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.

* * *

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!.

Where? you inquire.

Here are 10 spots where we think you should head based on two things:

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. 

Based on those two criteria, most of our recommendations 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.

3. Peaks of Otter

Blue Ridge Parkway

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 Fall evicts Summer this weekend; here’s where to hike appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

We have a season-appropriate forecast for the weekend: partly sunny with temperatures in the upper 50s! Perfect for getting out and exploring. Perfect for:

Spring Hike, Cliffs of the Neuse State Park, Seven Springs, Saturday, 1 p.m. Spring comes even sooner on the coastal plain, so expect an extra-special treat on this 1-mile hike through a longleaf pine forest. The trail is flat, suitable for a range of hiking abilities. Learn more and sign up here.

Night Hike with a Ranger, Hanging Rock State Park, Danbury, Saturday, 7:45 p.m. Here’s a plan: arrive at Hanging Rock mid-afternoon, hike up to Hanging Rock or Moore’s Knob and enjoy the view, hike down to the falls. Then, stick around for a short, ranger-led night hike. Promises the website: “We will discuss nocturnal animals and play a few games.”  Learn more and sign up here.

Willie Duke’s Bluff Wildflowers hike, Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve, Durham, Sunday, 2 p.m. Every spring Sunday afternoon for the past half century — yup, 50 years — the Eno River Association has led hikes in search of spring throughout the Eno River Valley. This week: Penny’s Bend, which includes: Dutchman’s Breeches, the rare Eastern False Rue Anemone, Bloodroot, and both the Southern or Dimpled Troutlily “and its northern, tetraploid counterpart.” Learn more and sign up here. 

As always, you can find more opportunities this 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

GetHiking! this weekend

What are we up to this weekend? Lots!

Live the video

This week, we borrow from scenes from a sunny spring weekend in 2018 to show you what’s in store outdoors this weekend. GetOut and enjoy!

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

Especially if you head off the beaten path. 

Now, there are good reasons why that path is beaten. Not everyone is interested in a more raw form of adventure, fewer still are equipped. Whatever innate navigational skills our species may have had have since been relegated to the recesses of our brains in favor of more modern survival skills. Touch typing with our thumbs, for instance.

Relegated, maybe, but not deleted. 

Every year around this time, because the woods become more open and welcoming, we rev up our GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods program. We start with a basic introduction to map and compass and how to use the two in tandem. Then we head down the trail, and off, to match the imagery of wavy topo lines with the reality of a rolling landscape. At some point, those dormant navigational skills are retrieved from deep storage and our students experience an “Aha!” moment. Nothing makes sense, then — well, maybe not everything makes sense, but you can hear the tumblers fall into line. 

Why is this skill important? 

Think about a trail you hike on a regular. Your hike may vary by season, it may vary by time of day and by the weather. But you’re still walking along the same stream, climbing the same long hill, passing the same dilapidated tobacco barn and seeing the same view of the lake. Nothing wrong with this familiarity. But haven’t you ever wondered what lies beyond?

At Eno River State Park in Durham, for instance, the Cox Mountain Trail is a popular hike. It involves crossing a swinging bridge, it follows a rocky stretch of the Eno, and it has some good elevation through a maturing hardwood forest. It all makes for a good hike. Yet when you reach the summit of Cox Mountain, you notice that, to the south, the mountain plateaus for a third of a mile or so before dropping off on three sides. From your park-issued trail map you notice what lies beyond — about 600 acres — is in the park. Since it’s parkland, you figure it’s probably pretty wild (in fact, the tract is known as the Eno Wilderness). The unknown beckons: What’s over there? 

At Umstead State Park in Raleigh you stand on the bridge spanning Crabtree Creek and look downstream. According to the park map there’s a sizable area that, again, isn’t served by trail but must harbor some hidden treasure, right? (Right: a stand of ancient beech trees, a former Civilian Conservation Corps camp, a short-lived Boy Scout camp.)

At Hanging Rock State Park you hear tale of a Cessna that crashed on the mountain more than a half century ago. Where? you wonder. And, Would anything be left after more than 50 years?

Sometimes you need these basic navigation skills just to find the trail. At the coast, in the Croatan National Forest near Maysville you’ll find the Weetock Trail. Well, you’ll find the northern and southern trailheads, both off NC 58, but sometimes finding the 11 miles in between can be a challenge. When blazes abandon you, a map, a compass and a basic understanding of topography can be the difference between a fund day of navigating the woods or an unplanned overnight.

Most people who take our Finding Your Way in the Woods class do so because they simply don’t like the feeling of getting discombobulated in the outdoors. Almost all leave the class with this goal accomplished. But they also leave intrigued by what lies beyond the confines of the blazed trail, by the treasures, natural and cultural, waiting to be found. They may not be inclined to abandon the trail entirely, but they know that if something does beckon from beyond that they can venture a little ways off the trail and find their way back. Navigational skills come in especially handy in this part of the country, where our state parks and our national forests in particular are criss-crossed with long-abandoned wagon roads and cart paths. Crossing one such path in the woods it’s impossible not to wonder where it leads — and where it once led. 

Winter’s the ideal time to find out.

Happy Trails

Joe

GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods

Our basic intro to map and compass course goes over basic map and compass skills, then hits the trail to offer key tips on how to follow and stay on the trail, how to find it again if you stray, and how to explore off trail. We will offer it at least four times in December. Click on the following for more information and to sign up.

• Saturday, Dec. 1, 1 p.m. Umstead State Park, Raleigh. Go here.
• Sunday, Dec. 2, 1 p.m. Haw River State Park: Iron Ore Belt Access, Greensboro. Go here.
• Thursday, Dec. 27, 1 p.m. Umstead State Park, Raleigh. Go here.
• Friday, Dec. 28, 1 p.m. Haw River State Park: Iron Ore Belt Access, Greensboro. Go here.

GetOriented! Intermediate Skills: Finding Your Way on the Weetock Trail

The northern and southern trailheads of this coastal trail are easy to find; it’s the 11 miles in-between that can be a challenge. Armed with maps of the area and our compasses (provided if you don’t have one) on this day-long trek to solve the mystery of the coastal Croatan National Forest’s second longest trail.

Learn more and sign up here.

GetOriented! Winter Wild hike series

We’re especially excited about this new series of winter hikes that will take you off trail to give you a new appreciation of some of the places you most love to hike. Basic map and compass skills will make these hikes more enjoyable, but are not required. Our destinations:

• Umstead State Park, Raleigh, Saturday, Dec. 29, 10 a.m. Objectives: a mature beech grove, the park’s CCC camp, a short-lived Boy Scout camp. 6-8 miles.
• Hanging Rock State Park, Danbury. Saturday Jan. 5, 10 a.m. Objectives: Backside of Hanging Rock, a 1963 plane crash. 7-9 miles
• Eno River State Park, Durham. Saturday, Jan. 26, 10 a.m. Objective: Eno Wilderness. 6-7 miles
• Uwharrie National Forest, Asheboro. Saturday, Feb. 16, 10 a.m. Objective: Birkhead Wilderness. 7-9 miles
• Raven Rock State Park, Lillington. Saturday, March 2, 10 a.m. Objective: The North Side of the River. 8 miles 

To learn more about this series and sign up, go here.

For more information and advice on exploring off trail, check out this blog from 2015.

The post Winter: a great time to stray off trail appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Last weekend, we explored the longest uninterrupted stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake in Raleigh: the 7 miles from NC 98 to Creedmoor Road. We were struck by how, seemingly overnight, the woods had gone from a hint of green to full-blown leaf-out. We caught glimpses of the lake; mostly, though, we were enveloped in green.

That was Saturday. Sunday, we hiked a little farther west on the MST, along the Eno River from the Pump Station Access to Pleasant Green, about 5.5 miles. While the Eno coursing through its rocky valley wasn’t quite as shy as Falls Lake a day earlier, it was likewise subdued, swallowed in green.

Prevalent in that green, fyi, was poison ivy: you can ID the culprit in the photo to the right. Steer clear: this ivy is irritating and itchy. On to this weekend.

Every Friday, we give you a glimpse into our weekend past to give you a nudge to get out and explore the weekend future (this one). Our suggestions:

Saturday, May 5, 8 a.m. Confluence Natural Area Grand Opening, Cedar Grove in Orange County. For a half century, the Eno River Association has been saving land along its namesake river (and tributaries). Most of that land has become Eno River State Park. Saturday, the association opens the 200-acre Confluence Natural Area where the east and west forks of the Eno converge. Festivities begin with a Pre-Celebration Bird Hike at 8 a.m., followed by guided hikes at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Live music and food as well. Learn more and sign up here.

Saturday, May 5, 9 a.m. Vade Mecum Trails at Hanging Rock State Park, Danbury (north of the Triad). The first weekend of every month, Hanging Rock and the Friends of Sauartown Mountains open the trail network at the park’s Vade Mecum addition. The 716-acre former Camp Sertoma 4-H Educational Center, with miles of trail, was added to the park in 2014. Learn more and sign up here.

Sunday, May 6, 9 a.m. Lake Norman State Park, Troutman (north of Charlotte). I Can Canoe, and So Can You. Paddling a canoe is one of those things that isn’t complicated, but can be a little intimidating the first time: the boat’s tippy, you aren’t sure which way to face, how does the paddle work? So many questions. And so many answers in this 1-hour ranger-led clinic. No experience necessary, all equipment provided. Learn more and sign up here.

But wait, there’s more

• Several hikes are on tap this weekend with Hike NC, the BlueCross Blue Shield of North Carolina hiking program. Check out those mostly beginner-oriented hikes at gohikenc.com.
• North Carolina State Parks have a variety of adventures planned for the weekend. Check those options here.
• Our GetHiking! program also has several hikes planned, including a return to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake on Saturday and a hike at Doughton Park Sunday. Learn more about those adventures and sign up here.
• Intrigued by our adventures last weekend on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail? Plan your MST adventure starting here.
• You can also find more adventures right here, at GetGoingNC.com.

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