking and enjoying the ambience of downtown Hot Springs (through which the Appalachian Trail passes). Our agenda for the weekend:

Friday: Arrive after 4 p.m. From 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.  we will have a campfire welcome with cheese, crackers, little round meats and beer.

Saturday: Pancake breakfast at 7:30 a.m. We will catch the shuttle to Garenflo Gap on the AT at 9:30 a.m., arriving by 10 p.m. for our 7.2-mile hike on the AT and on a U.S. Forest Service Trail that will bring us back into town that afternoon. We will provide lunch; dinner is in town, on your own.

Sunday: Continental breakfast at 7:30 a.m. At 9, we will drive a short distance to Tanyard Gap for the 5-mile hike on the AT back into town.

This trip includes

• 2 breakfasts (Saturday and Sunday mornings)
• 2 lunches (build-your-own lunch buffet)
• Trail snacks
• 2 hikes
• Saturday shuttle to Tanyard Gap
• eguide for both hikes and for the weekend in general (including information on restaurants in Hot Springs)

The hikes

Saturday: Garenflo Gap into Hot Springs on the AT is 7.4 miles. There’s some climbing in the first 3 miles, the last 4 are downhill. The trail is in good shape and easy to follow. We will stop for lunch at the Deer Park Mountain Shelter, where there is water to filter; I will bring a filter.

Sunday: This 5.5-mile hike starts high at Tanyard Gap, ends low back in Hot Springs, and offers a long downhill passage through a hardwood forest that should have good color. Moderate difficulty.

Lodging

Lodging is not provided on this trip. Our base camp will be at the Hot Springs Resort and Spa, which offers a range of accommodations, including camping, small cabins, bigger cabins, two houses and rooms in the lodge. Campsites start at $45 a night, cabins start at $75 a night, rooms in the lodge start at $165 a night. Meals will be served at a campsite to be identified upon registration. The resort is just across the railroad tracks from downtown Hot Springs, a 5-minute walk, tops.

You can make reservations  by either visiting the website or calling 828-622-7676.

Fee for the trip, excluding lodging: $295

Refund policy: Full refund for cancelations made 7 to 14 days in advance of the trip’s start; credit give for cancelations made 1 to 6 days before the trip; no refund for cancelations made less than 24 hours in advance.

Questions? Contact Joe at joe@getgoingnc.com

The post GetHiking! Fall Weekend Escape: the Appalachian Trail at Hot Springs appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

A favorite, too, because of the diversity found along the way. There’s a little pine savannah, a upland coastal forest. There are dense coastal woods and places where the trail deftly avoids blackwater swamp. There are intimate stretches as well as stretches where the forest parts into open meadows.

If you’re especially intrigued by a hike that requires navigational skills, you will love this hike. We will provide a map of the known trail, along with a compass for those who need one. Basic navigational skills are recommended, but not required, for this hike.

• When: Saturday, March 16, 2024, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Where: We’ll meet in nearby Cape Carteret, at a location tba, and drive a short distance to the trailhead.
• Distance: 11 miles
• Difficulty: The trail is flat, with a gentle rise here and there. On the second half of the trail there will be some downfall to negotiate.

Upon payment, you’ll receive:

• 7-page eguide for this trip including: map, route description, nearby camping and lodging (recommended, due to the early start), tips and recommendations on appropriate clothing and gear, additional information pertinent to the trip. NOTE: This is not an automatic download; it will be emailed separately.
• GetHiking! Finding Your Way 2-page tips guide on navigating off trail.

This trip also includes:

• Zoom planning session on Tuesday, March 12, at 6 p.m.
• For those of you who come down Friday afternoon/evening, we will have a sunset hike at 6 p.m. on the Cedar Point Tideland Trail near Cape Carteret. This 1.4-mile trail is a mix of boardwalk and crushed gravel navigating a tidal marsh. An awesome sunset hike.
• Lunch and trail snacks. This will be a medley of trail foods, ideal for on-the-go adventure.

Refund policy: Full refunds given for cancelations made 14 days or more in advance of the start of the trip; credit toward a future GetHiking! event is offered for cancelations made 2 days to 13 days in advance; no refund is offered for cancelations made within 2 days of the start of the trip.

The post GetHiking! Exploring the coastal Croatan National Forest’s Weetock Trail appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Veteran’s Day  weekend — Nov.  10-12  — we will gather in Hot Springs for two days of hiking and enjoying the ambience of downtown Hot Springs (through which the Appalachian Trail passes). Our agenda for the weekend:

Friday: Arrive after 4 p.m. From 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.  We will assemble in town for a welcome libation.

Saturday: Continental breakfast at 7:30 a.m.. We will catch the shuttle to Tanyard Gap on the AT at 9:30, arriving by 9:45 for our 7.2-mile hike on the AT and on a U.S. Forest Service Trail that will bring us back into town that afternoon. We will provide lunch; dinner is in town, on your own.

Sunday: Continental breakfast at 7:30 a.m. At 9, we will drive a short distance to Tanyard Gap for the 5-mile hike on the AT back into town.

This trip includes

• 2 breakfasts (Saturday and Sunday mornings)
• 2 lunches (build-your-own lunch buffet)
• Trail snacks
• 2 hikes
• Saturday shuttle to Tanyard Gap
• eguide for both hikes and for the weekend in general (including information on restaurants in Hot Springs)

The hikes

Saturday: the 7.2-mile hike from Tanyard Gap to Rich Mountain, then back to Hot Springs trends downhill after reaching the Rich Mountain fire tower.. Should be some good lingering fall color. Moderate difficulty.

Sunday: This 5.5-mile hike starts high, ends low, and offers a long downhill passage through a hardwood forest that should have good color. Moderate difficulty.

Lodging

Lodging is not provided on this trip. Our base camp will be at the Hot Springs Resort and Spa, which offers a range of accommodations, including camping, small cabins, bigger cabins, two houses and rooms in the lodge. Campsites start at $45 a night, cabins start at $110 a night, rooms in the lodge start at $145 a night. Meals will be served at a campsite to be identified upon registration. The resort is just across the railroad tracks from downtown Hot Springs, a 5-minute walk, tops.

You can make reservations  by either visiting the website or calling 828-622-7676.

Fee: $275

Questions? Contact Joe at joe@getgoingnc.com

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