Fortunately, neither is the case with this year’s running of our Top 10 Cool Hikes with Water, because it includes some new entries from the last time we ran it. To keep the list at 10 — arbitrary, perhaps, but it keeps things manageable — we’ve had to drop a couple hikes from last year’s list, which you can read here. But that doesn’t diminish those hikes; after all, these lists are subjective anyway, so be content with 10.

Now, on to our Top 10 Cool Hikes with Water for 2024. Links with additional information, including trailhead directions, can be found at the end of this post.

1. Morrow Mountain State Park, North Carolina State Parks, Albemarle, NC (northeast of Charlotte)

Water feature: swimming pool

A scouting trip to Morrow Mountain twentysome years ago was, I’m certain, on the hottest day recorded on Earth. How hot it was I’m not sure because the profuse sweat filling my eyes keep me from reading a thermometer. When I was done slogging up Sugarloaf Mountain, then Morrow Mountain, I was desperate for relief — relief I found in the park’s swimming pool, a genuine cement pond that was closed for renovation but has reopened for this summer. Part of the park’s original Civilian Conservation Corps construction, the pool’s inviting blue waters offer soothing recovery from even the sweatiest of hikes. Fee: $6 per day for adults, $4 for kids 3 to 12.

2. North Mills River, Pisgah National Forest, southwest of Asheville, NC

Water feature: creek crossings

We did a GetHiking! trip here in 2016 that had us spending much of our time in the mercifully cool waters of burbling North Mills River and Big Creek. Our 5-mile hike from the campground up to Little Pisgah Mountain on the Blue Ridge Parkway saw us spending all but the last mile splashing as much as hiking (the last mile was a bearish climb to the summit). It also included a pass by the Hendersonville Reservoir (probably not for taking a dip). A great hike in the right water shoes.

3. St. Mary’s Wilderness, George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Raphine, VA

Water feature: multiple creek crossings

Every time I see this hike posted by our GetHiking! Charlottesville crew I’m reminded of why I love summer so much: 10 creek crossings on a relatively short (5 or so miles) hike! Don the water sandals and quick-dry shorts and wade in. With nearly 10,000 acres, St. Mary’s is the largest wilderness on National Forest (George Washington and Jefferson) land in Virginia. If you’re looking for a great summer escape in the Charlottesville area, this is it.

4. Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area, Pisgah National Forest, Burnsville, NC

Water feature: tubing, swimming holes

Could there be such a thing as a tubing and swimming hole resort? There could and there is: the Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area, which sits on a stretch of the South Toe River that has a ridiculous number of great places to wallow in the bracing waters that drain from the Black Mountains, the highest mountain range in the East with elevations approaching 6,700 feet. Wander through the Carolina Hemlocks Campground (36 campsites) and the majority will sport tubes and other gear suited to days on end spent frolicking in this mountain creek. And what a great carrot to dangle after hiking the Colbert Ridge Trail, which leaves from the west side of the campground, climbing 3.6 miles and gaining nearly 3,000 vertical feet on its way to Deep Gap on the crest of the Black Mountains.

5. Panthertown Valley: Schoolhouse Falls, Nantahala National Forest, Cashiers, NC 

Water feature: swimming

You have to hike in about a mile-and-a-half for this hole, but what a hike it is, past towering hemlocks and rock outcrops in an area described as the Yosemite of the East. The payoff is sweet: Schoolhouse Falls is a picturesque curtain of water dropping 20 feet into a luxurious pool, at the far side of which is a sand beach. Those of you who apply to the gradual immersion school will be especially pleased by the gentle incline that introduces you to the cold. Fed by the Tuckasegee River, it’s possible to walk behind the falls at lower flows.

6. Sliding Rock, Pisgah National Forest, Brevard, NC

Water feature: spectating

Spectating? The true joy of Sliding Rock is standing in the spectator area where this smooth rock waterslide empties into a small pool and watching the surprised sliders emerge from their ice-bath landing: all smiles going into the seven-foot-deep pool, an I’ll-never-be-warm-again look of horror coming out. Located on the upper reaches of the Davidson River (rent a tube and float the river several miles downstream), this is a definite must-do for anyone seeking Appalachian swimming hole cred. A fee area ($5), with bathhouse and lifeguard. Seasonal operation.

7. Gragg Prong, Wilson Creek area, Pisgah National Forest, Mortimer, NC

Water feature: swimming

Ah, Wilson Creek — probably our favorite summertime water escape in the state, in large part because it’s dang near impossible to avoid water (which is why we generally don’t visit in winter). From the Huntfish Falls trailhead hike down to the falls, then follow the Mountains-to-Sea Trail down Lost Cove Creek. Shortly, you’ll encounter Gragg Prong and after maybe a quarter mile of climbing, a series of cold pools encased in rock. Wade in, jump in, warm yourself on the surrounding rock. Read more in a blog we wrote about the area for our friends at Great Outdoor Provision Co. Read it here.

8. Hanging Rock State Park, Sauratown Mountains, Danbury, NC

Water feature: swimming in a mountain lake

OK, this one gets an asterisk since it’s not in what we typically think of as “the mountains;” that is, the Southern Appalachians. But it is in the ancient Sauratown Mountain range, which runs from Hanging Rock to Pilot Mountain, and it does have 18 miles of hiking that mimics the Appalachians, visible to the west. It’s also got a 12-acre lake with swimming beach, strategically located at the nexus of the park’s trail network. We especially love liking the 4.7-mile Moore’s Knob Loop Trail, working up a good glow, then dousing that glow in the lake’s cooling waters. 

9. Upper Whitewater Falls, Nantahala National Forest, Jackson County, NC

Water feature: waterfalls. 

You can’t talk about best water-based hikes in North Carolina without mentioning Upper Whitewater Falls, which plunges 411 feet (with its sister Lower Falls, they combine to make an 811-foot drop, making it the highest waterfall east of the Rockies). There’s an easy way to view the falls, via a quarter mile paved path to the upper overlook. Or, hike down to the lower overlook for better views, or hike down even farther to an area great for swimming and also to access the Foothills Trail, which runs 77 miles along the N.C./S.C. border.

10. High Shoals Falls, South Mountains State Park, Connelly Springs.

Water feature: waterfall

At just 60 feet, High Shoals Falls might not sound that impressive. But it’s not just the falls, it’s the quarter mile or so of jumbled boulders — and Jacob Fork trying to figure its way through them — that lead up to it that makes this hike so cool. Even the lead-up to the boulder field, a civil gravel path the parallels Jacob Fork, is pretty swell. It’s about a mile up to the falls (and a mile back), but the beauty of a visit to South Mountains is that there are about 40 miles of trail in all, most of which is also open to equestrians, some to mountain bikers. If you’re into solitude, once you get past High Shoals Falls, you pretty much have South Mountains to yourself.

* * *

Resources

For more information on the locations mentioned above, click the appropriate link:

1. Morrow Mountain State Park
2. St. Mary’s Wilderness
3. North Mills River

4.  Carolina Hemlocks

5. Panthertown Valley: Schoolhouse Falls

6. Sliding Rock

7. Gragg Prong/Wilson Creek

8. Hanging Rock State Park

9. Upper Whitewater Falls

10. High Shoals Falls

In addition, you can find details on trips 2, 4 and 7 in “Backpacking North Carolina: The Definitive Guide to 43 Can’t-Miss Trips for Mountains to Sea.”

The post 10 Summer Hikes with Cooling Water 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

* * *

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!.

Face it, are there no bad hikes. Each hike has its own special, well, “charm” may be pushing it. But each hike we do does have some unique or compelling aspect that, in the end, always has us saying, “That sure beat a day at the widget works.” Even when it’s finger-nipping cold, even when it’s wet enough to pack a snorkel.

Still, there are some hikes that stand above the rest. A grand view, perhaps. Fabulous fall color, or an especially inspiring spring wildflower display. The hikes that we put an asterisk next to in our hiking journals and vow to hike again, soon.

For us, “soon” was supposed to be last year. Our planned hike schedule — a scheduled planned in January, when planning still made sense — included several hikes we were especially excited about. Hikes that we try to hit regularly, for reasons specific to that trail.

Today, we share five of those hikes, along with the reason they’re special to us. In the Hike It Yourself section at the bottom, you’ll find information on how to hike each trail yourself.

1. Mount Mitchell Trail 

5.6 miles (one way, 11.2 miles up and back)

Black Mountain Campground, Burnsville

The allure: With 3,700 feet of vertical it’s great for assessing your fitness; a state of the union for hiking, as it were

I look at this as an annual assessment of where I stand as a hiker, especially whether I’m losing anything and need to start making it up. This hike is just 5.6 miles (OK, it’s an out-and-back so make it a little more than 11) but it’s less the length than the elevation gain — about 3,700 vertical feet, and without much recovery opportunity to catch your breath: it’s pretty much a slog straight up. It’s not until you’re near the top, once you enter the boreal forest at close to 6,000 feet that it becomes challenging. The trail gets a little steeper, the terrain becomes rocky and rooty. Still, you’re within a half mile or so of the summit, which eggs you on. One bummer: share your summit victory with a hundred or so “hikers” who’ve walked the length of a mall, from the gift shop. Still, at an elevation of 6,684 feet you are now standing at the highest point on the East Coast, the highest point east of the Black Hills of South Dakota. You’ve earned the bragging rights, not driven them to the summit.

2. Sam Knob Loop 

8.2-mile loop

Black Balsam area of the Blue Ridge Parkway 

The allure: The grandeur of its neighbor Shining Rock minus the crowds

There are places you love to go, and there are places you love to go that everyone else loves to go, too. Once you’ve identified an area of mutual and multiple adoration, it’s time to find a suitable alternative. The Shining Rock area of the Pisgah National Forest is a prime example: Between Shining Rock, Graveyard Fields, the Art Loeb Trail, and Black Balsam, it’s hard to find any peace — let along a parking spot — at the main access to Shining Rock, the Black Balsam parking area just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Enter “Shining Rock” into the AllTrails.com app and you’ll get 131 curated trails. While two or three of these recommendations include portions of the Sam Knob Area located adjacent to Shining Rock, none are the 8.2-mile Sam Knob Loop. You don’t even need to use the busy Black Balsam parking area to access the trail; rather, sneak in the back door off NC 215 and hike in from the west. Hike it clockwise and you’ll hit Chestnut Bald, Little Sam Knob, Sam Knob, Flat Laurel Creek, some nice cascades, some boreal forest, sweeping views — basically everything you’ll find at Shining Rock minus the legions of blueberry pickers and youth groups that storm the area from late spring into fall.

3. Doughton Park Loop

17-mile loop

Longbottom Road Access to Doughton Park

The allure: A challenging, yet doable, 17 miles in one day

Is it possible to do a 17-mile day-hike that climbs and retreats down the face of the Blue Ridge Escarpment? Granted, you need to be in OK shape — this is a hike for folks who get out regularly and probably have a recent 10-miler under their belt. But I’ve led numerous groups on this hike and they’ve all finished. Now, if you’re familiar with Doughton Park, you’re likely familiar with the Blue Ridge Parkway portion of the hike. The part where multiple access points let you hike through open mountaintop meadows with grand views. You get those views with this version of the hike, but you don’t start and end with them. Rather, you begin at the base of the Blue Ridge Escarpment and climb 4 1/2 miles up the Cedar Ridge Trail: steeper at the beginning, tapering some near the top. With 75 percent of your climbing behind you meander on the Bluff Mountain Trail (which is also the Mountains-to-Sea Trail) four another 4 1/2 miles through those rolling meadows, then three miles of quiet hardwood forest before the nearly 5 mile descent back to the car. This is a popular training hike for hikers in the Triad and Triangle: it’s a good challenge delivered with lots of distracting scenery.

Standing Indian Mountain

11.1 miles

Standing Indian Recreation Area, west of Franklin

The allure: A challenging mission, a suitable reward

I love a good, straightforward hike with a clear plan and a challenging objective and, at hike’s end, winds up with me sitting in a camp chair in a mountain stream drinking a beer. That’s what you get with this classic 11.1-mile hike that follows a mountain stream for 4 miles to a gap, then picks up the Appalachian Trail for a 2.5-mile climb to a mountain with a view. 5,513-foot Standing Indian Mountain makes for a great summit lunch stop with gazing to the south and east into a vast landscape about as devoid of signs of man as any in the southeast. Lunch up here on a clear day … man, it’s the best. There’s a 4.5-mile return that “trends downhill” (guide-speak for, There may be a short climb or three along the way; don’t hold me to it). Finally, at hike’s end back at the campground, a celebratory brew in Kimsey Creek. Plan to make a few days of it by staying in the Standing Indian Campground and executing several similar hikes that use forest service trail to create loops with the AT, which forms something of a horseshoe on its passage through the area. 

North Mills River

9.5 miles

North Mills River Recreation Area, Mills River

The allure: The charm and challenge of the nearby Davidson River area, minus the crowds

Years ago I planned to lead a hiking weekend in the Davidson River area, only to realize at the last minute that I hadn’t reserved campsites. Big mistake at the popular Davidson River Campground, where the reservable campsites are snapped up weeks in advance and the lines for the first-come sites resemble those for Duke/UNC tickets. I frantically began searching for an alternative and up came North Mills River, just a ridge or two to the east. The fact that they had openings made me dubious — I was even more so after arriving to find a voluminous meadow camping area with out-the-tent-door access to great hiking. We especially liked the hike up Fletcher Creek to Spencer Gap, with a return down Trace Ridge. It was August and the multiple creek crossings on Fletcher Creek were especially welcome, as was the exceptionally mature forest above Hendersonville Reservoir.

Hike it yourself

Itchin’ to hike these trails yourself? Resources to get you started follow.

Mount Mitchell Trail

• Find the Alltrails.com route description here.

Sam Knob Loop

• “Backpacking North Carolina,” Trip No. 14

Doughton Park Loop

• Visit the National Park Service site here for information on Doughton Park and a map
• “Backpacking North Carolina,” Trip No. 11

North Mills River Loop

• Visit the National Forest Service site for North Mills River here

Standing Indian AT Loop

• Visit the National Forest Service site for Standing Indian here

GetHiking! Southeast Podcast

This week on the GetHiking! Southeast Podcast we discuss the hikes mentioned above plus two more hikes we hope to do in 2021. We also look at North Carolina’s record State Park attendance in 2020. Give a listen here.

The post 5 Hikes Delayed from 2020, Destined for 2021 appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

In 2015, we launched our GetHiking! Classic Hikes program with GetHiking! North Carolina’s Classic Hikes. Over the course of the year we hiked a dozen of North Carolina’s most notable areas: Shining Rock, Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains, Panthertown Valley, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and the Appalachian Trail, to name a few.

Now, if there were only a dozen Classic Hikes in North Carolina, we could declare mission accomplished and be done. In fact, there are so many more than a dozen Classics in the state (I’ve written a book that documents 100, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina,” Mountaineers Books). And there are so many more Classics throughout the Southeast.

Thus, our mission continues in 2016, with the expanded GetHiking! The Southeast’s Classic Hikes series.

First, we’re not abandoning North Carolina. In fact, we’re only adding two out-of-state hikes in 2016, both in Virginia (a stretch of the Appalachian Trail near Lynchburg and the Grayson Highlands/Mount Rogers area). And while we are repeating two hikes from 2015 (Panthertown Valley, by popular demand, and Doughton Park, because it’s a good late winter mountain hike), we’ve got a North Carolina lineup that will expose you to even more great hiking than you thought possible. We’ll get to a full calendar of hikes, with descriptions, in a sec. But first … .

Why join this fee-based hiking program? We had about 90 hikers participate in the 2015 program, all with their own personal motivation. Basically, though, they boiled down to two key motivators: the challenge, and the chance to explore more of the state’s wild areas.

The Challenge

Right about now you’re likely thinking what most people are thinking on the cusp of a new year: how can I be more active in the year ahead? Hiking is a great option. First, just about anyone can do it, and unlike many other “active” options, it’s something you can be active at late into life. (Of our 90 or so 2015 hikers, at least half are over 50.) Hiking requires some basic equipment: hiking boots/shoes, good socks, a day pack, for starters. But once you’ve got the basics, it’s cheap fun: transportation and food are your key expenses.

If you’re new to hiking, you might be intimidated by the “Classic” designation, equating “Classic” with epic and visions of a death march rather than an enjoyable day in the woods. First, our hikes are actually two hikes, a longer hike and a shorter hike. For instance, our first hike, on the Neusiok Trail in the coastal Croatan National Forest, gives you the option of hiking the entire 20.4-mile trail, or a 6-mile stretch. Start with the shorter options, maybe you’ll want to go longer after three or four hikes. Plus, the monthly hikes are good incentive to do shorter, local hikes in the interim.

If you’re looking for an activity you can embrace for the longterm and one that doesn’t seem like work (as is often the case with a traditional “workout,” hiking is a good option. Likewise, if you seek a sense of accomplishment and reward, you’ll find it in a hike (just ask the folks who did our 13.4-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail north of Carvers Gap in September).

And if you’re worried about being left in the woods, don’t be. Our hikes are led from the rear, guaranteeing that no one, not the slowest hiker, is dropped. This approach benefits our more experienced hikers as well; with direction supplied before the hike, they become more confident in their ability to navigate in the backcountry.

Explore New Trails

Even if you’re an avid hiker, how many of the state’s — and region’s — trails have you hiked? Or are even familiar with? Drop down and take a look at our lineup for 2016: if you’ve hiked half of these trails, you’re doing pretty good. Odds are there are one or two you haven’t heard of.

We aim to expose you to the wealth of hiking opportunities in the Southeast. Take the October hike. Perhaps you’ve heard of, even hiked in the Shining Rock area. But Sam Knob? Its neighbor to the west offers a more varied hike: the views, meadows and black balsam forests Shining Rock is known for, plus rock outcrops and waterfalls. As for the July Standing Indian hike, we’re guessing that one’s got you scratching your head. After the weekend of July 16-17, 2016, you’ll be boasting it’s one of the best circuit hikes around.

Again, check the schedule below for descriptions of 2016’s hikes.

New in 2016

If you’re a veteran of GetHiking! North Carolina’s Classic Hikes, we’ve added a few new twists to GetHiking! The Southeast’s Classic Hikes:

• Weekend trips. Over the past year, several of you commented that you loved the mountain trips, but you wished there was more hiking to justify the long drive. This year we’ve added six camping weekends in the mountains. Drive up Friday afternoon/evening, camp, hike Saturday, camp Saturday night, hike Sunday. Camping will be in group campgrounds near the trails we will hike; in some cases we can hike directly from camp. Our one group camp experience in 2015, at Mills River, was a big hit, highlighted by a potluck dinner Saturday evening.
• Aren’t a camper — but you’re interested? This year, we’ve added a Discover Camping option to our weekend trips. We provide the tent and sleeping mattress, give you a list of household items you can use to supplement your other camp needs, and are there to help take the mystery out of camping.
• Lodge/hostel weekend on the AT out of Hot Springs. Over the three-day Veteran’s Day weekend (November 11-13) we’ve reserved the Laughing Heart Lodge in Hot Springs, North Carolina. Hike the Appalachian Trail during the day, return to the lodge/hostel for a civil evening of rest in a warm environment (see schedule for details).

Membership: what you get

Basic membership to GetHiking! The Southeast’s Classic Hikes is $75, which applies to your first three hikes. (If you’re first three hikes are weekend trips, that’s a savings of $30). Your membership includes:

• Three hikes, as mentioned above. After that, each single-day hike is $25, weekend trips are $35.
• Monthly emagazine with detailed information on that month’s hike, including an overview touching on the trail’s highlights; map of the hike with points of interest; elevation profile; photos; info box with key information, including trail access, length, elevation gain and more. Also in each emag: information on camping and lodging near each hike, as well as hiking tips and resources pertinent to this particular hike.
• Swag bag for each hike. For each hike you’ll get a goody bag filled with hiking-appropriate swag.
• Joining gift. TBD. Last year, members received either hiking socks, a camp towel or a GetHiking! T-shirt, courtesy Great Outdoor Provision Co.
• Loaner gear. Curious about trekking poles but never tried them? Here’s your chance. We’ll also have loaner headlamps (if you’re worried about finishing after sunset).
• Ten percent discount on hiking gear at Great Outdoor Provision Co.

If you think you’ll make all the hikes, save $60 by joining the Classics Club for $300. That covers all the hikes, plus the Discover Camping program, and get a $35 gift card from Great Outdoor Provision Co.

How to join

Sign up today and we will send you pertinent information about the program, as well as details on our first hike, on January 24 on the Neusiok Trail. Pay via PayPal, below, or send a check to GetGoingNC, 4909 Waters Edge Dr., Suite 206, Raleigh, NC 27606.

Hike schedule

Here’s the full schedule of our 2016 GetHiking! The Southwest’s Classic Hikes.

January: Neusiok Trail, Croatan National Forest
Havelock
Sunday, Jan. 24
Long Hike: 20.4 miles (entire length)
Short Hike: 6.4 miles (northern trailhead to NC 306)
$25
We start the year in a coastal forest, on a lowland trail that spends much of its eastern length in pine savannah and on boardwalk elevated above a shrubby bog, its western end in forest that has odd flashes of the Appalachians. The Neusiok is a trail best hiked in winter, when the flying pests common to the coast are less pesky. As you might guess, there’s little elevation on this hike, making it a good hike to start the year.

February: Uwharrie National Recreation Trail, Uwharrie National Forest
Asheboro
Saturday, Feb. 20
Long Hike: 17.8 (Sections 3-8)
Short Hike: 6.3 (Sections 3-4)
$25
The Uwharries, in the heart of the rolling Piedmont, may have long since eroded from their 20,000-foot peak, but they still present a nice challenge. A challenge not without its reward: especially Sections 3 and 4, where the trail reaches its high point (King Mountain, at 1,013 feet) and offers its best view, a 360 from the top of Long Mountain. Both hikes include this stretch; the longer hike lets you build endurance as you probe deeper into this largely hardwood forest.

March: Doughton Park, Blue Ridge Parkway
Roaring Gap
Saturday, March 19
Long Hike: 18 miles (Longbottom Loop)
Short Hike: 10 miles (Longbottom to Bluff Mountain)
$25
One of the few repeats from the 2015 Classic Hikes season, and for good reason. For starters, it’s an early-season opportunity to get into the mountains. Located on the Blue Ridge escarpment north of Wilkesboro, both hikes begin with a steady 4.5-mile climb before topping out in the rolling mountain meadows of Doughton Park. The short hike finishes at Bluff Mountain, the long brings it back around down a descending ridgeline to the Longbottom Trailhead. Great views from the top — and early spring wildflowers to boot.

April: Appalachian Trail, Virginia
Lynchburg, Va.
Saturday, April 2
One hike: 10 miles (Punchbowl on the Blue Ridge Parkway to James River)
$25
Think of day hiking the Appalachian Trail and you immediately think of driving half the day to western North Carolina. In fact, the AT is closest to the Triad and Triangle, at least, in Virginia. Where the AT crosses the James River west of Lynchburg is an especially scenic stretch of this iconic trail. From the Blue Ridge Parkway, the trail climbs to Punchbowl, then stays along a ridge for about 7 miles, offering an ongoing supply of views, both east to the Piedmont and west to the Shenandoah Valley and George Washington National Forest.

May: Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Craggy Mountains
Pisgah National Forest
Saturday/Sunday, May 7-8
Group camping: Briar Bottom Group Campground
Saturday: Buck Creek Gap to campground (hike lengths to be determined)
Sunday: NC 128 to Craggy Gardens (hike lengths to be determined)
$35
The first of six weekend hikes with group camping. Arrive Friday night, set up camp at the Briar Bottom Group Campground at the base of Mount Mitchell, then hike from Buck Creek Gap back to the campground on Saturday. A potluck Saturday night, followed by more hiking, at Craggy Gardens on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Sunday. A good sampling of a stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail that doesn’t get hiked much because of its remote location.

June: Davidson River / North Mills River
Brevard
Saturday/Sunday, June 18/19
Group Camping: White Pines Group Campground
Saturday: Art Loeb (hike lengths tbd)
Sunday: Fish Hatchery / John Rock loop (7 miles)
$35
Our lone group camping experience in 2015 at Mills River was a hit. We return to the area, this time to the White Pines Group Campground in the adjoining Davidson River area of the Pisgah National Forest for a weekend of hiking. Saturday, we’ll hike a stretch of the Art Loeb Trail heading down from the Blue Ridge Parkway, then return to camp to kick back and enjoy a pot-luck dinner. Sunday, we’ll do the popular 7-mile John Rock Loop, enjoying lunch and views of Looking Glass Rock from the trail’s namesake attraction.

July: Standing Indian / Appalachian Trail
Franklin
Saturday/Sunday, July 16/17
Group camping: Kimsey Creek Group Campground
Saturday: Kimsey Creek/AT/Lower Trail Ridge (hike lengths tbd)
Sunday: Timber Ridge / AT / Bear Pen Gap loop (hike lengths tbd)
$35
On our third Saturday/Sunday hike we visit the Standing Indian area west of Franklin. The Standing Indian group campground is ideally situated for our purposes. Saturday morning, head out your tent door and onto the Kimsey Creek Trail for a climb up to the Appalachian Trail, returning via Lower Ridge Trail. Sunday, we do another AT loop, up Timber Ridge to the AT and back via Bear Pin Gap.

August: Great Smoky Mountains National Park /Deep Creek
Bryson City
Saturday/Sunday, Aug. 13/14
Group camping: Deep Creek Group Campground
Saturday: Noland Divide Trail/Pole Road Creek Trail/Deep Creek Trail (hike lengths tbd)
Sunday: Indian Creek/Deeplow Gap/Thomas Ridge trails (hike lengths tbd)
$35
August too hot for hiking? What if your hike ends with a tube trip down a mile-long stretch of mountain creek. That’s an option both days, on hikes that start and end from our group campsite at Deep Creek, just outside Bryson City.

September: Grayson Highlands / Mount Rogers

Saturday/Sunday, Sept. 23/24
Group Camping: Grayson Highlands State Park
Saturday: AT/Mount Rogers (hike lengths tbd)
Sunday: AT (hike lengths tbd)
$35
Our second trip of the year to Virginia is our first to the Grayson Highlands / Mount Rogers area of southwest Virginia. Grayson Highlands/Mount Rogers is one of the most popular trail networks in the Southeast, in no small part because the rocky and open terrain has more of a western U.S. feel. Also, the wild ponies.

October: Sam Knob / Panthertown Valley
Cashiers
Saturday/Sunday, Oct. 22/23
Group Camping: Kuykendall Group Campground
Saturday: Sam Knob (8 miles)
Sunday: Panthertown Valley (12 miles, with shorter options)
$35
Our last weekend group camping trip of the season sees us return to Panthertown Valley for waterfalls, views and great fall color, then head up to the Shining Rock Area for a diverse 8-mile loop at Sam Knob. Both areas are known for rock outcrops, open spaces and waterfalls.

November: Appalachian Trail: Max Patch to Rich Mountain
Hot Springs
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Nov. 11-13
Friday: AT (5 miles)
Saturday: AT/Rich Mountain Loop (12.7 miles)
Sunday: Max Patch (7 miles)
Lodging: Laughing Heart Lodge in Hot Springs
$35 (does not include lodging)
Three days of hiking (it’s over Veteran’s Day weekend) and two nights at the Laughing Heart Lodge in Hot Springs. The hiking includes various stretches on the Appalachian Trail, from Max Patch to Hot Springs. The lodging is at the laid-back Laughing Heart Lodge, where we’ve blocked out space for the weekend. Stay in the lodge, stay in the cabin, stay in the economical hostel. Off trail, we’ll explore one of the AT’s classic trail towns.

December: Mount Mitchell
Pisgah National Forest / Mount Mitchell State Park
Saturday, Dec. 31
$25
We wrap up the year with a celebratory climb up the highest peak in the East, 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell.

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