But where to go first? A tough decision: You want to hit all your favorites first. 

Alas, because you can’t be in two or more places at once, you need to plan your hikes accordingly by taking into account the best time to take each hike. You still may not be able to hit all your favorites this fall, but with smart scheduling you can hit a goodly number of them.

Here’s how we approach the fall hiking season.

September

We associate the start of fall with the Labor Day weekend, the start of school, the start of football. In fact, according to the calendar fall doesn’t officially start until Sept. 22 — even then, we can still experience temperatures topping 80 for another month. The point: take advantage of this continuing warm weather by taking two factors into consideration:

• Elevation. It will start cooling — but not yet be cold — at higher elevations in September. Take advantage of this early pleasantness by hitting the high country trails you missed in summer. Come mid-October, you’ll begin dealing with true cold above 4,000 to 5,000 feet, and by November, limited access due to snow, ice and seasonal road closings on Forest Service land. Examples: North Carolina’s Black Mountains and the Shining Rock Wilderness; the Mount Rogers area of Virginia.
• Water. If you didn’t get a chance to hike this summer on a trail with multiple stream crossings, waterfalls and pools for lollygagging, you did not have a complete summer. Air and water temps at lower mountain elevations — 3,000 feet and below — will remain warm enough through the month for a summer-like experience. Examples: Wilson Creek in North Carolina; St. Mary’s Wilderness in Virginia.

October

Four factors to keep in mind for your October hikes:

• 

  Fall color. Here’s another misconception: The start of October means immediate fall color. In fact, the fall color change typically doesn’t begin until mid to late October in the Piedmont. Even at the highest elevations, it doesn’t begin until late September. If you’ve got a hankerin’ for early fall color, put the high country on your early October list, and keep an eye on the fall color tracking websites (ExploreAsheville.com, VirginiaisforLovers.org) which track where the color is currently best (depending on temperature, cloud cover and rainfall, the emergence of color can vary wildly). Examples of early fall color: Elk Knob State Park, Mount Jefferson State Natural Area in North Carolina; Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area in Virginia.

• Crowds. Fall, especially October, is the most popular time of year to hike. Folks who otherwise balk at having to park in the outer lot at the mall suddenly channel their inner John Muir and hit the trail. The good news: they generally gravitate to trailheads that have: 1) a Visitor Center, 2) Restrooms, 3) paved parking, 4) an address to plug into their GPS device. Avoid these four traps, especially on idyllic fall weekends, and you should be fine.  Examples of off-the-beaten-path trailheads: Pilot Creek and Pinnacle Hotel Road accesses to Pilot Mountain State Park in North Carolina; Osprey Point Access, Smith Mountain Lake State Park in Virginia.
• Temperature. From the beginning of October to the end, you’ll notice significant drops in temperature. Remember to layer.
• Sunset. Likewise, the amount of afternoon sunlight you’ll have diminishes significantly during October. For example, on Oct. 1, sunset in Raleigh is at 6:59:49; on Oct. 31, the sun will set at 6:21:37. Be aware when planning late day hikes.

November

November, especially the first half, is the sweet spot of your fall hiking season. In reality, in the Piedmont fall color is near peak at this time, and the cooler temperatures — too cool for the occasional hiker — make for ideal hiking conditions. There’s a quiet that dominates the woods, and there’s just the slightest hint of the coming transition to winter. Great color, fewer people, perfect weather — now is the time to hit the more popular trails, even on weekends.

Fall is prime hiking season in the Southeast. Make the most of it by planning accordingly.

The post Fall hiking: A month-by-month approach appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Officially, fall starts tomorrow, Sept. 21, officially at 3:21 p.m. EST. Appropriately, a rainy front is ushering in cold air about the same time that will drop temperatures about 15 degrees, into the low 70s initially. By the weekend, expect highs in the upper 70s, lows around 50.

In other words, perfect hiking weather. Perfect weather that will bring out the fair weather hikers. That is, everyone who hikes once or twice a year will be hiking this weekend.

What’s a solace-seeking hiker to do?

Avoid the trails most traveled in favor of the spots that are just as nice, but not as well known. Spots such as:

Crowders Mountain State Park: Boulders Access

Kings Mountain (near Charlotte)

Ridgeline Trail

Trail: 7+ miles

Being so close to Charlotte, it’s no surprise that Crowders Mountain is loved to death. But that lovin’ is mostly at the Sparrow Springs Access and at the Linwood Road Access. The Cinderella access at Crowders Mountain: the Boulders Access near the South Carolina line. Here, you can pick up the Ridgeline Trail and hike 5.5 miles north to The Pinnacle, or head south into South Carolina and miles of hiking at Kings Mountain State Park and Kings Mountain National Military Park. And if it’s a particularly nice weekend and the Boulders Access is crammed, N.C. State Parks offers you a backup plan.

Learn more here

Doughton Park: Long Bottom Road Access

Laurel Springs

Grassy Gap/Basin Creek trails

Trail: 4.8 miles (one way)

Talk about being loved to death! The Blue Ridge Parkway must be the Southeast’s most sought-after date come autumn and the fall color show. Fortunately, Doughton Park has 30 miles of trail, including a 4.8-mile stretch that runs from the base of the escarpment up Basin Creek to the Caudill Cabin. The Grassy Gap portion is relatively flat, making for a nice warmup; Basin Creek adds elevation, but along a rocky, tumbling creek, the beauty of which is more likely to take your breath away than the hike itself.

Learn more here.

Hanging Rock State Park: Tory’s Den Access

Danbury

Tory’s Den Trail

Trail: 2.4 miles (one way)

If you’ve never been to Hanging Rock State Park and the 1.3-mile trail to the top of its namesake knob, here’s a visual: picture an anthill and its residents in an endless line heading up and back. From the Tory’s Den Access off Tory’s Den Road, however, you may see an equestrian or two along the way, but no ants. If you’re itchin’ for a view when you reach the Moore’s Wall Loop Trail, head north on that trail for a little more than a mile to the outlook atop Moore’s Knob.

Learn more here.

Jones Lake State Park

Elizabethtown

Bay Trail

Trail: 4 miles

Keep this one tucked in your back pocket for that first fall day when the temperature isn’t likely to get out of the 50s and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. On such days, the popular state parks will have to close before they open; you, on the other hand, will be enjoying a brisk walk around Jones Lake on a trail that goes through pine savannah and dense coastal woods as it circles this rare Carolina bay. Total elevation gain? Maybe 2 feet.

Learn more here.

Medoc Mountain State Park

Hollister

Trail: 10 miles of hiking trail, another 20 miles of multi-use

Despite the fact it’s just an hour and a half drive from the Triangle, Medoc Mountain continues to fly under the local hiking radar. Why? Beats us. The 10 miles of hiking trail offer a mix of hiking along a Piedmont stream, summiting 300-foot Medoc Mountain, exploring the first vineyard in the country (or what’s left of it). Plus, if you don’t mind sharing, another 20 miles of equestrian and mountain biking trail will give you the long aerobic workout you seek on a 60-degree day. Scenery and solitude, rarely found in the same place but you’ll find it here.

Learn more here.

Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Falls Lake Day-hike Section H

Shinleaf Recreation Area, Wake Forest

3 miles (one way)

The statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail spends 60 miles along Falls Lake north of Raleigh, with 18 access points. One of the most accessible sections of the trail is at the Shinleaf Recreation Area, where you can hike east or west. We favor hiking east, through a carpet of running cedar, beneath a mature hardwood canopy and in and out of the coves along the lake’s south shore. This is a rolling section of trail: you’ll find numerous climbs, none long or steep, that provide enough variety to keep your attention. Hike to NC 98, then return the way you came.

Learn more here.

Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Falls Lake Day-hike Section T

Red Mill Road in northern Durham County

Trail: 4.2 miles (one way)

There’s something oddly enchanting about this stretch of the MST. Heading west from Red Mill Road, the trail makes its way for a couple miles through bottomland forest, influenced by the nearby Eno River but far enough way that you don’t know it’s there. Then, the trail climbs a bluff overlooking the Eno. It’s not particularly high — maybe 70 feet above the river — but it’s just enough that in the winter, the canopy bare, you have a long view to the north (you can see the Eno below). One of the more quiet stretches of the MST through the Triangle.

Learn more here.

Pilot Mountain State Park: Pilot Creek Trail

Pinnacle (north of Winston-Salem)

Pilot Creek Access

Trail: 3.3 miles (one way)

The relatively new 3.3-mile Pilot Creek Trail wraps around the base of the Pilot Mountain’s northern flank, picking up it’s namesake creek and traversing the rocky terrain that gives Pilot Mountain it’s mountain-like appeal. The trail ends at the camping area. It’s a worthy hike on its own, but if you’re hankerin’ for the summit, you can pick up the Grindstone Trail to the top.

Learn more here.

Seven Mile Creek Natural Area

Hillsborough

Trail: about 1.5 miles

Mature forest, a little-known Piedmont creek, a vast field of ferns, an old cemetery, and natural surface trails wide enough and smooth enough to accommodate hikers of just about any ability. Orange County’s Seven Mile Creek Natural Area is one of those quiet getaways for when you want to getaway quick, but not necessarily go far. Escape comes quickly at this 360-acre preserve, where the creek, a tributary of the Eno that mimics the latter’s mountain vibe, is a 10-minute walk from the car. And located on a gravel road that’s off a gravel road that’s off a remote two-lane, it tends to be a nicely kept secret.

Learn more here.

Shallow Ford Natural Area

Elon

Trail: 5 miles in four loops

With four loop trails, you can go short or long at Shallow Ford Natural Area. Got some non-hikers in tow and need to keep it short? The 3/4-mile Basin Creek Trail gives you a nice introduction to the preserve’s bottomland forest. Tack on the 2.2-mile Hidden Hill Trail and you’ll explore meadows and upland hardwoods. Another 2.2-mile option: the Homestead Trail, which takes you along a particularly rocky and impressive stretch of the Haw River. Hike it following a good rain and you’ll develop a keen appreciation for this river that once supported a vast textile mill industry.

Learn more here.

Explore with us!

We have guides available for five additional hikes that tend to avoid the masses, even in fall. Click on the appropriate link for more information — including maps, trail descriptions, directions to the trailhead, amenities and an overview — and to purchase the guide.

• Avents Creek Access: Raven Rock State Park, Lillington. While hikers are queued up waiting to get in on the south side of Raven Rock, here’s what you can explore on the quiet north side. (See video.)
• Cane Creek Natural Area, Alamance County. Explore this new preserve on 2.5 miles of trail that takes you to the 900-foot summit.
• Fews Ford 7-Miler: Eno River State Park, Durham. You may see some folks at the start, but not after a half-mile or so, when you veer into a lesser-visited portion of this popular park.
• Knight Brown Nature Preserve, Stokesdale (north of Greensboro). Three interconnected loops explore a secluded valley.
• Mountains-to-Sea Trail, Day-hike Section P, Durham. This 2.9-mile run of the MST east from the Hickory Hill Boat Ramp at Falls Lake is flat, fast, and fun.

GetHiking! Southeast Podcast

Learn how to identify your own Trail Less Traveled on today’s GetHiking! Southeast Podcast. Give a listen here.

The post Fall Starts Wednesday! Avoid the Masses on These 10 Hikes appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

We are so ready for fall — and the fall hiking season, which begins this weekend.

We know: the calendar says fall doesn’t start until September 22. But we have long associated Labor Day with the passing of the torch from summer to fall. Even in the wack-a-doodle year of 2020, when up is down and down is sideways, we can’t shake the holiday’s unofficial hand-off. 

Which is why we’re celebrating the advent of fall in two ways:

• Sunday Afternoon Hikes. On Sunday, with the start of our Fall GetHiking! Sunday Afternoon Hike Series. If you’re new to the area or are a pandemic convert to hiking, you might find this series of interest. Every Sunday afternoon at 1, we hike a different trail in the Triangle. We hike anywhere from 4 to 7 miles on a diversity of regional trails, from the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in Durham and Wake counties, to Raven Rock State Park south of Fuquay-Varina, to assorted trails in between. It’s good exposure to the Triangle hiking scene, with an emphasis on avoiding the fall hiking hordes by focusing on the trails less traveled. We begin this Sunday on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along the Eno River. Learn more and sign up here if you’re a single hiker, here if you’re a couple or family.
• Tuesday Night Hikes. In years past, we’ve saved our Tuesday Night Hikes series for winter, evening/night being the only time many of us can get in a hike midweek. This year, we’ve added a fall session. For one, hiking midweek in the evening is a great way to avoid crowds. And two, hiking in the cool evening air is hard to beat, especially after being beat down by this summer’s heat. The majority of our 9 hikes in the series will begin in late daylight, all will end in the dark (save for the headlamp beam guiding our way). If you’ve never hiked at night, it’s a whole new way to experience the outdoors. Learn more about this program and sign up here if you’re a single hiker, here if you’re a couple or family.

Hike the MST in September

A third way to kick off the fall hiking season is by helping the Mountains-to-Sea Trail celebrate its 43rd birthday! To help celebrate the statewide trail’s 43 years, the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail offers three hiking challenges:

• Hike one or more of the 40 hikes in their new “Great Day Hikes on North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail.”
• Hike one of three 43-kilometer stretches of the MST, at the coast, in the Piedmont, or in the mountains.
• Hike all three of the aforementioned 43-kilometer stretches of the MST.

You can find information about all three of these hiking challenges here.

And if you’re thinking, “Who in their right mind can think of fall hiking in this sweltering heat?” you won’t have to. The forecast for Labor Day weekend: sunny skies with temperatures in the low 80s.

GetOut! and enjoy!

Today’s video

To get you in the spirit for fall hiking, we share these scenes from last year’s MST 42nd birthday hike, a 42-mile weekend on the trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The post GetOut! Fall Hiking Season Begins this Weekend appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Labor Day is the ceremonial opening for fall (even though summer doesn’t actually hand over the keys until Sept. 22). It marks things that signify the end of summer: pools close, schools are just underway, football gets into full swing, and we’re done with summer vacationing. 

In summer, many hikers say Get back to us when the weather’s cooler. Not everyone has a love of sweat and tolerance for cobwebs. Rarely do you see ads for outdoor gear featuring hikers with their hair plastered to their forehead and their eyes squint-shut with salty sweat. So, if you are among those who opted to avoid the heat and humidity of summer, now is the time to renew your relationship with the outdoors. And we’re here to help.

To get you stoked, let’s take a look at what September should bring, weatherwise, using Raleigh for example’s sake:

• Average high temperature for Sept. 1: 85;  average high temperature for Sept. 30: 77
• Average low temperature for Sept. 1: 67; average low temperature for Sept. 30: 58
• Average humidity on Sept. 1: 64 percent; average humidity on Sept. 30: 25 percent

Daylight grows shorter — 12 hours and 54 minutes at the beginning of the month, 11 hours and 49 minutes by the end — but the quality of that daylight improves noticeably.

Our GetHiking! Triangle group optimistically welcomed the ceremonial close of summer with a 5.2-mile hike Labor Day morning on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake. The hike filled to its 20-person capacity shortly after being posted earlier in the week and it was one eager group of hikers. Admittedly, it felt like the epitome of summer. And though they may have developed a glow not long into the hike, their enthusiasm was strong, lingering heat be danged. The highlight? Popsicles at trail’s end. But that’s part of the joy as well: a chance to say goodbye to summer hiking and know that days like that are now numbered.

So, don’t shelve your shorts and favorite tech-Ts just yet. But it wouldn’t hurt to get your light fleece and convertible pants out of storage. Then pull out your calendar and plan an autumn full of hiking with the GetHiking! crew.

Happy Trails!

Joe

Join us!

• This weekend. There’s a cold front moving through the weekend this weekend, and while it brings with it a chance of rain, it also brings temperatures around 80. Find your local GetHiking! chapter here and see what’s planned for the weekend. 
• Throughout the fall. We’ve got all kinds of weekend hiking and backpacking getaways planned for fall. Check ’em out — and join us — here.

Sources

• Weatherspark.com
• weather.com
• N.C. State Climate Office

The post Welcome to fall hiking season! appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

We’ll talk more about that Wednesday. For now, a few scenes from this morning’s GetHiking! Triangle Fall Kickoff hike on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake.

For a glimpse of some of the hikes and backpack trips we have planned for fall, visit our Fall 2018 page here.

The post Happy Labor Day! And Welcome to Fall Hiking 2018 appeared first on GetGoing NC!.