This year, though, we run it with added enthusiasm because one of the trails mentioned has just reopened after being closed for nearly a year: the Mount Mitchell Trail at Mount Mitchell State Park. A couple quick caveats:

• Until earlier this week, Mountain Mitchell had been closed because of damage caused a year ago by Hurricane Helene. The closure was the result of extensive damage to the Blue Ridge Parkway, the only way to reach the ridgeline park. This week, the Parkway reopened. Or a portion of it did.
• You can now get to Mount Mitchell via the Parkway, but only if you are coming from Asheville; the Parkway remains closed from just north of Mount Mitchell to milepost 334 near Little Switzerland. 
• And if you’re thinking, “I don’t need to drive up from Asheville, I’ll just hike up the Mount Mitchell trail from the Black Mountain  Campground,” well, that trail remains closed.

OK, all that said, now we move on to our fall hikes. Specifically, our 10 thoughts on the subject based on two thingsL

1. The temperature. Hike in the mountains and you could be starting out in temperatures in the 40s!
2. Fall color. Hike in the mountains, and high enough in the mountains (above 5,500 feet), and you could see the start of some pretty good color.

Now, our recommendations, all of which are all in the mountains. Enjoy!

North Carolina

1. Black Mountain Crest Trail

Mount Mitchell State Park

North Carolina

Might as well start at the top, atop 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell, the highest point on the East Coast. Anchoring the north end of the Black Mountain Crest Trail, you can start from the state park’s snackateria and hit several peaks above 6,000 feet and see a good color show consisting of fire cherry, yellow birch, mountain ash and mountain maple. Note: the Crest rail is technically challenging, with mild scrambling in spots. Fortunately, the best view is from the nearest peak: Mount Craig.

More info here.

2. Tanawha Trail / Mountains-to-Sea Trail

Blue Ridge Parkway

North Carolina

The 13-mile Tanawha at the base of Grandfather Mountain is best known for its rocky southern half. But put in at Boone Fork and head north and you’ll spend time initially in a mature hardwood forest, later in small rolling meadows that offer intimate exposure to the Blue Ridge’s less aggressive side. You’ll also find more potential for early color on the northern end. Additional advantage: paralleling the Blue Ridge Parkway as it does, you’ll find it super easy to set shuttles — along the 13.5-mile length of the trail there are 11 access points.

More info here.

3. Linville Gorge

Pisgah National Forest

North Carolina

One of our favorite hikes in the state, the 2.2-mile trail up to Shortoff Mountain from the end of Wolf Pit Road is a good climb, but pays off in three miles of trail with repeated outcrop views up the gorge, down into the gorge and beyond, to Lake James. On a clear, crisp fall day you may not experience better color. In spots, the gorge rises 1,300 feet above the Linville River (which drops 2,000 vertical feet from the north end to the south), offering one of the most awe-inspiring views in the state. If you’re comfortable hiking in the dark (back to your car) and driving a windy forest service road in the dark, plan to be on Shortoff around sundown for one of the best sunsets around.

More info here.

4. Mountain Trail

Pilot Mountain State Park

North Carolina

Pilot Mountain, with its distinctive knob towering 1,400 feet above the surrounding countryside, is a hot spot when autumn’s colors heat up. Avoid the resulting crowds by picking up the 4.5-mile Mountain Trail from the little-used Corridor Access. The connecting Grindstone Trail takes you to the top, for great views. Another option for avoiding fall crowds: take the new 3.3-mile Pilot Creek Trail, which starts low on the north side of the park and connects with the Mountain and Grindstone trails for a trip to the summit.

More info here.

4. Uwharrie Trail: Sections 3 & 4

Uwharrie National Forest

North Carolina

So maybe you live in the Piedmont and don’t have time to visit the mountains but still want a mountain-like experience: you need to pay a visit to North Carolina’s under-appreciated mountain range, the Uwharries. Located within an hour and a half of Charlotte, the Triad and the Triangle, the Uwharries offer peaks reaching 1,000 feet (hey, it’s the Piedmont!) and one awesome view, which you can reach from the Jumpin’ Off Rock trailhead. Take the Uwharrie Trail north following a creek for a ways, then climbing Little Long Mountain for the best view in the Uwharries. Continuing north, it tops out on 1,020-foot King Mountain, the highest point on the Uwharrie Trail. Lots of good fall hardwoods along the way.

More info here.

5. Summit Trail

Elk Knob State Park

Todd

Elk Knob is the perfect early season fall destination. At 5,520 feet, it offers unsurpassed views (nearly 360 degrees), but it’s the view to the north that’s especially captivating in fall. We’ll let the park website explain why: “Elk Knob contains an excellent example of a northern hardwood forest … typically found above 4,000 feet in elevation [are] sugar maple, yellow birch, American beech, and yellow buckeye.” That is, the trees that give forests in New England their vaunted glow. In addition, from atop Elk Knob you can see Three Top and Bluff mountains, Mount Jefferson, Grandfather Mountain, Mount Mitchell, Mt. Rogers in Virginia and the Iron Mountains in Virginia and Tennessee. And it’s not just the summit: the 1.9-mile hike to the top is one one of the most well-crafted trails around.

More info here.

6. Moore’s Wall Loop Trail

Hanging Rock State Park

Danbury

Mountain-top 360-degree views are few in the Piedmont. At Hanging Rock, you have two. Hanging Rock proper is just 1.3 miles from the Visitor Center, making it a popular choice for the masses who descend on fall weekends. Less popular is the 4.7-mile Moore’s Wall Loop, which, regardless of whether you hike it clockwise (our choice) or counter, requires payment in leg labor for the resulting views. Ah, but what views they are: to the west (Blue Ridge) and north (Virginia’s George Washington National Forest) you can watch the color cascading your way. Or, hiked in late October into November, look south and east to see the Piedmont light up in the distance.

More info here.

Virginia

1. Hawksbill Mountain

Shenandoah National Park

Virginia

At 4,050 feet, Hawksbill is the highest point in the Shenandoah National Park, and thus, presumably, the first place to spot fall color. Take the steep 1.7-mile out-and-back or the 2.9-mile loop trail, from MP 45.6 on Skyline Drive. Connect to the Appalachian Trail to extend your hiking time. The hike is a favorite of our GetHiking! Charlottesville group.

More info here.

2. Rock Castle Gorge

Blue Ridge Parkway

Virginia

A hidden favorite that’s surprisingly close to the Triad area. Start from the base, at the VA 605 access and get your climbing out of the way early, with a 3-mile hike up the Blue Ridge Escarpment to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Here, follow the trail south for 3.5 miles through mountain meadows (the cows are friendly), until a rocky 1.5-mile descent back into the gorge. Your last 2.8 miles is a steady descent on old roadbed along Rock Castle Creek. A 10.8-mile with enough distractions to keep your mind off the fact the elevation on this hike ranges from 1,700 to nearly 3,600 feet. Along the way you’ll pass through rhododendron hells, along a frisky mountain stream, past long-abandoned buildings.

More info here.

Peaks of Otter

3. Peaks of Otter

Virginia

It gets a little crowded, though the challenging terrain thins the crowds on certain trails. In fact, that’s one of the advantages here. Got a mix of hikers in your group? The die-hards head one way, the strollers another. The latter will also appreciate the civilities here: the visitor center, the lodge, the restrooms.

More info here.

4. Mount Rogers

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area

Virginia

Mount Rogers and the adjoining Grayson Highlands State Park offer a trip out West in southwest Virginia. Rock outcrops and vast open spaces offer the type of wide-open experience folks head to the Rockies for. The only place you won’t find a view? Atop Mount Rogers, at 5,729 feet the highest point in Virginia.

More info here.

The post 10 of our Favorite Fall Mountain Hikes appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Look at a map of public lands in the North Carolina mountains and those lands pretty much end south of Boone. There are two small state parks in the region (Elk Knob and New River) and a state natural area (Mount Jefferson), but by-and-large these unique mountains offer few opportunities for true exploration. A shame, too, since these northern Southern Appalachians differ from their southern counterparts. According to The Nature Conservancy, which helped spare Three Top, these mountains are “part of the amphibolite mountain group, an unusual mountain chain containing a calcium-rich rock rare in the southern Blue Ridge.”

Translation? The acidic soil combined with the elevation yields a northern hardwood forest similar to that found in New England. And that results in more of the types of trees that give the Northeast it’s reputation for fabulous fall color. The sugar maple, for instance, which explodes in vivid orange in autumn, and the yellow aspen, though here of the big-tooth variety, not the more brilliant quaking aspen whose dense groves paint mountain hillsides solid yellow in the West. Still, the big-tooth puts on a pretty good show. 

In short, these Southern Appalachians aren’t like the ones you are used to exploring. And that’s why you should plan to be a part of the Year of the Trail Weekend Festival in West Jefferson the weekend of Aug. 4-6.

We spoke in detail about plans for the festival back in June; you can check that post out here. Today, we return to reiterate what a great opportunity this is to explore lands you might not know and lands you might not otherwise have the opportunity to visit — in part because it’s not easy to find the trailheads to some of them. For the hike I’m leading at Pond Mountain, for instance, we’re meeting in West Jefferson and carpooling because directions are near impossible. (That’s Pond Mountain pictured at top.)

Today, we simply share photographic evidence of why you should be a part of the West Jefferson event, which is sponsored by the towns of West Jefferson and Lansing, Ashe County, the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, the Blue Ridge Conservancy, the New River Conservancy and the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Hometown Strong initiative. 

Again, check out our June post here, and register to participate here. And hopefully we’ll see you in West Jefferson.

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• Elk Knob State Park, for instance, located between Boone and West Jefferson, has one of the best mountaintop views in the state (see photo at top) from its 5,520-foot summit, a sweeping look east, north and west into Virginia and Tennessee. (And the 2-mile climb to get there is swell as well.)
• Mount Jefferson State Natural Area towers above the town of Jefferson, and if you’re not up for the 1,000-foot vertical climb to the top, you can drive to the top and hike around this 4,465-foot mountaintop.
• Pond Mountain. Love Mount Rogers in Virginia but aren’t crazy about the crowds? Pond Mountain, a joint venture by the Blue Ridge Conservancy and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, is a similarly open and exposed mountain that also has that wide-lonesome feel of the West.
• New River. One of the oldest rivers in the world and one of the most relaxing to paddle (you can even hike along its banks).

That’s just a taste of the adventure to be had at the Year of the Trail Weekend Festival in West Jefferson Aug. 4-6. The event is sponsored by the towns of West Jefferson, Lansing and Jefferson; Ashe County; the Blue Ridge Conservancy; the New River Conservancy; and, the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Hometown Strong initiative. 

A quick rundown of events follows. Go here for details on each event and to sign up. And did we mention there’s also a festival — Friday night in West Jefferson, Saturday night in Lansing. And snorkeling in a mountain stream? Read on.

Friday August 4

1-3 p.m. — Snorkel the Roaring River., part of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s new Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail.

3 p.m. — Paddy Mountain/Northern Peaks State Trail celebration for North Carolina’s 40-mile Northern Peaks State Trail eventually linking West Jefferson, Mount Jefferson State Natural Area, Elk Knob State Park and Boone.

4-8 p.m. – Live music downtown West Jefferson.

5 p.m. – Guided hike on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway at Jumping Off Rocks, Glendale Springs. 2 miles.

Saturday August 5

8-5 p.m. — Registration and information table at Farmer’s Market.

8-4 p.m. – Vendors featuring outdoors gear and crafts behind Farmer’s Market. Hourly outdoor skill and equipment demos.

9 a.m. – Elk Knob State Park, Todd. Summit Trail Hike, 4 miles. Moderate/strenuous.

9 a.m. – New River State Park 5-mile paddle.

10 a.m. – Mount Jefferson State Natural Area, Jefferson. Summit and Rhododendron trails, 1.5 miles. Easy/moderate.

1 p.m. – New River State Park, Wagoner Access, 3- and 7-mile hikes on Riverbend Trail. Easy/moderate.

2 p.m. – Pond Mountain, Creston, 1-4 mile hike, Easy/moderate..

3:30 p.m. – Lansing Creeper Trail Park, Lansing. Guided mountain-bike ride, 3-4 miles.

4 p.m. – Jennifer McGaha, author of “Bushwhacked,” reads from her book at the Old Orchard Creek General Store in Lansing.

Sunday August 6

Self-guided hikes suggested for Sunday:

• Pond Mountain, easy/moderate: 4 miles.
• Three Top Mountain, strenuous: 4.2 miles.
• Elk Knob State Park, moderate/strenuous: Summit Trail, 4 miles.
• Mount Jefferson State Natural Area: Summit, Rhododendron, Lost Province trails, easy/moderate, 2.5 miles.

Information on each hike will be available at the registration/information table in West Jefferson.

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We’re finally in full leaf-out and had our first taste of summertime temperatures. Some thoughts on how you can get out and enjoy.

16th Annual Paddle for the Border, Saturday, 8 a.m., Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills. Picture one of those races where they release hundreds of tiny rubber ducks into a stream. Now, instead of tiny ducks, picture hundreds of paddlers. Crazy, no? That’s the craziness you’ll find this weekend as hundreds of paddlers make their way from the park up the Dismal Swamp Canal to the Virginia border. About a 7.5-mile paddle. Check it out here.

Canoe the Mayo, Saturday, 10 a.m., Mayo River State Park, Mayodan. Now picture 11 paddlers on the water and you’ll get an accurate picture of the more intimate paddle planned on the Mayo River.  Canoes, pfd, paddles are provided; it’s free, but participation is limited. Call 336.427.2530 to register. Learn more here.

Wildflower Hike, Sunday, 1 p.m., Elk Knob State Park, Todd. Figured you’d missed the best of the spring wildflower display? Then you didn’t figure on the mile-high Wildflower Hike on the Beech Tree Trail at Elk Knob. Learn more here.

GetHiking! this weekend

What are we up to this weekend? Lots!

Live the video

This week’s video was shot on a stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake, on what the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail refer to as Day-Hike Sections Q, R and S. It’s a nicely wooded 7.6-mile stretch that isn’t as physically challenging as some of the rest of the  MST along Falls Lake. Discover how you can discover the trail by going here.

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

A cool front moves in this weekend, a sign for you to get out and explore. Some thoughts on that front:

Celebrate the MST with a Hike, Friday thru Sunday, anywhere along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Help our favorite statewide hiking trail celebrate 41 years with a hike! Where? Well, anywhere on the trail. To help with that, we refer you to the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail website, here.

44th Stokes Stomp, Saturday & Sunday, Moratock Park, Danbury. How about a hike at nearby Hanging Rock and some live music? Or a paddle on the Dan River and some crafts? We’re all about mixing action with relaxation, which is what this weekend’s Stokes Stomp in Danbury is all about. Details here.

Elk Knob Community Headwater Days, Saturday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Elk Knob State Park, Todd. More mixing of pleasure with pleasure at this annual celebration of Elk Knob. Live music, games, nature activities, hikes, wagon rides, craft and cultural demonstrations, hands-on activities, history and food. Details here.

You can find more opportunities this Labor Day weekend here:

• North Carolina State Parks have a variety of adventures planned for the weekend. Check those options here.
• North Carolina Environmental Education Centers has an extensive calendar of what’s happening at its affiliates; check it out here.
• You can also find more adventures right here, at GetGoingNC.com.

And learn more about Brumley Nature Preserve in Orange County, featured in our video, at the Triangle Land Conservancy website.

The post GetOut! Your Nudge to Get Out and Explore this Weekend appeared first on GetGoing NC!.