We’re all about challenges this year, and are keen on the hikes near home that offer good preparation: Lots of distance, with as much elevation as you can find near the Piedmont’s metro areas. Here’s a look at five of our favorite challenging trails.

1.Uwharrie Trail, Sections 4-7 (NC 109 to King Mountain Road/Joe Moffitt Trailhead).

11.4 miles.

Uwharrie National Forest

Asheboro

Point-to-Point (shuttle)

People scoff at the Uwharries — until they hike ‘em. The relic mountain range tops out at just over 1,000 feet, but located as it is in the low-lying Piedmont, that can result in climbs gaining up to 500 vertical feet in a relatively short distance. And on this particular stretch of the Uwharrie Trail, the trail is constantly going up or down. As training hikes go, this is one of the best. You can build up to the whole 11.4 miles by starting with the NC 109 to Tower Road Stretch (6.3 miles), or continuing on to the Jumping Off Rock Trailhead on Flint Hill Road (8.3 miles). This is also one of the rockier trails around. Shuttle required.

2. Company Mill / Sycamore Figure 8

9 miles

Umstead State Park

Raleigh

Figure 8 loop

This trail gets a lot of tough love from backpackers training for a trip to the high country. It doesn’t have the elevation you’ll find in the Pisgah or Nantahala national forests, but the ongoing ups and downs coupled with the distance give you a good workout and a sense of a long miles carrying weight. It’s also a scenic hike. Starting from the park’s Harrison Avenue entrance, the Company Mill Trail crests three small ridges before crossing Crabtree Creek. There, the trail loops; go left(you’ll be returning on the trail to your right) for a short walk along the river before a gradual climb of a mile or so. Cross the bike & bridle trail for more quick ups-and-downs, before transferring to the Sycamore loop at its namesake creek. More up and down and up and down on this 4-mile loop that reconnects with Company Mill for a return with — you guessed it — more ups and downs.

3. Mountain Trail / Ledge Spring Trail / Grindstone Trail

9 miles

Pilot Mountain State Park

Pinnacle

Loop

Experienced hikers tend to shy away from Pilot Mountain in good weather because of the website warning that it can take up to 30 minutes to simply score a parking spot. That, however, is in the main lot, up top. Start from the Pinnacle Hotel Road Access at the base of the mountain and you’ll have your choice of primo spots (and a privy, too!). Start on the Mountain Trail, hiking clockwise, through some mature forest and rock outcrop as you wind your way up the mountain. At the Grindstone Trail, hang a right and then climb, climb, climb to the summit parking area. The Ledge Spring Trail (great views, check out the climbers) returns you to Grindstone, which connects to the Mountain Trail at the ranger office. From there, enjoy a comparatively mellow mile-and-a-half back to the trailhead.

4. Ridgeline Trail / Pinnacle Trail

8.2 miles

Crowders Mountain State Park

Kings Mountain

Point-to-point

One of the advantages here is that on a nice day when the park’s main parking is packed, you can usually find a spot at the remote Boulders Access. From there, take the Ridgeline Trail north over rolling Piedmont terrain to The Pinnacle. Take the spur to the summit, check out the views, return to the Pinnacle Trail and take it to the Sparrow Springs Access and Visitor Center. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, you can return to the Boulders on the Ridgeline Trail, for a roughly 15-mile day. This is a good opportunity to log miles with a weighted pack.

5. Cedar Ridge Trail / Bluff Mountain Trail / Flat Rock Ridge Trail

17 miles

Doughton Park

Roaring Gap

Loop

Our favorite training hike — and yes, it’s technically a mountain hike, located as it is on the face of the Blue Ridge Escarpment. But it’s easily doable in a day from the Triad, Triangle and Charlotte, qualifying it for our purposes. Plus, it’s one of our favorite hikes. If 17 miles seems like too long a distance, consider the layout. You start from the base of the escarpment, from the Long Bottom Road Access, and climb the Cedar Ridge Trail. Cedar Ridge pulls no punches, starting with some challenging switchback climbing. But before you can say uncle, it eases up the remaining ridge to the Bluff Mountain Trail: about 95 percent of your climbing for the day is behind you. Here, go south on the Bluff Mountain Trail (also part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail), which begins in a hemlock woods, then spends most of its time rolling through scenic mountaintop meadows. Another climb or two awaits before you hit the Flat Rock Ridge Trail, which has one short but steep climb initially, but then is a delightful long downhill back to the trailhead. One of the best circuits you’ll do all year.

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Challenge yourself

We’re planning to do several Challenge hikes this year, hikes that live up to the label of “epic.” We launched our Challenge series earlier this month with a series of training hikes that will help prepare hikers for March 10th’s Five Peaks Challenge at Hanging Rock State Park. We’re also looking at a hike in the Shining Rock area of around 15 miles in June and an end-to-end hike of the 13-mile Black Mountain Crest Trail, from Bowlen Creek to the summit of Mount Mitchell, in July. We’re also looking at a hike in the Slickrock Wilderness area of the Nantahala National Forest in late summer/early fall.

We’ll announce dates for these hikes soon. If you’d like to get on our early notice list (each hike will be limited to 10 participants), drop us a line at joe@getgoingnc.com.

Learn more

Learn more about the trails listed above:

Uwharrie Trail: “Uwharrie Lakes Region Trail Guide,” by Don Childrey (Second Edition, 2014, Earthbound Sports).

Company Mill Trail

Mountain Trail

Ridgeline Trail

Doughton Park

Happy trails,

Joe

The post Challenge Yourself on These 5 Trails appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

That breath of fresh air you inhaled coming out of the house Monday morning — a breath devoid of hot, of wet, of recreational despair — convinced our GetHiking! crews that there’s no need to wait for fall in order to take a fall-like hike. Let’s do it now, our hike leaders declared. Or at least this weekend.
So we will.
This weekend, GetHiking! Charlotte, GetHiking! Triad and GetHiking! Triangle will all exceed the 10-mile mark, a distance typically not contemplated by most until it’s time to toss a fleece into the daypack. Fleece be danged, let’s hike!
Here’s what our three hiking groups have planned for the weekend:

• GetHiking! Charlotte, Crowders Mountain State Park. Hike leader Lisa is going the instant replay route with a four-hour hike Saturday at Crowders Mountain State Park, and another four-hour hike Sunday at Crowders. The plan is to depart at 8 a.m. both mornings from the park’s Boulders Access and hike two-hours north on the Ridgeline Trail. At 10 a.m., hikers will about-face and return to the Boulders. Depending upon a hiker’s pace, Lisa estimates they will cover anywhere from 6 to 12 miles. The trail is through rolling terrain. Learn more and sign up here.

• 

  GetHiking! Triad, Doughton Park. Hike leader Jean loves hiking, but she absolutely adores this hike: the 16-mile loop at Doughton Park beginning from the Longbottom Road Access. This Saturday hike begins with a 4.3-mile climb up the Cedar Ridge Trail. The good news? Cedar Ridge constitutes about 80 percent of the climbing on this hike. From there, it’s a memorable 7.5-mile hike on the Bluff Mountain Trail, through vast meadows offering great views, then a 5-mile descent down the Flat Rock Trail. Learn more and sign up here.

• GetHiking! Triangle, Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake. Whoa! you may be thinking: doesn’t the MST run for

  

  60 miles along Falls Lake? This statewide trail does indeed spend 60 of its roughly 1,100 miles hugging the reservoir’s south shore. Our GetHiking! Triangle group will tackle about a sixth of that total: the 10.6 miles from NC 50 west to the Rollingview Recreation Area MST Access. A good kickoff hike for the fall: not too hilly, considerable tree cover, some quality time with the lake. This hike begins at 9 a.m. Learn more and sign up here.

Starting temperatures for all hikes should be in the low 70s, under sunny skies.
Join GetHiking! in getting a jumpstart on fall.

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To the glass-half-empty crowd, this weekend’s forecast of rain followed by more rain topped by a dash of drizzle (and more rain) may seem discouraging. But if you don’t mind seeing that half-full glass fill further, the wet weekend offers opportunity. You just need to know how to dress for it and where to best enjoy a walk in the wet woods.

We’ve come up with five of our favorite rainy day romps. We tell you why these trails are better when wet, then refer you to the online hiking guide we compiled for our friends at Great Outdoor Provision Co. for specifics on making each hike happen.

Grab your slicker and embrace the weekend.

1. Sycamore Trail
Umstead State Park, Raleigh
7.2 miles
Our favorite hike in the rain, period. In a mild rain, normally nondescript Sycamore Creek turns into a feisty mountain stream. The rock gardens that in drier times collect languid pools convert Sycamore Creek into a whitewater rollick that makes you want to grab the nearest playboat and dive in. Head to the main trailhead off the far parking lot for the entire 7.2 miles, or, get right to the frothy fun by starting from the Bike & Bridle trailhead, for a 4-mile adventure.
More info and directions here.

2. Stone Mountain Loop Trail
Stone Mountain State Park, Roaring Gap
4.5 miles
This popular loop is typically appreciated for its great views — views that will be obscured in this weekend’s forecast conditions. Rather, what you’ll get are low clouds dancing above the meadow that’s home to the Hutchinson Homestead, passage along the especially exuberant Stone Mountain Falls (on a wood staircase) and the occasional peeks across the valley to Wolf Rock when you top out on STMO. Another big plus: you’ll miss the crowds that typically flood the trail this time of year.
More info and directions here.

3. Occoneechee Mountain Loop
Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, Hillsborough
3 miles
You like hiking in the mountains in the rain? Then you’ll like hiking at Occoneechee Mountain, where the trail passes through five distinct eco zones, at least two of which transport you to much higher climes. Hiked clockwise, the trail begins with a steep climb (Occoneechee tops out at 867 feet, the highest spot in the Triangle), then deposits you along the Eno. There, a 30-foot cliff provides a cool environment where rhododendron, mountain laurel, galax and other flora of the Southern Appalachians flourish.
More info and directions here.

4. Ridgeline Trail
Crowders Mountain State Park, Kings Mountain (Charlotte area)
12 miles
If you’re properly geared up for the elements, there’s no better opportunity for some through head-clearing than a hike in the rain — a long hike in the rain. The Ridgeline Trail links Crowders Mountain in North Carolina with Kings Mountain State Park in South Carolina. The North Carolina stretch is particularly contemplative, a rolling stretch with no grueling climbs, leaving enough oxygen to fuel the thought process. Not up for a shuttle? Walking in the rain is ideal for an out-and-back hike.
More info and directions here.

5. Price Lake
Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 297
2.7 miles
The clouds are never content to settle over Price Lake. Constantly on the move, they shroud the lake in silence one minute, part briefly the next to reveal a glance at Grandfather Mountain. Rhododendron rim the lake, offering a degree of protection from the rain and glowing a brilliant dark green when coated in wet. The trail is accessible (the trailhead is along the parkway) and the distance makes it doable for even occasional hikers.
More info and directions here.

The post Trails for walkin’ in the rain appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Mel writes: “I am the Hiking Merit Badge coordinator for Troop 395 in Raleigh and we are looking to put together our hiking itinerary over the next 12 months.  As you may know, to earn this MB the Boy Scouts have to do five 10+ miles hikes and one 20+ mile hike.”

Mel goes on to mention that he has my “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina,” but that most of the hikes therein are shorter than 10 miles. Might I, he asks, have some recommendations on longer hikes, and might at least one of them be at the coast, three to four in the Piedmont, and one or two in the mountains?

I love a good, long hike, and do indeed have some thoughts on the subject. Since Mel has already opened the door to shameless plugs of my books, I will go ahead and add that many of the 43 trips in my “Backpacking North Carolina” (UNC Press, 2011) can be done as long hikes. I should also note that my soon-to-be released “Adventure Carolinas: Your Go-To Guide for Multi-Sport Outdoor Recreation,” available from UNC Press in May, does not have specific long hikes but does have a section on “Backcountry Exploration.”

Where were we? Oh, yes. Mel and the Boy Scout long-hike recommendations. I’ll start today with the Coast and Piedmont; I’ll add the mountains next week.

Without further delay, the nominees are:

Coast

There aren’t a lot of long trail options along the coast (unless you count the 301-mile “hike” along the beach from Virginia to South Carolina). But of the two long trails that do exist, both in the Croatan National Forest, both are good ones.

10 miles

Croatan National Forest: Weetock Trail
11 miles
Maysville
The Weetock, located on the south flank of the Croatan National Forest along the White Oak River, was blazed between 2001 and 2003 by the Carteret County Wildlife Club.  A significant portion of the trail was rerouted by the USDA Forest Service in 2007; the last time we tried to tackle the Weetock, the Weetock tackled us instead. The first few miles were good: a nice ramble through coastal forest on well-marked, well-maintained trail. But then the trail grew forgetful, frequently losing its place and meandering into the boggy woods or dumping us in a briary thicket. A recent report from Daniel with the coastal Fast Fox Running Co.,  however, suggests the Weetock has since gathered its thoughts. “The trail is actually in pretty good shape these days!” he reports. Good news, since we liked what we were able to see of the trail back in 2011: boardwalk passages through perpetually wet stretches, great sightlines through a mostly pine forest, creeks that carve surprisingly deep through the woods, and a bluff at one point along the White Oak River.
Trailhead: The easiest place to pick up the trail is from the Haywood Landing Boat Ramp off NC 58. Details here.
Preferred seasons: November to April, to avoid the bugs, slithery types and assorted other pests common in warmer times.
More info: Carteret County Wildlife Club.

20 miles

Croatan National Forest: Neusiok Trail
21 miles
Havelock
Whereas the Weetock Trail may have once lost its way, the Croatan’s other major trail, the Neusiok, has done a good job of staying the course since its creation, also by the Carteret County Wildlife Club, in the early 1970s. The trail runs from the Pine Cliff Recreation Area along the southern shore of the Neuse River, southeast to its southeast trailhead off Mill Creek Road. The northernmost seven miles are the most diverse, passing beneath a bluff overlooking the Neuse, then heading through a pine savannah. You’ll find the scrubby pine forests and swampy spots expected of a southern coastal forest, but you’ll also encounter a rolling stretch where holly, galax and other flora more commonly associated with the southern Appalachians are found. Signs of the area’s colorful human past (rusted stills) also dot the trail. The southern two-thirds of the trail are flat and more typical of a coastal forest, with long stretches of boardwalk through marshy stretches.
Trailheads: To pick up the trail on the south end, at Oyster Point: From the town of Newport, take Chatham Street for 2.8 miles to Market Street and turn left. Take Market to Mill Creek Road (SR 1154); go 7. 1 miles on Mill Creek to Oyster Point Road (FR 181) and turn right. Go one mile to the trailhead. To get to the northern trailhead in the Pine Cliff Picnic Area: From Havelock, go left on NC 101 for 5.3 miles. At Ferry Road (NC 306), turn left and go 3.3 miles to
FR 132. There, go left for 1.7 miles to the Pine Cliff Picnic Area at road’s end.
Preferred seasons: November to April, to avoid the bugs, slithery types and assorted other pests common in warmer times.
More info: Check out the USDA Forest Service brochure here.

Piedmont

A Boy Scout needn’t leave the Piedmont to earn his long-hike stripes: the region is full of long hikes. Some are pieced together with two or more trails. The longest, the 60-mile Falls Lake Trail, is long on its lonesome.

10 miles

Umstead State Park: Company Mill Trail with Sycamore Loop
10 miles
Raleigh
A figure-eight double lollipop loop that exposes you to the best of Umstead. Starting from the Harrison Avenue entrance to Umstead (a k a the Reedy Creek entrance) on the Company Mill Trail, cross three small ridges on your way to Crabtree Creek. Cross the green metal bridge (dropped in years back by an Army BlackHawk helicopter) and go right. You’ll follow Crabtree for a spell, climb to the bike and bridle trail that bisects the park and continue. Shortly, you’ll hit a kiosk indicating a short spur to the Sycamore Trail; follow it to another B&B trail, go left and over the bridge, then pick up Sycamore just past the bridge, to the right. There’s a half-mile stretch along Sycamore Creek (quite lively just after or during a rain), then the trail climbs through the hardwood Piedmont forest prevalent throughout before crossing another B&B. Within a quarter mile, the trail Ts. To get in your full 10 miles, go right to yet another B&B crossing, then turn and complete the opposite side of the Sycamore-Company Mill figure-eight. Lots of up-and-down, but nothing sustained. No water along the way (don’t risk filtering these urban creeks), so pack plenty, especially in summer.
Trailhead: Harrison Avenue at I-40 in Cary.
Preferred seasons: Fall, winter, spring
More info, including a map, at the Umstead State Park website.

Uwharrie National Forest: Birkhead Mountain Wilderness lollipop loop
11.8 miles
Asheboro
This one clocks in at 11.8 miles and you’ll appreciate every step of the extra credit. Starting from the trailhead off Tot Hill Road, you’ll hike the Birkhead Mountain Trail south for two miles before hitting the popular loop that Boy Scouts, among others, have been using for years to cut their backpacking teeth. Where the Robbins Branch Trail enters from the right, continue straight on the Birkhead for two miles. Note along the way that despite the fact this is a designated wilderness, the trail is well blazed. After two miles, go right on the Hannahs Creek Trail, where, for the first time, you abandon ridgelines in favor of passages along holly-clogged creeks. After a mile and a half, go right on the Robbins Branch Trail, which climbs a rocky (for the Piedmont) ridgeline before dropping to its namesake creek and rejoining the Birkhead after 3.2 miles. Go left for the two-mile return to your car. You can filter water from Hannahs Creek and Robbins Branch, though both run low in summer and during dry weather.
Trailhead: There’s a gravel lot and kiosk on the south side of Tot Hill Road. Tot Hill Road is a paved loop off NC 49 west of Asheboro; if you take the eastern Tot Hill turn, start looking for the kiosk on your left when you see the golf course on your right.
Preferred seasons: Fall, spring, winter
More info here.

Hanging Rock State Park: Moore’s Knob and Indian Creek trails
11.5 miles
Danbury
Starting from the Visitor Center, the 4.3-mile Moore’s Knob Loop Trail makes a dandy warm-up. It starts innocently, passing the lake and bathouse, then probing a tunnel of holly. About a mile in, it’s time to get down to business, with a long ridge ascent to Moore’s Knob. It’s a bit relentless, this climb, getting rockier and ridgier the higher you get. The payoff: great 360 views from the observation tower atop Moore’s Knob. Continue the loop back to the Visitor Center for Round 2. The Indian Creek Trail descends, along with scores of hikers, to Hidden and Window falls. It’s here were the men are separated from the Boy Scouts, with the men sitting winded wondering how they’ll climb back up to their cars while the Scouts continue another three miles to the Dan River. And back. Yes, this hike also goes over the 10-mile limit (it’s 11.5), but isn’t going above and beyond what being a scout is about?
Trailhead: Visitor Center, Hanging Rock State Park
Preferred seasons: Year-round
More info here.

Crowders Mountain State Park/Kings Mountain State Park (S.C.): Ridgeline Trail
12 miles
Gastonia
This hike is two miles over the 10-mile limit. But it’s downhill. The 12-mile Ridgeline Trail joins two state parks (Crowders Mountain and Kings Mountain) and the Kings Mountain National Military Park, plus it involves two states, which gives you added bragging rights. Starting from the Crowders Mountain Visitor Center, hike to the base of Kings Pinnacle and don’t pass the opportunity to take the short spur to the top for great views. Back on the Ridgeline Trail, continue south through rolling Piedmont countryside. Near the south end of Crowders Mountain State Park, you’ll see a sign for the Boulders Access area. If you’re in need of a rock climbing merit badge, check out this popular bouldering area. Otherwise continue on. If the hills have taken a toll on your legs, keep sights set for the South Carolina state line: once the trail hits the Palmetto State, it is dead flat for the remainder. (Buggy, too, in warm weather so you might save this for a cool season option.)
Trailhead: Visitor Center, Crowders Mountain State Park. You’ll need to set up a shuttle from Kings Mountain State Park — unless you elect to make this your 20-mile badge.
Preferred seasons: Fall, winter, spring
More info here.

Eno River: Mountains-to-Sea Trail
10.2 miles
Durham and Orange counties
As the Mountains-to-Sea Trail grows in the Triangle, this 10.2-mile stretch has become a favorite. Assuming you hike this in warm weather, we’ll start upstream at the Pleasant Green Access. (There’s a reason for starting here, which we’ll get to momentarily.) Hike under Pleasant Green Road bridge, up a bluff overlooking the Eno, around an abandoned quarry, through surprising stretches of steep climbs and sharp drops. Pass under Cole Mill Road and the trail mellows, heading through flood plain forest and occasionally taking a more upland route. At Guess Road you hike up to the bridge, stay on your side of the road, cross the bridge, then curl under the bridge to continue downstream. A little over a mile downstream, and less than a mile from the end of the hike, you run into Sennet Hole, a pool on the Eno above the mill pond where even on the hottest of summer days you can find cool water 10 to 15 feet down, and plenty of rocks to sun on when you get out. You begin in an ample parking lot, you end in one as well.
Trailheads: Off Pleasant Green Road to the west, at West Point on the Eno City Park to the east. All the info you need to find these spots is here.
Preferred seasons: Year-round
More info: Find detailed descriptions of the four sections making up this stretch on the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail website.

20 miles

Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake
21.8 miles
Wake and Durham counties
The Mountains-to-Sea Trail runs 60 miles along the south shore of Falls Lake through the Triangle. With the trail broken down into 18 day-hike sections, ranging in length from just under a mile to nearly seven, there are plenty of 20-mile(ish) permutations. Here’s a favorite. Starting from the Falls Lake ranger station off NC 50, hike west. Immediately, you are in the most remote stretch of the MST along Falls Lake, a nearly seven-mile run where signs of your fellow humans are rare (save for the remains of an old tobacco barn and what appears to have been a commercial chicken coop). The trail ducks in and out of coves on the lake, loses sight of it occasionally, has some boardwalked, swampy passages. At Little Lick Creek there’s an impressive pedestrian footbridge followed by an impressively narrow and long boardwalk. From there, it’s more hiking typical of a Piedmont hardwood forest. This 21.8-mile stretch concludes at the Hickory Hill Boat Ramp: no facilities but lots of parking. There is no water along the way; be sure to pack in plenty.
Trailheads: The ranger station off NC 50 (the start) is marked from the highway; the take-out at the Hickory Hill boat ramp is well marked from Redwood Road. Find all the directional information you need here.
Preferred seasons: Fall, winter, spring
More info: For more information on navigating this stretch and for scouting your own 20-mile hike on the MST at Falls Lake, go here.

Uwharrie National Forest: Uwharrie National Recreation Trail
22.9 miles
Troy
The Uwharrie National Recreation Trail has long been the default long hike for Boy Scouts in the Piedmont. In part, that was because it was the only game in town — and what a game it was, extending 50 miles at one point in the 1970s. The trail shrank in the 1980s and 1990s, but has since rebounded and is back up to about 40 miles. This stretch remains the classic Uwharrie Trail. Starting from the trailhead off NC 24/27, the trail heads north through what was once a mighty mountain range, with peaks topping 20,000 feet. Today, nothing along the trail reaches 1,000 feet, and while the climbs aren’t Appalachian, they’re more sustained than any you’ll find elsewhere in the Piedmont. It’s a good workout, and great training for backpackers prepping for a mountain trip. Several small waterways cross paths with the trail and can be filtered — when they’re running.
Trailheads: The southern trailhead is 9.3 miles west of Troy on NC 24/27; the northern trailhead is off Flint Hill Road (SR 1306), 1.8 miles east of Tower Road.
Preferred seasons: Fall, winter, spring
More info: Find a detailed trip description of this hike in “Backpacking North Carolina” (UNC Press, 2011).

Sauratown Trail
Between Pilot Mountain and Hanging Rock state parks
21.6 miles
Though part of the statewide hiking-centric Mountains-to-Sea Trail, the Sauratown Trail originally was built for equestrians. As a result, it often exhibits a slightly more rugged feel. For instance, instead of a footbridge over every wet spot, you have running creeks that are rock-hopped. Also, horses apparently have less of a problem with direct assaults on climbs, adding a vigorous ascent or two. All of which underscores the particular allure of this trail: its naturalness. The trail is never hard to find, but you’ll know you’re not on a finely groomed state park trail. Starting from Pilot Mountain, the trail heads east, tracing the north flank of Sauratown Mountain. There are some particularly scenic passages, including a waterfall or two that would seem more appropriate about 75 miles to the west, along the Blue Ridge escarpment. There’s a doozy of a climb when the trail reaches Hanging Rock State Park, but you’re rewarded with great views from atop Moore’s Knob. End your hike at the Hanging Rock Visitor Center. Note: Much of this trail is on private land, access generously granted from local landowners. Occasionally, land changes hands and the new land owner may not be as keen about a public trail. Thus, trail rerouting is common, and is well documented on the Sauratown Trails Association website.
Trailheads: Pilot Mountain State Park ranger station to the west, Hanging Rock Visitor Center to the east.
Preferred seasons: Fall, winter, spring
More info: Check out the aforementioned Sauartown Trails Association web site.

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“I can’t believe we haven’t seen anyone,” Krista said midway into our 15-mile hike.
“I wonder what Umstead’s like right now?” Amy wondered. “Probably bumper-to-bumper people.”
Probably, considering: 1) It was the second weekend in October and the first true weekend of fall color in the Piedmont, 2) It was a Saturday afternoon, 3) There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, 4) The temperature was struggling to get out of the 60s.
In short, it was a perfect fall day. The kind of day where it occurs to everyone to go for a hike, and it occurs to everyone to go to the same places. To Umstead State Park in Raleigh, to Hanging Rock and Pilot Mountain state parks in the Triad, to Crowders Mountain near Charlotte.
Need proof?
The Crowders Mountain Web site offers this warning front and center on its home page: “Expect parking delays on nice fall weekends.”
Which isn’t to say you should hide at home and experience fall through silde shows such as the one above. If you know where to go — like Amy and Krista did — you can experience the magnificence of fall in magnificent solitude.

Triangle
Falls Lake/Mountains-to-Sea Trail
60 miles
The statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail spends 60 miles along Falls Lake through the Triangle, running nearly unencumbered from Penny’s Bend in Durham southeast to the Falls Lake dam in northeast Raleigh. The trail accommodates both short hikes — the shortest stretch between trail access points is less than a mile — and long: you can go for more than 5 miles at one point without encountering signs of civilization. And as Amy and Krista discovered earlier, there’s plenty of diverse color as the trail dips in and out of coves and, on occasion, takes the high road through established upland forests. A particularly nice stretch in fall is the 8 miles (divided into a pair of 4-mile stretches) between Penny’s Bend off Old Oxford Highway and Red Mill Road.
More information on the trail here, maps here.

Triad
Sauratown Trail
35 miles
Ironically, one of the state’s most underused trails connects two of the state’s most poplar parks for viewing fall color. The 35-mile Sauratown Trail (also part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail) links Hanging Rock State Park on the east with Pilot Mountain State Park to the west (and takes in a third peak in the ancient Sauratown range, Sauratown Mountain). The trail is rolling Piedmont, mostly on private property, much of it brushing past pastures. A particularly nice stretch is the 2.4 miles heading west from the Sauratown Trail Center off Rock House Road.
More info here.

Charlotte
Ridgeline Trail
8.7 miles
Irony, again: The new Ridgeline Trail (dedicated in 20XX) starts in Crowders Mountain State Park, home of the aforementioned parking lot jam, and ends across the state line in South Carolina’s also-popular Kings Mountain State Park. Thus, you might want to avoid both ends. Rather, start at the Boulders Access, a popular bouldering area that’s part of Crowders Mountain but removed from the main park, and head north. You’ll get much of the same scenery that lures people to Crowders Mountain, save the views from Kings Mountain and the Pinnacle. But as its name suggests, there’s lots of ridgeline hiking with good views along the way.
More info here. http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/crmo/activities.php

Northern Piedmont
Medoc Mountain State Park
10 miles
Medoc Mountain is less than an hour and a half drive from the Triangle, yet is one of the least-visited parks in the North Carolina State Parks system. You won’t find yourself jockeying for the next available parking space, you won’t find yourself tapping someone on the shoulder to ask if you can hike through. Medoc Mountain is on the cusp of where the Piedmont gives way to the coastal plain, but don’t be deceived: despite the fact Medoc Mountain tops out at just 325 feet, there’s plenty of up and down here. That leads to a more mountainous experience than you might expect, and more diverse foliage than you might anticipate as well. The 3-mile Bluff Loop Trail offers a nice mix of upland forest and good streamside foliage viewable from on high.
More info here.

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