Description

When the sun goes down at 5 o’clock, an after work hike is out-of-the question for most folks. Most — but not us. Come Standard Time we simply don our headlamps and keep hiking. In our Winter Tuesday Evening Hike Series, we hit the trail at 6:30 p.m. and hike into the night. Each hike lasts about an hour and a half; at the midpoint, we take a minute to savor the sounds of the night and the sights of the dark sky. 

The Details

When: Every Tuesday beginning Jan. 4 and ending  March 8. We’ll start at 6:30 p.m. and finish around  8. 10 hikes in the series.

Distance: The hikes are roughly 3 miles long. Each is intended to take about an hour and a half.

Where: Each hike is at a different location around the Triangle (find those locations below). The Monday before each hike you’ll be sent a reminder with detailed hike information.

Do I need a headlamp? Ideally, but if you don’t (or if you forget yours) we’ll have loaners.

What all do I get? In addition to the 10 Tuesday Night Hikes in the series, you’ll receive: o

• Our 6-page Guide to Hiking at Night, including tips and strategies for navigating the dark. 
• Weekly eguide to that week’s hike, including map, trail description, and more. 

Cost: $145 per person, $265 for couples/families.

Questions? Contact Joe at joe@getgoingcn.com

The Schedule

Locations are subject to change.

January 4   Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake: Dayhike Section G, Raleigh.  3 miles. Our most popular night hike, we start from the Upper Barton Creek Boat Ramp off Six Forks Road and hike along the lake, then back.

January 11  Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake, Dayhike Section P, Durham. 3.6 miles. From the Hickory Hill Boat Ramp we hike east, with good views of the lake.

January 18 Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake: Dayhike Section Q, Durham.  3 miles. Again from the Hickory Hill Boat Ramp, but this time we hike west, under I-85 and past a grass-field airport before turning back. 

January 25, Pump Station/Laurel Bluffs Trail, Eno River State Park, Durham. 3.5 miles. Take in the Pump Station Trail and a stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along the Eno.  

February 1,  Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake: Dayhike Section M, Durham County. 3.6 miles. Sunset: 6:35 p.m., Twilight ends: 6:59 p.m.. From the trailhead parking lot, 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. We’ll turn around 1.8 miles into the hike for a 3.6-mile round trip.

February 8, American Tobacco Trail, 3.5 miles. Durham. The ATT is perfect for an evening stroll: it’s flat and easy to navigate, and affords some good looks at the night sky. Exact location TBD.

February 15, Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake, Dayhike Section S, 3.2 miles. Durham. A flat saunter from Red Mill Road east through bottomland woods, through meadow and along Falls Lake.

February 22, Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake, Dayhike Section T, 3.6 miles. Durham. We begin again 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.  

March 1, Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake, Dayhike Section U, 3.2 miles. Durham. From Pennys Bend Nature Preserver we hike up the Eno River and back mostly through open meadow.

March 8, American Tobacco Trail, 3.5 miles. Durham. The ATT is perfect for an evening stroll: it’s flat and easy to navigate, and affords some good looks at the night sky. Exact location TBD.