True, the color change is yet to be pervasive. But there are a handful of places where you can get a feel for fall hiking right now. Today, we share some of our favorites. Most make the list because they’re along water, where fall color tends to first become evident. Some make the list because they have plenty of edge forest, where color also tends to pop early. All but one is in the piedmont — and the one that isn’t is pretty darn close. 

We use a bulleted, quick-hit format to share our findings. The less time you spend sifting through words, the more time that’s left for hiking. 

Falls Lake State Recreation Area

Durham, Wake counties

• Mountains-to-Sea Trail
• 60 miles of trail tracing the coves ducking in and out of this man-made lake.
• 14 access points, which stretches ranging from just under a mile to not quite 7 miles. Shuttles are easy to set up.
• Recommended stretch: Red Mill Road to Red Mill Road, 4.9 miles. Spends a little time on the north end along Falls Lake, spends a lot of time throughout clinging to edge forest. Very few hikers, making it and ideal hiking spot during the popular fall hiking season.

Details here

Greensboro Watershed Lakes

Greensboro

• Mountains-to-Sea Trail
• 42 miles of trail
  • Some multi-use, mostly the trail along the south shores of the lakes
• 14 access points
• Recommended: Piedmont Trail, 3 miles (one way), from near Strawberry Road, along north shore of Lake Brandt. Another generally quiet stretch of trail in fall, with constant exposure to Lake Bryant.

Details here

Lake James State Park

Nebo (Morganton)

Fonta Flora State Trail

• 30+ miles of trail
  • Some multi-use
• 3 access points
• Recommended: Fonta Flora State Trail leading east toward Morganton (it’s eventual destination to the east; to the west, it will extend to Asheville). Highlight: Right outside the park, the trail passes through the Fonta Flora Brewery!

Details here

Smith Mountain Lake State Park

Huddleston, Va

• 15 miles of trail
  • Some multi-use
• 8 access points
• 500 miles of shoreline (much of it, however, is private)
• Recommended: Striper Cove Trail, 3.1 miles, nearly all along the lake.

Details here

Lake Norman State Park

Troutman (Charlotte area)

• 38 miles of trail
  • Some multi-use
• 3 access points
• Cove hiking
• Recommended: Lake Shore Trail, 5 miles, most along coves

Details here

Moses Cone Memorial Park

Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 294 (near Blowing Rock)

• 25 miles of trail
• Access from the Manor House up top and Bass Lake at the base, in Blowing Rock
• Wide, smooth carriage trail paths
• Recommended: Bass Lake (bottom), Flat Top (top)

Details here

The post 6 Hikes for Early Fall Color appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

60 degrees!

I knew it was supposed to cool off this week, but 60? I couldn’t remember the last time it had been so cool in this summer of record heat. A good two months, at least. 

A spirit-lifting temperature, but still shy of my fall benchmark. Then, an hour later I took out Dog #2 (she likes to sleep in) and it was 58. Within a half hour it would drop another degree, to 57.

I have a standing deal with myself as summer wears on: When the temperature finally drops below 60, I drop what I’m doing and go for a hike. Psychologically, that first sub-60 breaks summer’s spell; I can finally let myself think about fall and the fall hiking season. I will hike when it’s hot, up to 90, maybe 92. But in this summer of sustained upper 90s, the spirit hasn’t been willing. This morning, though, I dropped my guard and thought of the first 5 hikes I wanted to do come fall. And because I don’t like wasting time, I went out that morning and did two of them. 

My top 5 Hikes to kick off fall:

Ruben Mountain Loop Trail

Hanging Rock State Park

5.6 miles 

Moderate

Trailhead: Tory’s Den parking lot, 1185 Charlie Young Road, Westfield, NC

This distance gets an asterisk. Two, in fact. First, the loop is advertised on the State Park website as 2.9 miles — but first you have to get to the trailhead. The shortest way to do that: take the Tory’s Den Trail for 1 mile from its namesake parking lot. OK, you say, a mile to get there, a mile to get back, that’s 2 miles, for a total of 4.9. Hang on: the loop doesn’t exactly connect; you need to tack on another seven-tenths of a mile on the Tory’s Den Trail to make that happen. All that said, this was my first time on Ruben Mountain, the first, I suspect, of many. AllTrails says there’s a 715-foot total elevation gain on this hike; I’m guessing 75 percent of that is on the 1-mile hike in. The loop itself is surprisingly flat. The trail is also open to equestrians, so it’s a good social hiking trail, accommodating hikers side-by-side. It also has great fall color potential and, I’m guessing, is sparsely hiked, even in Hanging Rock’s busy fall hiking season. 

More info here.

Off trail

Your choice; in my case Hanging Rock State Park

2 miles (in this case) 

Moderate to strenuous

Trailhead: The end of Sheep Rock Road in Danbury,  NC 36.408063, -80.215629

This may be my favorite hike — and there’s not even a trail. From the east end of the park in Danbury, at the end of Sheep Rock Road, is a modest entry point into the park. A chain keeps cars off the gravel roadbed that disappears downhill past a tobacco barn, then climbs 2.5 miles to and along the ridge marking the eastern extent of the park. In summer, you can follow the road up to and along the ridge past the second of three unnamed peaks referred to as the “Three Sisters” (there are actually four). The route has all the character of Hanging Rock — the rock outcrops, the oak and pine woods — but no people: In 20 years of hiking I’ve never seen anyone other than myself and the hikers I’ve been with. Plus, the elevation is high enough — about 2,000 feet at the top — you can get a jumpstart on fall color.

More info here.

Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake

Day-hike Section S (Red Mill Road to Red Mill Road)

4.8 miles (one way)

Moderate

Trailhead: Red Mill Road, Durham

The whole 60-mile stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake’s southern shoreline says fall to me: the trail here is dominated by hardwoods that come alive with color in fall, the season’s quiet is underscored along the lake, open meadows let the season’s angling sunlight slip through. But the 4.8-mile run of MST that starts and ends off Red Mill Road seems especially appropriate for the season. It travels a bit further from civilization than much of the rest of the MST along the lake, it has numerous meadows for sungazing, it offers peeks at the more remote stretches of Falls Lake, and it’s relatively flat. In short, it’s easy to lose yourself in thought on this hike.

More info here.

Rock Castle Gorge Trail

Rocky Knob Recreation Area

Blue Ridge Parkway, Floyd VA

10.8 miles 

Strenuous

Trailhead: BRP MP 169

The entire 10.8 miles may be a bit to chew off this early in the season. If so, concentrate on the roughly 3.5 miles that stays along or just below the ridge along the Parkway, passing through vast mountain meadows and Southern Appalachian hardwoods. There’s elevation in spots, but generally this moderate section of the trail will get you excited for fall. At 3,000 feet you’ll experience early fall color as well as crisp fall air. Looking for something more remote and less crowded? Hike the 3-mile stretch that follows Rock Castle Creek at the base of the gorge. 

More info here.

Confluence Natural Area

Hillsborough

4 miles (recommended; 5 miles total) 

Moderate

Trailhead: 4214 Highland Farm Road, Hillsborough

Let us not forget the natural areas brought to us by our land conservancies, in this case the Eno River Association. Confluence comes to mind because the Eno River Association recently added another 2 miles of trail with the Poplar Bend Loop. When I lived in Hillsborough, I spent a lot of time on this 270-acre preserve’s main trail, Two Forks, which offers an intimate encounter with both the East and West branches of the Eno River. The just-opened Poplar Bend Loop is more of an upland ramble through a maturing hardwood forest, that should offer good color followed by great sightlines through a naked forest. Four miles of diverse hiking.

More info here.

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Hiking Guidance

Looking for hiking tips, gear reviews, resources and info on podcasts, videos, books and additional media? Check out our help guides at GetGoingNC.com. 

The post 5 Hikes to Welcome Fall appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Davidson River

With 160 sites you’d think scoring one would be a given. Not the case at this popular campground which takes advantage of both its proximity to the cultural offerings of nearby Brevard and its perch at the base of the recreation-rich Pisgah National Forest.

Location: US 276 1 mile north of US 64/NC 280 in Brevard

No. of campsites: 160 (not all open year-round)

Stuff to do nearby: hiking, mountain biking, tubing, fishing, fly fishing.

More info and reservations: 877.444.6777, or go here

North Mills River

When Davidson River Campground is full, we look to its next-door neighbor North Mills River as our backup. Odds are you can still score a spot at North Mills River, which offers many of the same recreational amenities minus the crowds. Only a 40-minute drive from Asheville.

Location: N. Mills River Road (SR 1345) 4.7 miles from NC 191, Mills River.

No. of campsites: 31

Stuff to do nearby: hiking, mountain biking, fishing

More info and reservations: 877.444.6777, or go here

Rocky Bluff

If ever there was an area set up to accommodate the avid camper, it’s Hot Springs. Located on the Appalachian Trail — the AT runs along a sidewalk through downtown — Hot Springs is a prized destination for thru- and section hikers, with restaurants, libations, the hot springs for which it is named and a laundromat. Alas, the one local National Forest Service campground, Rocky Bluff, is only open from Memorial Day weekend through September, but roadside camping is generally allowed along most gravel roads — and the latter is free.

Location: Three miles from Hot Springs, on NC 209

No. of campsites: 15 at Rocky Bluff

Stuff to do nearby: hiking, whitewater kayaking

More Info: 828.689.9694, or go here

Mount Pisgah

A big advantage at Mount Pisgah for summer camping — and more to the point, summer sleeping — is its elevation: at 5,000 feet, the nights cool into the low 60s and upper 50s, ideal for resting after a big day of hiking nearby trails, including the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, the Shining Rock Area and Graveyard Fields, for starters.

Location: Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 408

No. of campsites: 70.

Stuff to do nearby: hiking

More info and reservations: 877.444.6777, or go here 

Hanging Rock SP

Love a good adventure weekend? Then pack the gear and head to Hanging Rock State Park, where your campsite serves as basecamp for: 1) hiking on 18 miles of trail that visit vista-filled summits (Hanging Rock and Moore’s Knob) and cozy, rhododendron-choked gorges rife with waterfalls; 2) climbing on Cook’s and Moore’s walls, which extend nearly two miles in length and reach heights of 400 feet; 3) paddling, including stretches of Class III water on the nearby Dan River.

Location: 1790 Hanging Rock Park Road, Danbury

No. of campsites: 73

More information and reservations: 877.722.6762, or go here

Cedarock Park

Cedarock Park offers a mini-weekend escape between the Triad and Triangle. Pitch your tent, then check out the several miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, paddle on Rock Creek (canoe and kayak rentals available), play disc golf on one of two 18-hole courses, go fishing or explore the restored 19th Century historical farm.

Location: 4242 R. Dean Coleman Road, Burlington

No. of campsites: “Several,” according to the park

Stuff to do nearby: Hiking, mountain biking, paddling (canoe and kayak rentals), disc golf, fishing

More info and reservations: 336.570.6759, or go here

Jordan Lake State Recreation Area / Parker’s Creek

It’s not the biggest campground at Jordan Lake and it doesn’t have the greatest concentration of sites with water and electrical hookups, all of which helps Parker’s Creek fly under the radar at popular Jordan Lake, a good thing if you’re looking for a more solitary urban camping getaway.

Location: 280 State Park Road, Apex

No. of campsites: 250

Stuff to do nearby: flat water paddling, fishing, short hikes

More information and reservations: 877.722.6762, or go here

Falls Lake State Recreation Area / Shinleaf

You have to hike in a ways to the campsites (up to a quarter of a mile), but the reward is worth it in solitude and ease of finding a spot at the last minute — even on a busy weekend. Big plus: the statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail runs past the campground.

Location: 13304 Creedmoor Road, Wake Forest

No. of campsites: 47

Stuff to do nearby: Hiking, paddling, fishing

More info and reservations: 877.722.6762, or go here

McDowell Nature Preserve

Exploring the camping scene doesn’t get much easier in Charlotte than at at McDowell Nature Preserve, where you can rent a tent site that comes complete with a tent! Once you’re settled in, check out the park’s 7 miles of hiking trail, the playgrounds, the paddling opportunities on Lake Wylie and the overall beauty of this 1,107-acre preserve.

Location: 15222 York Road, Charlotte

No. of campsites: 56

Stuff to do nearby: Hiking, paddling, playgrounds

More information and reservations: 704.583.1284, or go here

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Camp with us

This summer, our GetHiking! Weekend Escapes will focus on the three sections mentioned above. For each Weekend Escape, we’ll do a short hike Friday evening, spend the day on the trail Saturday, and do a short-ish hike Sunday before heading out around 1 p.m. Each Weekend Escape is camping based and includes breakfast Saturday and Sunday morning, lunch Saturday and Sunday, and dinner Saturday night. Here’s a quick description of each hike; click the link for more info and to sign up.

• Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Doughton Park, June 10-12, 18 miles of hiking. Go here.
• Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Mount Pisgah, 22.5 miles of hiking, July 22-24, go here.
• Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Price Lake, 20 miles of hiking, Sept. 9-11, go here.

The post Thinking of camping? These 9 campgrounds are our faves 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!.

Even with the temperature living in the 90s this summer, it’s been hard to find solitude on the trail. Everyone, now, is a hiker.

But not everyone knows to look for the more subtle stretches of trail. Trail, for instance, that doesn’t start from a visitor center, that doesn’t have a privy, that doesn’t even have paved parking — official parking, period. Finding these gems is tricky. But they’re out there.

One such stretch is the 3.2 miles of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake from the Hickory Hill Boat Ramp west to Red Mill Road. The stretch offers great nature: from rich bottomland forest to an old farm pond. It offers amusement, from passage along a grass airfield, to a selfie opportunity beneath a billboard, to tunneling under I-85. The usual and unusual, all in one hike. 

So why does hardly anyone hike it? Beats us — it’s even got paved parking!

We can’t guarantee that you’ll have the trail to yourself when you hike it. It is, though, a good bet that you won’t be constantly stepping into the brush to let others safely pass. An especially good hike for the times.

Hike it!

Intrigued? You can get a copy of our GetHiking! Guide to Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake, Day-Hike Sections Q & R, by going here. Enter code D5QCPJN2 before Thursday, Aug. 6 and you can download the guide for free.

The post Solitude on the trail? You’ll find it here appeared first on GetGoing NC!.