One thing we don’t do, though, is cite specific beginner trips we like. That is our goal here today.

Fortunately, I didn’t need to look far to find beginner-friendly hikes. More than half the hikes in my guidebook, “Backpacking North Carolina: 43 Can’t-Miss Trips,” fall into the good-for-beginners category. Which doesn’t mean they aren’t great adventures for more experienced backpackers; they just happen to meet the criteria for a good beginner trip, which includes:

• Moderate distances between camps (5-7 miles, tops)
• Obvious, flat campsites
• Easy access to reliable water
• Easy-to-follow trails

There’s more — you’ll just need to listen to the podcast to learn them. Now, on to our 5 favorite beginner backpack trips in North Carolina.

Neusiok Trail

Croatan National Forest, Havelock

20.1 miles

2-3 days

If you’re looking to bust out some miles on your first weekend, here’s your hike. There are three shelters along the way, letting you break down the hike into manageable days of roughly 4, 7 1/2, and 9 miles. But because this is likely the flattest 20.1 miles in the state, a two-nighter is easily doable. There’s water at the shelters, the trail is well maintained by the Carteret County Wildlife Club, and it’s perhaps the best winter hike in the state (winter being the only time you’ll want to hike through this otherwise buggy, steamy coastal forest).

Trip No. 42, “Backpacking North Carolina”

More info here.

Hunt-fish Falls

Wilson Creek area, Pisgah National Forest, Mortimer

2.8 miles in full pack, 13.6 miles in day pack

2-3 days

While we are big fans of backcountry camping, we aren’t quite as keen on putting in big miles with 30 pounds on our back. Thus, we gravitate to basecamp trips: hike in a short distance in full pack, establish basecamp, hike in a day pack from there. This hike is one of our favorite basecamp options, with a 1.4-mile hike to camp, an expansive, flat area along Lost Cove Creek. We like to spend one day on a roughly 6-mile hike along the creek and on the Timber Ridge Trail, a more casual day hiking about 3 miles up Gragg Prong and lolling in the numerous pools at the base of numerous falls. A good summer trip.

Trip No. 8, “Backpacking North Carolina.”

More info here.

Birkhead Wilderness

Uwharrie National Forest, Asheboro

7.4 miles

2 days

The quintessential one-night trip, used as both a first-time outing and to try out new gear. One reason the trip is so popular is its proximity to the state’s three prime population centers: Charlotte, the Triangle, the Triad. This 5,160-acre northern tip of the Uwharrie National Forest also carries the cachet of being a wilderness area — a wilderness area much of the state can reach within two hours. Camp 5 makes for a campsite capturing the morning and evening sun, Camp 3 is on water. This relic range in the heart of the Piedmont gives a sense of the mountains minus the extreme elevation.

Trip No. 35, “Backpacking North Carolina”

More info here.

Panthertown Valley

Cashiers

1 mile backpack in, 30 miles of day hiking

2-5 days

Pantherton is base camping taken to extreme. An easy hike in, a shelter, campsites on the water — and then the day hiking. There are multiple waterfalls (Schoolhouse, Frolictown and Granny Burrell are musts), there are views (Little Green Mountain is a good lunch spot because of the sweeping views). And then the miles and miles of trail, none of which will disappoint. Its appellation as “the Yosemite of the East” is a bit hyperbolic, but you’ll definitely see the resemblance.

Trip No. 28, “Backpacking North Carolina”

More info here.

Sam Knob Loop

Shining Rock area of the Pisgah National Forest, Waynesville

8.2 miles

2-days

Shining Rock is one of those bucket list backpacking areas in the Southeast, but the fact that much of it is a designated wilderness may deter the novice. That and the lack of reliable water and bear activity. But there is a way to ease yourself into Shining Rock, and that’s with the 8.2-mile Sam Knob Loop. You start from the same trailhead, Black Balsam off the Blue Ridge Parkway, but instead of heading north, hike west, toward 6.050-foot Sam Knob. Great views from both Sam and Little Sam, an abundance of water, and passage through a black balsam forest. And with surprisingly little elevation gain.

Trip No. 14, “Backpacking North Carolina” 

More info here.

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GetHiking! Southeast Podcast

What makes for a good first-time backpack trip? We tell you, on this week’s podcast. Give a listen here.

Backpacking North Carolina

Today’s recommended backpack trips for beginners were but 5 of 25 included in “Backpacking! North Carolina: The Definitive Guide to 43 Can’t-Miss Trips from Mountains to Sea.” Learn more here.

The post 5 trips made for the first-time backpacker appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

But, a mile down the trail, I noticed the steady buzz of happy hiker chatter. Our more experienced hikers had adopted the newcomers and were making them feel at home. When we finished our four miles and returned to the trailhead, it was near dark and the temperature was rapidly dropping, yet no one was in a hurry to leave. The conversation continued another 10 minutes or so until we had trouble seeing one another. I knew the newcomers would be back.

Since the launch of GetGoingNC a decade ago, our goal has been to get more people moving, primarily through hiking. 

Our overriding goal has been to make hiking attractive to people who

• have little outdoors experience and may be intimidated by the very thought of heading into the woods;
• are worried that they’ll get lost in the wild; and
• don’t want to hike alone, but don’t want to head out with strangers with no guarantee that they won’t be left behind.

We address all three concerns by offering beginner-friendly options and by making sure there’s always a hike leader at the back of the pack — even if there’s only one person “leading” the hike. (Yes, leading from the rear sounds odd, but it works.)

In addition, on this site and in our weekly enewsletter, we provide guidance in the form of tips, recommended resources, gear suggestions and more. We realized these tips, resources, and recommendations — gear and otherwise — were scattered over a decade’s worth of blog posts (1,600!) and the enewsletter. We decided it would be good and helpful to collect this information into a concise guide.

So we have compiled all those beginner-friendly tips in one handy resource, the just-released “Let’s GetHiking! A Comprehensive Guide for the Aspiring Hiker.”

We’ve kept it short — 55 pages covering 18 topics ranging from “Am I Too Old?” to “10 Essentials for Your Pack” — so you can spend less time reading and more time hiking already. The topics address what we’ve found to be the main concerns newcomers face when they show up for their first hike with us. Of course, we’re always glad to answer questions on the hike, but we know that it can be reassuring to show up for that inaugural run with a sense of what to expect.

For those of you who are already experienced hikers, we’ve got books for you as well (see below). Also, you may have friends who are hiking-curious, but perhaps you don’t want to strain your friendship by taking them on their first outing (Remember when you started and learned that hiking miles were longer than sidewalk miles? And you might’ve wanted to whine a little?) Remain on speaking terms; give them a copy of “Let’s GetHiking!”

And then follow up by pointing them toward the Hiking for Beginners hikes (link below). Or just forward this enewsletter to them. 

We look forward to hiking with you all soon!

Happy trails,

Joe

For the beginner

“Let’s GetHiking!: A Quick and Comprehensive Guide for the Aspiring Hiker,” 2019. Interested in becoming a hiker (or even just taking a hike) but aren’t sure where to start? “Let’s GetHiking!” succinctly answers the basic questions any first timer has — from what to wear and what to take to, “Is it OK to go alone my first time?” (short answer: no). We make quick work of your queries because we know you aren’t here to read, you’re here to hike! Learn more and purchase a copy here.

For the experienced hiker

“Backpacking North Carolina,” 2011, UNC Press. A collection of 43 of GetBackpacking!’s favorite backpack trips in North Carolina. Includes maps, navigation information (including water sources and camping spots), and trip highlights. Learn more and purchase a copy here.

“100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina,” 2007, Mountaineers Press. GetHiking! regulars will recognize some of the hikes in this collection, but we’re pretty sure they’ll find some they don’t recognize. Great hikes at the coast, in the Piedmont, and in the mountains. Learn more and purchase a copy here.

“Adventure Carolinas.” 2014, UNC Press. Expand your horizons with this examination of some of the other outdoor adventures to be had in the Carolinas: rock climbing, mountain biking, flatwater paddling, whitewater paddling, scuba diving, downhill and cross-country skiing, and more. Learn more and purchase a copy here.

Hiking for beginners

We still have a few spots open in our spring Intro to Hiking series, which includes eight 2- to 4-mile hikes on Sunday afternoons from March 17 through May 5 at different locations around the Triangle. Learn more and sign up here.

The post Hey, aspiring hikers! ‘Let’s GetHiking!’ appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

The forecast for the weekend is looking better than it has for a spell: some chance of rain (but mostly sunny) with temperatures in the 80s. Sounds like exploring weather to us.

As we do every Friday in this space, we offer encouragement and direction to get you out and about over the weekend ahead. First, we recommend the two venues shown in the video: Brumley Forest Nature Preserve, a Triangle Land Conservancy property between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough that’s surprisingly diverse (and flat, if you’re into that kind of thing), and Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area in Hillsborough. At 867 feet, it’s the highest point in the Triangle and has some surprisingly montane flora. Links below.

National Trails Day is Saturday, which means all sorts of NTD-related events across the land: nearly 1,000 events nationwide including 35 in North Carolina. One we’re particularly keen on is our GetHiking! Triangle hike on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake, a 6-mile saunter through edge forest, meadow, shoreline and along railroad tracks. Kind of a Huck Finn adventure. Learn more and sign up to join us, here.

Three other NTD events you might especially like:

• Giving Back at Stone Mountain State Park, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Roaring Gap. Workday, including maintenance on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. More info here.
• NTD on Bearwallow Mountain, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Hendersonville. Family-friendly hike to the summit of this Conserving Carolina property. More info here.
• Cruise the Neuse, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Goldsboro. Paddle a section of the Neuse with Goldboro Parks & Rec.: $15 fee includes boat rental, t-shirt and lunch. More info here.

If you’re just getting into hiking, Hike NC, the BlueCross NC hiking program in which we are a partner, has the following hikes Saturday:

* Smith Creek Park Preserve, Wilmington. 1 mile. 10 a.m.

* Haw River State Park: Iron Ore Belt Access, Greensboro, 3.3 miles. 1:30 p.m.

More details and signup at gohikenc.com.

You can find more events at the following:

• North Carolina State Parks has a variety of adventures planned for the weekend. Check those options here.
• Right here, at GetGoingNC.com.

Learn more about where we spent last weekend by clicking on Brumley Forest and Occoneechee Mountain.

Have a great weekend!

The post Get Out! Your Nudge for Weekend Adventure appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Content from A Classic Hike in the Smokies

Since I answer the question differently every time it’s asked, the notion of a classic hike, obviously, is difficult to pin down. In essence, I define it as a hike that you could do 100 times, and every time will yield a unique experience. Some of that has to do with the trail itself. A lot has to do with the season. A lot, too, with the weather.

When I first hiked the Mt. Sterling/Cataloochee Valley area in 2005 — Trips 17 and 18 if you’re following along in “Backpacking North Carolina” (2011, UNC Press) — it was on a late November day. There were light, indifferent clouds overhead, the landscape had turned from predominantly green to predominantly brown and gray. The landscape was stark, the air cold. The sky, while not threatening, suggested I not overstay my visit atop 5,843-foot Mt. Sterling. A decade later, I still have vivid memories of that trip, though not of the reality TV variety.

This weekend, I made my first return visit, with GetHiking! North Carolina’s Classic Hikes. This time it was early spring in the high country. Wildflowers were prolific. The hardwoods had budded in the valley but not at elevation. It was cloudy with a light rain falling most of the day, with late day reports of sleet and fat snowflakes from the summit. The world was a shiny, wet green, with flashes of color — blinding white dogwood blooms in the understory, the forest floor peppered with white, yellow and purple blooms — popping in contrast.

Memorable in a different way than my first visit. Not necessarily better, different. And, I’m sure, it will be different the next time I visit.

Despite the fact I use the word “classic” liberally despite an imprecise definition, it’s not a word I use lightly. Maybe I can’t define a classic hike, but I know one when I hike it.

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When Great Outdoor Provision Co. and GetGoingNC started the GetHiking! program in September of 2013, we did so on a hunch that more people would hike if they wouldn’t be left in the dust a mile down the trail. Thus, one of the key features of our hikes is that no matter how leisurely your pace, no matter how much you like to stop and smell the flowers, you’ll never look over your shoulder to find no one behind you.
The concept seemed to appeal: today, our Meetups in Charlotte, the Triad and the Triangle have about 2,400 members.
Last year, we had a similar hunch about backpacking, so we started the GetBackpacking! program, a series of four training hikes capped by a three-day, two-night graduation trip to South Mountains State Park. We’ve done four sessions, all four sessions filled up.
Thus far, we’ve graduated about 40 backpackers through the program. Backpackers who are eager to keep backpacking. Today, we launch a series of monthly backpack trips throughout the region targeted to the emerging backpacker, but certainly suitable to those with more backcountry experience.
Here’s how the program will work:

Monthly trips. Initially, our trips will be three or four days: leave early Friday, return Sunday or Monday. We will post all trips on GetHiking! Triangle.
Destinations. Most of the destinations will come from my “Backpacking North Carolina: The Definitive Guide to 43 Can’t-Miss Trips from Mountains to Sea” (2011, UNC Press). We’ll also venture into neighboring states. Some trips will involve backpacking from campsite to campsite, for others, we will set up a basecamp from which we’ll do day hikes.
First trip. Our first trip will be May 1-3, in the Shining Rock area. Details of the trip are posted at our GetHiking! Triangle hike.
Trip size limited to 12. Each trip will be limited to a dozen backpackers. That’s in part to minimize our impact on the terrain, in part to maintain a collegial and supportive atmosphere.
Beginners welcome — and encouraged. We do require you to have some experience and the basic equipment (tent, pack, sleeping bag and pad). We’re hoping to attract the backpacker who is still filling out his or her equipment list, who isn’t comfortable going out on his or her own and likes the assurance of being with more experienced backpackers.
More experienced backpackers, too. We’re interested in building a strong backpacking community. As a result, we’d also like to see more experienced backpackers, folks who don’t mind sharing their expertise. Besides, these are the kind of weekend trips that you often don’t do — unless someone has scheduled one. If you’re up for big miles, remember that we will likely get into camp by early to mid afternoon; most of our trips will have day-hike options for folks who want more.

Physical demands. We will cover no more than 10 miles a day in full pack. On days that we day hike from base camp, we may cover 15 miles. These trips are not designed for the uber fit, though being in decent shape is always a good thing. We will try to be as forthcoming as possible about the difficulty of each trip. If you question your ability to do a trip, feel free to contact the trip leader and discuss.
Planning sessions. Two weeks before each trip we will hold a planning session at a Great Outdoor Provision Co. store. There, the hike leader will oversee a discussion involving all manner of logistics, from arranging carpools and agreeing on an itinerary, to making sure we have enough stoves and water filters. We will also take a look at the weather forecast and discuss specific needs (extreme cold weather gear, etc.) The sessions are mandatory for all participants.
Three-day update. Three days before each trip, we will issue an update, including finalization of car pool plans, the latest weather forecast, and more.

Trip leader development program. One reason you don’t see more backpack trips is because not enough people feel comfortable leading trips. We aim to remedy that situation by conducting periodic hike leader training sessions. There may even be a perk or two for those interested in leading hikes.

We’re excited about this new phase of GetBackpacking!, about the opportunity to help those new to backcountry camping feel more comfortable on the trail. And if you’re interested in our five-week GetBackpacking! training program, our next session will be in September; drop us a line at joe@getgoingnc.com and we will add you to our list.

See you on the trail!

The post GetBackpacking! Launches Monthly Weekend Trips appeared first on GetGoing NC!.