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.

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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!.

But just across Little Santeetlah Creek— outside the memorial forest but within the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness— hikers can find true wonders. From the shared parking area, follow the Naked Ground Trail up Little Santeetlah, through a long draw that culminates in something approaching a box canyon. Along the way, you may glance up on occasion to take in these more subdued hardwoods and then — Whoa! look at the size of that tree! For whatever reason, the Babcock Lumber Company working the area a century back missed a few prime specimens: some giants are more than 100 feet high and more than 20 feet around. Occasionally, you’ll see a handful in close proximity. It’s a fine reward for a walk in the woods.

Below, you’ll find some of the remaining stands of old growth forest in North Carolina and Virginia. Additional information on exploring each area can be found below.

North Carolina

Nantahala National Forest

Hickory Branch Trail

According to the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition, there was no logging here above 3,680 feet, leaving impressive montane-oak hickory and high elevation red oak forests. Protected as “Large Parch Old-Growth” by the Nantahala National Forest, trees here date back more than 200 years.

Pettigrew State Park (coast)

Moccasin Trail

Head down the Moccasin Trail from the park office and you’ll quickly be surrounded by some of the largest existing trees of their kind. Bay trees, sweet gums, persimmons and pawpaws all reach heights you’ve not seen before; bald cypress with trunks 10 feet in diameter and poplars reaching 130 feet are not uncommon, as are 100-foot-high Atlantic white cedars.

Pisgah National Forest

Snook’s Nose Trail

This trail begins below 1,800 feet in elevation, and within a mile and a half reaches the 3,200-foot mark, above which no logging took place (overall elevation gain on this 3.9-mile trail is just under 3,000 feet). Look for chestnut oak, black gum, red maple, black birch, table mountain pine, and Carolina hemlock, if you can see them through the mountain laurel and rhododendron lining the lower portions of the trail. Find more info on Snook’s Nose and our weekend visit in May below.

Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve (coastal plain)

Weymouth woods loop

There was a time when longleaf pine was the dominant forest in the Southeast. Today, the full majesty of this tree once coveted for its resin and sturdy trunks used as ship masts can only be found in places such as Weymouth Woods, where the longleaf still reaches heights of 100 to 120 feet. The oldest trees — up to 450 years old — can be found on the preserve’s Boyd Tract.

More info here.

Virginia

Jefferson National Forest

Cornelius Creek — Apple Orchard Trail loop

It took a train wreck that bankrupted the local lumber company in 1910 to spare portions of the North Creek watershed from logging. This trail combines with the AT for a 7-mile loop hike.

Jefferson National Forest

Garden Mountain — Appalachian Trail

Garden Mountain is part of the Ridge and Valley Province, and the surrounding forests include old-growth upland oaks. You’ll also get good views from atop Garden Mountain and Chestnut Knob.

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Explore old growth with GetHiking!

On our GetHiking! Classic Escape in May, we will explore old-growth forests in the Pisgah National Forest. On Saturday, May 19, we’ll climb the challenging 3.9-mile trail, going over Snook’s Nose and Laurel Knob, and search for old-growth forests above 3,200 feet. On Sunday, May 20, we’ll explore more old-growth in a shorter hike that’s more off-trail. Both hikes originate from our base camp for the weekend, the Curtis Creek Campground.

Learn more about our May escape and sign up here.

Resources

“Ancient Appalachian: the Southeast’s Old-Growth Forests” appeared in Blue Ridge Outdoors in 2005 and provides a look into the extent and location of old growth forests in the Southeast. Read the story here.

For more on exploring the old growth tracks listed above:

• Hickory Branch Trail

Directions: From the town of Andrews, take Junaluska Road to Junaluska Gap and park. Hike northeast on the Junaluska Gap Trail for a little more than a mile, then head northwest (or go left) on Hickory Branch. (You can return via the London Bald Trail).

• Pettigrew State Park

More info here.

• Weymouth Woods

More info here. For the recommended Weymouth Woods Loop, check out Hike No. 33 in “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina.”

• Cornelius Creek — Apple Orchard Trail loop

More info here.

• Garden Mountain — Appalachian Trail

More info here.

The post Experience Old Growth Forest in a New Light appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Today’s 90-Second Escape: Hiking Big Creek

The North Mills River area of the Pisgah National Forest, is known for its abundant steep hills leading up the Blue Ridge Escarpment, short, steep hills that channel rainfall from on up every which way: here, the question isn’t whether to bring water shoes, it’s whether to bring hiking boots.

Saturday, our GetHiking! Southeast’s Classic Hikes crew enjoyed low humidity and temperatures in the 70s for a 15-creek-crossing hike from the North Mills River Recreation Area Campground to Little Pisgah Ridge.

Some scenes from our day on the trail.

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Today’s 90-Second Escape: Harper Creek/North Harper Creek WSA

Content from Harper Creek / North Harper Creek

Even folks who have only heard of the Harper Creek and Lost Cove areas of the Wilson Creek drainage generally think the areas are official wilderness areas. They aren’t: they’re actually Wilderness Study Areas, which means they are under consideration for official Wilderness designation.

But they may not even be under consideration, if development interests have their say in the current review of the Pisgah National Forest/Nantahala National Forest Land Management Plan. The good news: public comment is being accepted through Jan. 5, a week from today.

You can read more about the Land Management Plan and the controversy surrounding the possible elimination of WSA status for the 13,000-acre Harper Creek/Lost Cove area here. In the meantime, let us inspire you to act with scenes from a GetHiking! journey this summer down North Harper Creek and Harper Creek, in the area in question.

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Coast

Here’s the perfect way to make amends for today: the Wilmington Roadrunners Club Turkey Trot Trail Race at Carolina Beach State Park. First, it’s only four miles, so there’s not too much penance but you’re not getting off easy, either. Second, it starts at a civil time, 9 a.m. on Saturday. And third, it’s a trail run through Carolina Beach State Park.

That third item is a huge plus because there are so many distractions at Carolina Beach. You run along the banks of the sprawling Cape Fear River (check out the container ships heading in and out of the Port of Wilmington), you run through pine savannah, you run with meat-eating plants nipping at your heels (a slight exaggeration; the Venus flytrap and its carnivorous kind generally go for smaller prey), you climb a mountain (the 60-foot-high Sugarloaf Dune). Before you know it, you’re done.

Logistics: Saturday, Nov. 29, 9 a.m., Carolina Beach State Park, Carolina Beach. More info here.

Saturday forecast: High of 56, mostly sunny.

Piedmont

We can’t count the times we’ve mentioned Medoc Mountain State Park to someone and they’ve responded the way your dog responds when you say just about anything: cocked head, puzzled brow, “Ruh?”

Medoc Mountain sits on 2,300 acres of land just an hour and a half northeast of the Triangle. It’s rolling Piedmont woods divided by the lovely Little Fishing Creek. In the midst is 300-foot Medoc Mountain. Maybe it’s not Roan Mountain or the Shining Rock Wilderness, but it is a great little escape close to home (provided home is the Trangle).

It’s also the site of Saturday’s Trek to the Summit, a four-mile hike to the rounded summit of Medoc. The hike is described as moderate and will allow plenty of time for oohing, ahhing and picture taking.

Logistics: Saturday, Nov. 29, 2 p.m., Medoc Mountain State Park in Halifax County. Free, but registration is requested, by calling 252.586.6588.

Saturday forecast: Mostly sunny, high of 51.

Mountains

One of the great things about North Carolina hiking is that you’re constantly discovering new favorite hikes. In September, for instance, we discovered Cedar Rock Mountain up US 276 in the Pisgah National Forest north of Brevard. Saturday, you can discover this scenic hike as well, with the Carolina Mountain Club.

The venerable CMC’s Cedar Rock Mountain Loop is an 8.5-mile route that starts from the Pisgah Fish Hatchery, crosses Butter Gap, bushwhacks up the south ridge of Cedar Rock Mountain and Cat Gap before taking a lunch break on the sunny exposure of Cedar Rock.

Logistics: Saturday, Nov. 29, 8:30 a.m. (carpool meetup time), Pisgah National Forest north of Brevard. To sign up, contact hike leader Bruce Bente at 828.699.6296 or bbente@bellsouth.net. For more on the hike route, go here.

Saturday forecast: High of 56, sunny.

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

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