Poppycock.

The first time I hiked John Rock I was skeptical that the hike, midway up the same escarpment, could have one of the best views around. 

At 3,320 feet? Wouldn’t the best views be from atop the ridge some 2,000 feet higher?

One would think.

And one would be wrong. On both counts. 

Pink Beds gains only 331 feet total over 5.2 miles, making it an anomaly for the Pisgah, and certainly for the Davidson River area where it’s located. That you could hike 5.2 miles here and not be drained is a surprise to first-time hikers. And that John Rock, an expansive rock slab at roughly the midpoint of a 4.7-mile lolipop loop, does indeed have stunning views, including the iconic Looking Glass Rock across the valley, is something of a head scratcher. 

Great views on one hike, an easy 5 mountain miles on another that’s not 15 minutes away … . Hmm …

It didn’t take a genius to realize these two hikes pair well for a long day of hiking. Which is why I’ll be leading both hikes — John Rock in the morning, Pink Beds in the afternoon — on Tuesday, Sept. 9, as part of North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein’s Rediscover the Unforgettable campaign, which aims to let folks know that Western North Carolina is rebounding from last September’s Hurricane Helene and is eager to welcome tourists. A second, similarevent is planned for Sept. 12-14 in Sylva.

If you haven’t hiked the mountains since Hurricane Helene last September, these hikes are a good reason to return. For one, no guesswork about whether the trails — and the roads leading to them — are accessible. They are. There’s also no doubting that these are great hikes: Do a general search of either and you’ll come up with nothing but superlatives:

Of John Rock, Gabrielle wrote on Sunday: “Well-marked and beautiful scenery the whole way through.”

Of Pink Beds, Laura, also on Sunday, wrote: “Really beautiful, very shaded, lots of nice spots to see the water.”

John Rock offers the challenge, gaining 1,000 feet in less than 2 miles (the first two miles), and the payout in great scenery, while Pink Beds makes for a good recovery hike and a more intimate encounter with the Southern Appalachians, in an unusual mountain bog. 

A great opportunity to hike two awesome Pisgah trails in one day. And a great way to reintroduce yourself to western NC.

Hope to see you there.

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Info

To learn more about both hikes:

• Go here for details and to sign up for the John Rock hike
• Go here for details and to sign up for the Pink Beds hike
• For more on the Brevard Rediscover the Unforgettable event, go here
• For more on the Sylva Rediscover the Unforgettable event, go here

The post A Pisgah doubleheader: John Rock and Pink Beds appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Some of us don’t mind hiking in the heat. Switch to cotton, freeze your water bottle overnight, use your trekking poles as spider web vanquishers … . Sure, you work up a nice glow. But you’re on the trail, and really, it’s not unbearable.

We recognize, though, that not everyone is inclined to keep on hikin’ between Memorial Day and Labor Day. We also recognize that along about the Fourth of July weekend, the aforementioned cool-weather hikers are starting to undergo withdrawal. They get out their phone and stare longingly at those photos from the beginning of the year, when you were bundled in fleece. Ah, the good cold days.

We can’t magically make it cold. But we can direct you to some hikes where it feels less like summer. In some cases, a lot less. As a rough rule of thumb, the temperature drops about 3.5 degrees for every 1,000 feet of elevation. So if it’s 90 in Raleigh (elevation 315 feet), it’s in the upper 60s atop Mount Mitchell (elevation 6,684 feet).

Lesson one: hike higher, hike cooler.

Lesson two: you needn’t go as high, provided you’re hiking near cool waters. Waterfalls, pools on mountain creeks, that sort of thing.

With those two guiding points in mind, we offer 5 high country spots where fair weather hikers can stretch their legs without working up a drenching sweat. You might even want to take along a fleece.

Learn more about those hikes, here. Or, consult the entries listed in either our “Backpacking North Carolina” or “100 Classsic Hikes in North Carolina.”

1. Shuckstack/Lost Cove/Lakeshore Loop

11.6 miles

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Fontana Village

Part of what makes this hike feel cool is that you start at the Fontana dam and climb immediately, gaining 2,280 feet in 3.5 miles. Yes, as you might suspect, you work up a good glow. But once you top out at Sassafras Gap, that glow becomes your cooling agent as you descend Lost Cove Trail through dense woods, then return via the Lakeshore Trail along the cooling waters of Fontana Lake. Unrelated note: I’ve seen both black bear (not uncommon in the Smokies) and wild boar (less common) on this hike.

For details: Trip No. 21 “Backpacking North Carolina”.

2. Hunt-Fish Falls/Gragg Prong Loop

7.3 miles

Wilson Creek area, Pisgah National Forest, Mortimer

Wilson Creek proper gets more crowded than a water park on a summer weekend due to the proximity of parking (if you can find it) to the water. But venture deeper into the Wilderness Study Area and you’ll find better water and fewer people. You’ll just need to invest a little sweat equity. Here’s what you do: hike the Hunt-Fish Falls Trail down to the Lost Cove Trail and go right. You’ll cross the creek, then keep an eye out for the Timber Ridge Trail on your left. Take it uphill (you’re investing in that sweat equity at this point), then go right on the Lost Cove Trail (it loops back around). Take it to Gragg Prong, hike downstream for less than a mile and you’ll have your choice of choice mountain pools to swim in. Related note: If you see a snake in the water, it is likely a harmless northern banded water snake; it is not a cottonmouth, which doesn’t live within a couple hundred miles. 

For details: Trip No. 8, Backpacking North Carolina.”

3. Basin Creek Trail

12 miles

Doughton Park, Longbottom Road access, Roaring Gap

The mile-and-a-half approach from Longbottom Road to Grassy Gap along Grassy Gap Creek is flat, a good opportunity to warm up the legs. There, pick up the Basin Creek Trail, which climbs in bursts along its frisky namesake creek (a creek that flooded in 1918wiping out the entire Basin Cove Community). Multiple crossings help you keep your cool; several pools along the way allow for a more immersive cooling event. Your carrot: the trail terminates at the Caudill Cabin, which survived the 1918 flood and was home to a family of 13. Stunning note: The Caudill Cabin is one room.

For details: Trip No. 11, “Backpacking North Carolina.”

4. Black Mountain Crest Trail

2-12 miles

Mount Mitchell State Park, Burnsville

This is cool hiking, guaranteed. With much of this hike above 6,000 feet (reaching 6,684 feet), you’re looking at temperatures in the 60s on a 90-degree Piedmont day. From the main parking area, make the short-but-obligatory summit, via pavement, to Mount Mitchell, then head north across the main parking lot on the Crest Trail to Mount Craig. Craig is only a mile out, but it’s a challenging mile and there’s no shame in topping out and proclaiming, “I’m good, heading back.” Big Tom, though, is just a short distance beyond, and that would give you your third 6,000-foot peak for the day. Balsam Cone, Cattail Peak and Potato Hill lie beyond, before the drop into Deep Gap at just over 6 miles. Warning note: Remember, this is an out-and-back; making it to Deep Gap with zero energy for the return is does not constitute a successful hike.

For details: Hike No. 65, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina.”

5. Pink Beds

5 miles

Pisgah National Forest near Brevard 

Look at a topo map of the Blue Ridge Escarpment north of Brevard and you’ll wonder, “What happened there?” Amidst a sea of tight, brown topographic lines is a sea of nearly unblemished green, a flat ledge on the escarpment known as Pink Beds. It’s a rare Appalachian bog through which the South Fork of Mills River runs, occasionally stopping to collect itself in a series of small ponds. A 5-mile trail circumnavigates Pink Beds, the wetter spots navigated via boardwalk. There’s the occasional meadow, some dense woods, precious little climbing. At just below 4,000 feet there may be cooler mountain climbs, but none as flat. Geographic note: Pink Beds got its name after early settlers cleared the land for farming, exposing an abundance of pink wildflowers. 

For details: Hike No. 80, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina.”

GetHiking! Southeast Podcast

This week on the GetHiking! Southeast Podcast we explore one of the iconic backpack trips in the Southeast, the 35-mile Virginia Triple Crown. Give a listen here.

The post Defeat the heat with these 5 N.C. mountain hikes appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Coast

Today’s suggestion isn’t an event; rather, an opportunity.

New adventures can be had up and down the North Carolina coast for a relatively modest sum. For instance, if you find yourself in the Wrightsville Beach area, swing by the Blockade Runner and you can experience any number of water-related adventures: rent a single kayak for just $20 an hour (or a tandem for $35), take out a standup paddleboard for $25 an hour, take a two-hour guided kayak tour for $50 ($90 for a tandem).

You’ll find opportunities likes this just about everywhere you’ll find someone taking a beach vacation. (See Logistics for direction.)

Logistics: Learn more about the Blockade Runner rentals here; check out our “53 Places to Rent a Canoe, Kayak or Standup Paddleboard in North Carolina,” here.

Weekend forecast: The coast is looking at highs in the low 80s, a chance of thunderstorms.

Piedmont

You haven’t played ball in longer than you care to remember. And yet, you still feel you can take it to the hole, sink a three-pointer at the buzzer, execute an alley-oop or elicit an enthusiastic “Rejected!” from Marv Albert on your stellar defensive play.

OK, maybe you’re dreaming. But aren’t dreams made to be fulfilled? Check out the current state of your game this Saturday at the 30 & Over Open Play at the Sugaw Creek Recreation Center in Charlotte. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., adults over 30 can see if they still have what it takes to achieve basketball glory, even if for just an afternoon. Or one play.

Logistics: Saturday, Aug. 2, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Sugaw Creek Rec Center, 943 W. Sugar Creek Road, Charlotte. $2. Need more info? Call 704.596.0107

Saturday forecast: It’s always bright and comfortable in the Sugaw Creek gym.

Mountains

One of our favorite hikes in the mountains is the Pink Beds area of the Pisgah National Forest. Pink Beds itself is a rare mountain swamp. As such, the six-mile loop trail at Pink Beds is relatively flat, also unusual for a mountain hike.

Sunday, the Carolina Mountain Club is adding a little elevation to the Pink Beds hike by adding the South Mills River Trail sections on Soapstone Ridge and Club Gap. Total distance for this hike is nine miles, total elevation gain 1,700 feet.

Logistics: Sunday, Aug. 3, 8:30 a.m. carpool meet-up at in Asheville. Space is limited, contact hike leader Dave Wetmore at 828.577.0648 or dwetmore@citcom.net to reserve a spot or for more information.

Sunday forecast: High of 79, chance of thunderstorms.

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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

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In addition to this weekend being the Great Backyard Bird Count, there are other reasons to look up.

Coast

Winter is an especially good time to check out the night sky. Skies tend to be clearer (the cold zaps the moisture from the air) and when the clouds have scattered there’s so much to see. Even more so if you happen to be stargazing at the coast, where interference from light pollution is less of an issue.

Take advantage of both factors — dry winter air and the coast’s minimal light pollution — at the Native American Astronomy program Friday evening at Goose Creek State Park east of Washington. You bring the chairs, blankets and flashlights, the scopes and expertise will be provided. Not only will the program leaders point out key constellations, they’ll also share Native American stories associated with them.

Logistics: Friday, Feb. 15, 6:30 p.m., Goose Creek State Park. Meet at Visitor Center. Free. More info here.

Friday evening forecast: Partly cloudy with slight chance of rain after midnight, low of 37.

Piedmont

Did you get excited about the aforementioned Goose Creek astronomy program, but driving to the coast Friday evening won’t work? How about driving to the Triangle? Saturday evening you’ll find a similar program conducted by the staff of UNC’s Morehead Planetarium at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area. The UNC astro nerds will set up their telescopes on the beach at the Ebenezer Point Recreation Area for a couple hours of viewing fun.

Logistics: Saturday, Feb. 16, 6:30 p.m., Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, Apex. More info here.

Saturday evening forecast: Overcast, low of 28. (Note: the program is canceled in the event of inclement weather. Check the aforementioned Web site if in question.)

Mountains

“Frog Love in the Pink Beds” — rrrrr. Or, rather, rrrrrribit! It may sound like lascivious V-Day pandering by the Cradle of Forestry, but in fact it’s a great chance to explore and learn about a rare highland  bog, located in the Pisgah National Forest above Brevard. Enjoy a presentation, then enjoy a hike to the adjoining Pink Beds and learn about how warm, rainy, winter weather puts our amphibious friends in an amorous mood.

Logistics: Saturday, 1-4 p.m., Cradle of Forestry near Brevard. Free. (828)-877-3130 for more info, or go here.

Saturday forecast: Overcast, high of 41.

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Those are GGNC’s thoughts for an active weekend. Find out other ways you can get out this weekend by browsing our super calendar, a collection of events calendars from throughout the state, below.

Coast

CapeFearCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar for the Cape Fear/Wilmington/southern N.C. coast searchable by date and event name.

Coastal Guide
Comprehensive calendar including nature programs from a variety of costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs. Covers the entire coast.

Crystal Cost Tourism Authority
Comprehensive calendar focusing on the Crystal Coast. Good source for programs offered by N.C. Coastal Federation, Cape Lookout National Park, N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve and other costal conservation and research agencies that offer nature programs.

NCCoast.com
Comprehensive calendar including programs for the Outer Banks and Crystal Coast.

North Carolina Coast Host
Comprehensive calendar for the entire coast that lets you search for events by day, by region, by county, by city or by event (based on key word).

This Week Magazine
Primary focus is the Crystal Coast (North Carolina’s coastal midsection).

Mountains

Asheville Citizen-Times
From the main page, click on “Outdoors,” then WNC Outdoors calendar.

Blue Ridge Outdoors
Searchable calendar lets you extend your reach to events throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast (or you can just limit it to North Carolina). Also lets you search a boatload of categories, ranging from Hiking, Mountain Biking and Climbing to Trail Running, Triathlon and Road Walking.

The Mountain Times
From the main page, click on “Calendars,” then Main Events.

Todd’s Calendar

Piedmont

Charlotte

Charlotte Observer events calendar
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including Nature, Recreation, Recreation & Wellness, Running

Charlotte Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triad

GoTriad.com
Comprehensive calendar includes a Sports & Recreation category.

Piedmont Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Triangle

Triangle.com
Comprehensive calendar searchable by category, including: Birding, Boating, Cycling, Nature, Rec & Wellness, Recreation, Running, Swimming, Tennis, Yoga.

Carolina Parent
Comprehensive calendar concentrating on things the family can do together.

Statewide

Office of Environmental Education
One calendar for the numerous Environmental Education Centers statewide.

North Carolina State Parks
Lets you search for programs at the state’s parks, recreation areas and natural areas by location, by month, by topic. To reach the calendar from the home page, click on “Education,” then “Fun & Free Programs at Parks.”

National Forests in North Carolina
From the home page, click on Carolina Connections for news updates on the state’s four national forests as well as hints on recreational opportunities and a detailed rundown of recreation areas and the amenities at each.

U.S. National Wildlife Refuges
Rundown, by month, of regular activities at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service refuges in North Carolina.

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Come summer, with its 90/90 days (heat/humidity) the last thing on most of our minds is a long hike in the woods. Oceans of sweat, acres of trail-clogging cobwebs, no hydration pack big enough to sate your insatiable thirst. Very understandable, this hike aversion — if you don’t know where to go. For if you do, there are plenty of trails — from North Carolina’s steamy coast, to the stuffy Piedmont to the sun-drenched high country — ideal for summer exploring.

At the coast, you’re wise to incorporate a really large body of saline water in your hike plan. Water is likewise a key ingredient in the Piedmont, though the occasional alpine anomaly also offers relief. In the Appalachians, refreshing waterfalls and elevation combine to offer escape.

We’ve compiled a list of 25 hikes that are especially well-suited to a North Carolina summer, five at the coast, 10 each in the Piedmont and the high country. You can find additional information on each at the links provided and in the references mentioned, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina” and “Backpacking North Carolina.”

Let your summer hiking adventure begin here.

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