Thing is, not all mountain hikes require driving high into the mountains to reach. Below are five of our favorite winter mountain hikes that offer the thrill of a winter in the mountains minus the angst of driving there.

Doughton Park

Roaring Gap

Think of Doughton Park and its 30 miles of hiking trail and you think of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is often closed by ice for long stretches in winter. Not if you enter from the Longbottom Road access, which sits more than 1,800 feet below the summit. From the trailhead you can pickup three trails to the park’s mountaintop meadow: Cedar Ridge (our pick), Grassy Gap Road and Flat Rock Ridge. Using those trails plus the Mountains-to-Sea Trail/Bluff Mountain Trail at the top, you can create loop hikes of up to 18 miles. And because you’re hiking up the Blue Ridge escarpment’s steep northern and eastern exposure, snow tends to stick around a bit.

More info here

Mount Mitchell Trail

Burnsville

Not even the highest peak east of the Black Hills is immune to a winter assault. Although Mount Mitchell State Park, named for 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell, is frequently closed because it’s accessible via the Blue Ridge Parkway, the 5.5-mile Mount Mitchell Trail remains open to the hardiest — and best prepared — of explorers. The trailhead off the Toe River is below 3,000 feet, meaning it can be dry and pleasant at the base, as wintry as it gets 3,700 feet up on the summit. The first 3 miles or so of this trail are surprisingly mellow, a climb to be sure but eased by switchbacks. Then, it hits some troughs that are not only steep but can fill with ice. Be exceptionally cautious and well prepared for this hike.

More info here

Linville Gorge, Shortoff Mountain

Nebo/Lake James

From the well-known gorge’s West Rim, the trails all descend into the gorge, offering little in the way of views (not to mention that access via the “Kistler Memorial Highway,” a gravel pothole-fest is sketchy in the best of weather). The main access on the East Rim is Tablerock Mountain, which closes in winter. That leaves the 2-mile hike up to Shortoff Mountain on the East Rim’s south side as your best option. Note: this is not a 2-mile cakewalk: it’s steep in spots and gets rutted. But it’s southern exposure keeps it mostly clear of snow and ice, and the reward — another couple miles of hiking along Shortoff’s rocky, pine-pocked plateau is well worth the effort.

Learn more here

Rich Mountain Loop

Hot Springs

What could be better than beginning and ending a hike in Hot Springs, elevation 1,500 feet? The first 8 miles, on the Appalachian Trail, is a steady climb, and includes an awesome view of the French Broad River and the town of Hot Springs (see photo). Continue climbing through a mature hardwood forest and mountain clearings. Pass Tanyard Gap and continue to the spur to the fire tower atop 3,700-foot Rich Mountain for more great views on a clear day. There’s a slight retreat on the AT before picking up Roundtrip Ridge Trail for the mellow hike back to town. Twice on this hike we’ve encountered a well-defined snow line at about 2,500 feet. 12.3 miles roundtrip.

Learn more here.

Art Loeb Trail: North End to Shining Rock Ledge

Canton

Consider this a backdoor entrance into the Shining Rock Wilderness in winter. Most of us are used to entering Shining Rock via the Black Balsam access off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Alas, this is the highest run of the parkway, generally above 5,000 feet in elevation, and it’s closed by snow and ice much of the winter. Enter via the north entrance, at the Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp and the low elevation road is generally clear. You begin to make up elevation quickly once on the trail, gaining nearly 2,000 vertical feet in the first 3.5 miles up to Deep Gap — and nearly 1,000 more vertical feet if you continue the mile or so to the summit of 5,968-foot Cold Mountain. At Deep Gap, you also have the option of hiking south of the Art Loeb Trail along the Shining Rock Ledge (it’s 2.5 miles along the Ledge to Shining Rock).

Learn more here.

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Content from GetBackpacking! in Linville Gorge

Because of weekends like this past weekend spent by our GetBackpacking! group at Linville Gorge. Because of the rare chance to see half of North Carolina’s high country on a brilliantly clear day. Because of the whip-poor-will, whose enchanting (if, after a while, annoying) call serenades you throughout the night. Because of the abundance of perfectly drawn wildflowers. Because of the full moon that envelopes your campsite with just enough light. Because everything and anything tastes great after hiking 18 miles. Because it’s a weekend you won’t soon forget.

The post Why? Here’s why appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Taking a hike.

In the Triangle, for instance, we’re looking at daytime highs in the mid- to upper 40s and sunny to partly sunny skies through New Year’s Day. Good timing since most of you likely have some time off over this same time period. Since the weather today is universally ugly and thus ideal for planning, we offer 10 hikes especially well-suited for this time of year. Look ‘em over, consult the listed sources for additional information. If nothing tickles your hiking fancy, head over to our sister site, NCHikes.com, for more options.

Enjoy!

Coast

1. Boiling Springs Nature Preserve, 1.5 miles, Wilmington. (For details, go here.) Just a mile and a half? you may protest. After a few minutes on the trail at this The Nature Conservancy 6,925-acre property 25 minutes from downtown Wilmington you’ll be glad it isn’t longer considering how much there is to stop and see. Says The Nature Conservancy, “In an average natural area, there are 8 to 10 species of plants growing in one square meter, but in the wetlands of Boiling Spring Lakes there are several times that number.” Various carnivorous plants unique to the region, the red-cockaded woodpecker and the rough-leaf loosestrife are among the more unique sights you’ll see here.

2. Neusiok Trail, Croatan National Forest, Havelock. 20.1 miles, with shorter options (Trip No. 42, “Backpacking North Carolina,” Hike No. 5, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina”). The Neusiok, much of which runs through a swamp, has a limited hiking window, and if you don’t hit this classic by mid-March, you’ll be sorry (and also plagued by flying, stinging bugs). Wintertime temperatures in the 50s and overnight lows near freezing make this the perfect coastal escape, regardless of whether you like going long (the whole 20.1 miles) or simply chewing off a section or two. An especially rewarding hike on a cool, sunny winter’s day.

View Ten Hikes for the End Days (of 2012) in a larger map

Piedmont

3. Uwharrie National Forest, Birkhead Wilderness, Asheboro, 7.4 miles (Hike No. 36, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina,” Trip No. 35, “Backpacking North Carolina,” or go here.) There’s a starkness to the Birkhead Wilderness, a 5,160-acre notch on the northern tip of the Uwharrie National Forest southeast of Asheboro, that makes it ideal for winter hiking. Although not a particularly mature forest, there’s a dearth of understory that makes for good, long sightlines in this portion of the ancient Uwharrie mountain range that’s a bit mellower elevationwise than to the south. A good, long hike for people who may not think they’re up for a good, long hike.

4. Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, Orange County, 2.9 miles (Hike No. 20, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina or go here). Normally, you’d expect to spend a good hour in the car to find a spot as remote as the Johnston Mill Nature Preserve. But thanks to the 1999 efforts of the Triangle Land Conservancy, this 295-acre preserve remains intact amid the encroaching sprawl of Durham and Chapel Hill. Your escape from the city happens quickly: From the main trailhead off Mount Sinai Road, you descend through dogwood, red cedar, sweetgums and loblollies into a floodplain forest rich with the rare: four-toed salamanders, Thorey’s grayback dragonfly, green violet, bloodroot, stemmed yellow violet and columbine. Walk along New Hope Creek to the Beech Loop, a bluff trail that gets its name from the sizable Fagus grandifolia that dominate the hillside. Later, check out remains of the Johnston Mill and homestead dating to the early 18th century. An especially foot-friendly tread (trail surface) makes this a particularly good venue for less able hikers.

5. Ledge Spring and Jomeokee trails, Pilot Mountain State Park, Pilot Mountain, 2.8 miles, with longer options (Hike No. 47, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina”). One of the joys of winter hiking in North Carolina is the opportunity for great views. Colder, generally drier air eliminates the haze the plagues summer skies; on a clear day you may not be able to see forever, but you can see a long, long way. From the top of Pilot Mountain, which towers 800 feet above the surrounding landscape, you can see west to the Blue Ridge mountains, north into Virginia and south to Winston-Salem and beyond. The mountaintop Ledge Spring and Jomeokee trails offer the best views. Throw in the Grindstone and/or Mountain trails to add some distance.

6. Latta Plantation, Charlotte, 4.2 miles (Hike No. 28, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina”). So much hiking, so close to town. Sixteen miles of trail explore this 1,343-acre preserve on the north side of town; we recommend a loop that includes the Hill, Cove and Split Rock trails, a loop that features a rare Piedmont prairie, a type of grassland common in the region prior to the European invasion but rarely found today. This being winter, you’ll miss out on the wildflowers common to a Piedmont prairie (such as the smooth coneflower), but you will get a sense of the vast open spaces that today we typically associate with the West. Some good shoreline and cove hiking on this loop as well.

Mountains

7. Mount Sterling, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 18.1 miles (Trip No. 17, “Backpacking North Carolina”). Of course, part of the thrill of winter hiking is the chance to experience some winter. You’ll have a good shot of that on this loop in the Great Smokies, which starts below 3,000 feet and tops out in a balsam forest atop 5,823-foot Mount Sterling. Super Storm Sandy dumped more than a foot of snow in the Smokies’ higher reaches and her wind created drifts of four to five feet. If you’re looking for a good winter adventure in November, this would be the hike. The summit happens early on, after a little more than six miles of hiking (the last 2.2 miles of which gains 1,700 vertical feet). After that it’s a lovely, mostly downhill ramble down Mountain Sterling Ridge Trail and Pretty Hollow Creek, with a return through Little Cataloochee. Lots of natural beauty interspersed with signs of the park’s cultural past. A most worthy 18-mile day.

8. Doughton Park: Basin Cove Loop, Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, up to 20+ miles (Trip No. 11, “Backpacking North Carolina,” Hike No. 54, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina”). Another backpack/day hike option, where you should, at least through mid-month, find some color on a trip that starts at the base of the Blue Ridge escarpment. Hike in the easy 1.5 miles to the campground (establish base camp, if you’re backpacking), then behold numerous options, including: 3.4 miles up Basin Creek to the old Caudill Cabin (16 people living in one room) or head up the 2.8-mile Bluff Ridge Primitive Trail to Bluff Mountain, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and additional exploring along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Especially nice, again, with the seasonal BRP crowds diminished.

9. Schoolhouse Ridge Loop, Wilson Creek, Mortimer. 5.6 miles (Trip No. 10, “Backpacking North Carolina,” Hike No. 68, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina”). January can be a dicey time of year for backcountry exploring in the mountains. The higher you get, the greater the chance for snow and ice — more a problem for driving than hiking. Good reason to say low (between 1,500 and 2,400 feet), yet still reap the benefits of a mountainlike trip. Good reason to visit the Wilson Creek area. One thing about Wilson Creek is the number of creeks that penetrate this rugged section of the Blue Ridge escarpment below Grandfather Mountain, creeks that often present challenging crossings. Not so much the case on the Schoolhouse Ridge Loop. Though it does have multiple crossings of Thorps Creek early on, none are challenging. After that, it’s carefree mountain hiking.

10. Linville Gorge: East Rim, 14.1 miles, with shorter options (Trip No. 7, “Backpacking North Carolina”). Out-of-town visitors are always looking to do “name” adventures — something the folks back home probably have heard of and would likely be impressed by. Linville Gorge is one of those places in North Carolina, an area known for its rugged beauty, falls and 2,000-foot deep (in spots) canyon. A great way to explore this wilderness is from along its East Rim. More adventurous types can start at the south end of the gorge and within two steep miles be atop Shortoff Mountain (from there, the hiking levels considerably as you head north). Or, take Forest Service roads up to the Table Mountain access where you can quickly climb 3,680-foot Tablerock Mountains (great 360 views), check out The Chimneys (popular with climbers) or take the Spence Ridge Trail, down into the gorge (it’s the easiest trail down). Great photos that come with bragging rights.

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