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

* * *

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!.

Sunny skies, temperatures in the 50s! By gum, that’s the way winter is supposed to be! And that’s how it will be this weekend, perfect weather for a 5K, a family nature hike and more.

Coast

It’s early in the season, you want to start logging races, but PRs aren’t a concern. Sure, you want a decent time — as a baseline for 2017, if nothing else — but really, you want to get back into the groove of the 5K. The camaraderie, the pageantry, the fun. And if you happen to score a podium in your age group … .

Saturday’s 8th Annual Cardinal Strut sounds like just your race. Sponsored by Holly Tree Elementary School in Wilmington, the Strut features a flat course through the surrounding neighborhood followed by breakfast from the Waffle House. If you’ve ever felt the need to justify a hash brown bowl, the Strut’s 10K option could be it. Best of all, proceeds from the race benefit Strut for Kids, a non-profit providing funds to families of children in New Hanover County who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Logistics: 8th Annual Cardinal Strut, Saturday, March 4, 8 a.m., Holly Tree Elementary School, Wilmington. $35/$40. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, race time high of 34.

* * *

Looking ahead: 3rd Annual SUP Surfing Pro-Am, April 15, Wrightsville Beach. More info here.

Piedmont

Mecklenburg County is peppered with nature preserves — 16 run by the county alone. These oases amid the urban chaos make for great introductions to the natural world, especially for kids.

Saturday, you can make such an introduction at the McDowell Nature Preserve. In the morning, a staff naturalist leads a 2- to 3-mile Family Nature Hike, stopping to examine the flora and fauna found along the way. Wear “sturdy, closed-toed shoes,” bring water.

Logistics: Family Nature Hike, Saturday, March 4, 10:30 a.m., McDowell Nature Preserve, Charlotte. More info here.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, hike-time temperature of 41.

* * *

Looking ahead: View From Little Pinnacle, Saturday, March 18, Pilot Mountain State Park, Pinnacle. More info here.

Mountains

Perhaps you’re already in midseason form (see Cardinal Strut, above) and need a race to make things … interesting. If so, check out Saturday’s Oskar Blues 4-Mile Run in Brevard. Top three male and females runners get a gift card from Foot-Rx Running ($100, $75, $50), plus, in an interesting twist, the first male and female runners to reach the 1-mile mark get $100 — provided they wind up finishing in the top 10 overall.

Added incentives: Registration includes a post-race brewski and pastries from Bracken Mountain Bakery.

Logistics: Oskar Blues 4-Mile Run, Saturday, March 4, 11 a.m., Brevard. $35. More info here.

Sunday forecast: Sunny, high of 46.

* * *

Looking ahead: Bike of the Irish Community Ridge, Saturday, March 18, Asheville. More info here.

* * *

Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

Coast

The post This weekend: Fun, under a winter sun appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

It’s Labor Day weekend, so you’re probably kicking out a little early, right? Early enough to make it to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge for Friday morning’s canoe tour on Milltail Creek?

The trip runs from 9 a.m. to noon and is led by a naturalist who, among other things, will show you the difference between a downed log and a “downed log” that blinks. In other words, the preserver’s namesake reptile, the alligator. And there are plenty of ‘em lining the banks of Milltail Creek. Bring a telephoto lens (hats, sunscreen and lots of water are a good idea, too).

Logistics: Friday, Aug. 29, 9 a.m.-noon, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, $40 for adults, $25 for kids 12 and under. Meeting location revealed when you call to register, at 252.216.9464. If you can’t make it Friday, the tour runs every Wednesday and Friday through September. Find more information on this and other NWR trips, here.

Friday forecast: Sunny, high of 78.

Piedmont

Learning outdoor skills can be done one of two ways: based on your own mistakes or based on the mistakes of others. We prefer the latter, which is why we’re recommending Saturday’s Outdoor Skills: The 7 Priorities of Wilderness Survival at Charlotte’s McDowell Nature Preserve. The class is a mix of lecture and hands-on, a good combination for making skills stick.

Logistics: Saturday, Aug. 30, 2 p.m., McDowell Nature Preserve, Charlotte. $3. More info and to register go here and enter  #58424.

Saturday forecast: Sunny, high of 94.

Mountains

Mount Mitchell State Park is a great place to explore, but because of its rapidly changing weather and rugged terrain, it can be intimidating. A good place to explore with the folks who know the area best, like the park rangers.

Saturday, you have two opportunities to safely explore the highest country east of South Dakota’s Black Hills. At 9:30 a.m., join a ranger for an hour-and-a-half hike out to Mt. Craig and back, learning about the flora and fauna of this alpine setting. Miss that hike, or simply want more? Another guided hike explores the Commissary Trail, starting at 11 a.m.

Logistics: Saturday, Aug. 30, 9:30 and 11 a.m., Mount Mitchell State Park. 828.675.4611 for more info, or go here.

Saturday forecast: High of 84, mostly sunny.

* * *

Those are our thoughts on the weekend. Find more options at the sources listed below.

Like us on Facebook and get health, fitness and outdoors news throughout the day.

GetGoingNC.com

Promote Your Page Too

The post This weekend: A Labor of Fun appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

We’re finally catching up with the mail bag — and just in time for what appears to be the first warm weekend in a while.

You write to us for a variety of reasons. To find out where to take visiting kin hiking. To see if we know what the latest bear situation is in the Smokies. To ask if you can optimize our visibility on the Web, for a modest fee. You also write to point out certain … deficiencies in GetGoingNC’s content. Your latest batch of constructive comments comes in time to help others make the most of a weekend that will see sun and temperatures climbing into the mid 60s.

Paddling.  The Dan River Company writes to note that they had been omitted for our list of 41 Places (now 42) to rent a canoe or kayak in North Carolina. An especially bad oversight on our behalf because: a) the paddling in the northern Piedmont — on the Dan and Mayo in particular — is stellar, b) the Dan River Co. has been around for a while, and c) we’ve used their service. In addition to canoe and kayak rentals and providing shuttle service, the Dan River Co.’s base camp has a new neighbor, the Green Heron Club, which sounds like a nice apres paddle spot for a drink and live music.
Our apologies, DRC. Your listing has been added to our now list of 42 Places to Rent a Canoe or Kayak in North Carolina. It looks like this:

Dan River Company, 336.593.2628
Boats: Canoes, kayaks, shuttle service
Rates: Kayak trips, including being put on and taken off the river, start at $35 per person for a 3-hour trip on the Dan River; canoe trips start at $55. Shuttle rates are $12 to $22

Camping. Mary D. writes to point out a bad link in our Local Campground, Local Escape listings.  The listings, which can be found here, are done in our collaboration with the Great Outdoor Provision Co. and include five local campgrounds in seven major North Carolina markets: Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Greensboro, Greenville, Raleigh, Wilmington and Winston-Salem. Mary noted that our link for camping in fact took you to Lake Norman. (You bloggers know how tedious doing links can be, that to stem the mind-numbing boredom you find yourself dreaming about the weekend or checking out the latest cat video? If memory serves, the day we did those links we got hooked on cat-in-cardboard-box videos. But we digress … .)
Anyway, thanks to Mary if you want information on camping at McDowell Nature Preserve, you will now get information on camping at McDowell Nature Preserve, here. For information on camping options near the state’s metro areas, go here.

Hiking. David Gardner writes: “Please add the Uwharrie Trail as a good hiking location. It is 22.5 miles from the trailhead on NC 24/27 west of Troy to Jump Off Rock Trail Head on Flint Hill Road. Can also hike a new section north from Jump Off Rock. Contact me if you want a neat medal to remember this hike.”
A medal? Groovy.
In fact, David, in addition to our guide to great hikes near seven major North Carolina cities (yes, another collaboration with our friends at the Great Outdoor Provision Co.) we are about to unveil a list of 25 great hikes in North Carolina. That list, to be posted March 20, the first day of spring, will indeed include the Uwharrie National Recreation Trail, a fave of GetGoingNC. (Until then, you can find information on the Uwharrie National Recreation Trail here — and pardon the self-promotion in advance.)

So there you have it, in time for a springlike weather, updated and accurate info to help you plan an active weekend. In addition to Paddling, Camping and Hiking, you can also find direction in the areas of Climbing, Cross-Country Skiing, Greenway travel, Mountain Biking and Trail Running.

Have a swell weekend.

* * *
Like us on Facebook and get health, fitness and outdoors news throughout the day.

GetGoingNC.com

Promote Your Page Too

The post It’s warming up, let us help you have a hot time appeared first on GetGoing NC!.