Looking Glass Rock, the objective of Sunday's Carolina Mountain Club hike.
It’s not officially winter according to the calendar, but the leaves are gone, the sky crystal and the air crisp (although slightly warmer than normal). The perfect time to enjoy the natural world.
Coast
December marks the beginning — in our book, at least — of the winter season, especially at the coast. The air is brisk, the sky clear, the bugs at bay, all of which makes for great exploring. Hence our recommendation for Saturday’s Biological Wonderland hike at Carolina Beach State Park. A ranger takes you on a hike through the diverse habitats at Carolina Beach and explains what makes them good for the critters who live there.read more
There’s lots of outdoor adventure to be goblin’ up this last weekend of October: a spirited run in Wilmington, a haunted night hike at Jordan Lake, a hike into history in the Great Smokies.
Coast
Tis the weekend of the pumpkin run, and while they abound across the state the Trick-or-Treat Trot in downtown Wilmington rises to the top of our list. In large part, that’s because it’s in downtown Wilmington. Run your choice of race — Monster Mile, 5K or 10K — at 9 a.m., then have the rest of the day to kick around Wilmington. Hang downtown, head over to Carolina Beach State Park and do some exploring, hit the beach (the water temperature at Wrightsville Beach as of Tuesday was 71.6).read more
The view from atop Jockey's Ridge (elevation 85 feet the day this was taken).
The first summerlike weather of the year has descended, but don’t let that keep you cooped up this weekend. Beat the heat with a coastal retreat, by doing the vampire thing and coming out at night, or hitting the high — particularly high — country.read more
Monday — never an easy time for the outdoors enthusiast. After a weekend of adventure, returning to the humdrum work-a-day world can make one melancholy. To help ease the transition, every Monday we feature a 90 Second Escape — essentially, a 90-second video of a place you’d probably rather be: a trail, a park, a greenway, a lake … anywhere as long as it’s not under a fluorescent bulb.read more
