Officially, fall starts tomorrow, Sept. 21, officially at 3:21 p.m. EST. Appropriately, a rainy front is ushering in cold air about the same time that will drop temperatures about 15 degrees, into the low 70s initially. By the weekend, expect highs in the upper 70s, lows around 50.

In other words, perfect hiking weather. Perfect weather that will bring out the fair weather hikers. That is, everyone who hikes once or twice a year will be hiking this weekend.

What’s a solace-seeking hiker to do?

Avoid the trails most traveled in favor of the spots that are just as nice, but not as well known. Spots such as:

Crowders Mountain State Park: Boulders Access

Kings Mountain (near Charlotte)

Ridgeline Trail

Trail: 7+ miles

Being so close to Charlotte, it’s no surprise that Crowders Mountain is loved to death. But that lovin’ is mostly at the Sparrow Springs Access and at the Linwood Road Access. The Cinderella access at Crowders Mountain: the Boulders Access near the South Carolina line. Here, you can pick up the Ridgeline Trail and hike 5.5 miles north to The Pinnacle, or head south into South Carolina and miles of hiking at Kings Mountain State Park and Kings Mountain National Military Park. And if it’s a particularly nice weekend and the Boulders Access is crammed, N.C. State Parks offers you a backup plan.

Learn more here

Doughton Park: Long Bottom Road Access

Laurel Springs

Grassy Gap/Basin Creek trails

Trail: 4.8 miles (one way)

Talk about being loved to death! The Blue Ridge Parkway must be the Southeast’s most sought-after date come autumn and the fall color show. Fortunately, Doughton Park has 30 miles of trail, including a 4.8-mile stretch that runs from the base of the escarpment up Basin Creek to the Caudill Cabin. The Grassy Gap portion is relatively flat, making for a nice warmup; Basin Creek adds elevation, but along a rocky, tumbling creek, the beauty of which is more likely to take your breath away than the hike itself.

Learn more here.

Hanging Rock State Park: Tory’s Den Access

Danbury

Tory’s Den Trail

Trail: 2.4 miles (one way)

If you’ve never been to Hanging Rock State Park and the 1.3-mile trail to the top of its namesake knob, here’s a visual: picture an anthill and its residents in an endless line heading up and back. From the Tory’s Den Access off Tory’s Den Road, however, you may see an equestrian or two along the way, but no ants. If you’re itchin’ for a view when you reach the Moore’s Wall Loop Trail, head north on that trail for a little more than a mile to the outlook atop Moore’s Knob.

Learn more here.

Jones Lake State Park

Elizabethtown

Bay Trail

Trail: 4 miles

Keep this one tucked in your back pocket for that first fall day when the temperature isn’t likely to get out of the 50s and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. On such days, the popular state parks will have to close before they open; you, on the other hand, will be enjoying a brisk walk around Jones Lake on a trail that goes through pine savannah and dense coastal woods as it circles this rare Carolina bay. Total elevation gain? Maybe 2 feet.

Learn more here.

Medoc Mountain State Park

Hollister

Trail: 10 miles of hiking trail, another 20 miles of multi-use

Despite the fact it’s just an hour and a half drive from the Triangle, Medoc Mountain continues to fly under the local hiking radar. Why? Beats us. The 10 miles of hiking trail offer a mix of hiking along a Piedmont stream, summiting 300-foot Medoc Mountain, exploring the first vineyard in the country (or what’s left of it). Plus, if you don’t mind sharing, another 20 miles of equestrian and mountain biking trail will give you the long aerobic workout you seek on a 60-degree day. Scenery and solitude, rarely found in the same place but you’ll find it here.

Learn more here.

Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Falls Lake Day-hike Section H

Shinleaf Recreation Area, Wake Forest

3 miles (one way)

The statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail spends 60 miles along Falls Lake north of Raleigh, with 18 access points. One of the most accessible sections of the trail is at the Shinleaf Recreation Area, where you can hike east or west. We favor hiking east, through a carpet of running cedar, beneath a mature hardwood canopy and in and out of the coves along the lake’s south shore. This is a rolling section of trail: you’ll find numerous climbs, none long or steep, that provide enough variety to keep your attention. Hike to NC 98, then return the way you came.

Learn more here.

Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Falls Lake Day-hike Section T

Red Mill Road in northern Durham County

Trail: 4.2 miles (one way)

There’s something oddly enchanting about this stretch of the MST. Heading west from Red Mill Road, the trail makes its way for a couple miles through bottomland forest, influenced by the nearby Eno River but far enough way that you don’t know it’s there. Then, the trail climbs a bluff overlooking the Eno. It’s not particularly high — maybe 70 feet above the river — but it’s just enough that in the winter, the canopy bare, you have a long view to the north (you can see the Eno below). One of the more quiet stretches of the MST through the Triangle.

Learn more here.

Pilot Mountain State Park: Pilot Creek Trail

Pinnacle (north of Winston-Salem)

Pilot Creek Access

Trail: 3.3 miles (one way)

The relatively new 3.3-mile Pilot Creek Trail wraps around the base of the Pilot Mountain’s northern flank, picking up it’s namesake creek and traversing the rocky terrain that gives Pilot Mountain it’s mountain-like appeal. The trail ends at the camping area. It’s a worthy hike on its own, but if you’re hankerin’ for the summit, you can pick up the Grindstone Trail to the top.

Learn more here.

Seven Mile Creek Natural Area

Hillsborough

Trail: about 1.5 miles

Mature forest, a little-known Piedmont creek, a vast field of ferns, an old cemetery, and natural surface trails wide enough and smooth enough to accommodate hikers of just about any ability. Orange County’s Seven Mile Creek Natural Area is one of those quiet getaways for when you want to getaway quick, but not necessarily go far. Escape comes quickly at this 360-acre preserve, where the creek, a tributary of the Eno that mimics the latter’s mountain vibe, is a 10-minute walk from the car. And located on a gravel road that’s off a gravel road that’s off a remote two-lane, it tends to be a nicely kept secret.

Learn more here.

Shallow Ford Natural Area

Elon

Trail: 5 miles in four loops

With four loop trails, you can go short or long at Shallow Ford Natural Area. Got some non-hikers in tow and need to keep it short? The 3/4-mile Basin Creek Trail gives you a nice introduction to the preserve’s bottomland forest. Tack on the 2.2-mile Hidden Hill Trail and you’ll explore meadows and upland hardwoods. Another 2.2-mile option: the Homestead Trail, which takes you along a particularly rocky and impressive stretch of the Haw River. Hike it following a good rain and you’ll develop a keen appreciation for this river that once supported a vast textile mill industry.

Learn more here.

Explore with us!

We have guides available for five additional hikes that tend to avoid the masses, even in fall. Click on the appropriate link for more information — including maps, trail descriptions, directions to the trailhead, amenities and an overview — and to purchase the guide.

• Avents Creek Access: Raven Rock State Park, Lillington. While hikers are queued up waiting to get in on the south side of Raven Rock, here’s what you can explore on the quiet north side. (See video.)
• Cane Creek Natural Area, Alamance County. Explore this new preserve on 2.5 miles of trail that takes you to the 900-foot summit.
• Fews Ford 7-Miler: Eno River State Park, Durham. You may see some folks at the start, but not after a half-mile or so, when you veer into a lesser-visited portion of this popular park.
• Knight Brown Nature Preserve, Stokesdale (north of Greensboro). Three interconnected loops explore a secluded valley.
• Mountains-to-Sea Trail, Day-hike Section P, Durham. This 2.9-mile run of the MST east from the Hickory Hill Boat Ramp at Falls Lake is flat, fast, and fun.

GetHiking! Southeast Podcast

Learn how to identify your own Trail Less Traveled on today’s GetHiking! Southeast Podcast. Give a listen here.

The post Fall Starts Wednesday! Avoid the Masses on These 10 Hikes appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Don’t go where the leaf peeping experts say to go.

Their advice gravitates to the easily accessible go-to color hotspots, mostly along the easily accessed Blue Ridge Parkway: Graveyard Fields, Rough Ridge, Price Lake … . Sure, photos taken within the past few days scream chamber-of-commerce-certified color, but they’re screaming it to the tens of thousands of others looking for a quick autumn fix. A fix that can be had without venturing too far from the car. With a classic fall forecast for this weekend, expect those hotspots to be just that in more ways than one.

But fret not: there’s plenty of great color to be had, color you don’t necessarily need to share with the rest of the world. 

Here are five of our favorite spots for seeking kaleidoscopic solitude. A quick note: These are not drive-by visits; you’ll need to invest some sweat equity — even in 50-degree temperatures — to find the color you seek. We’ll give you a sense of how much effort is required in each entry. We also share what the hike is an alternative to that’s popular nearby.

1. Big East Fork Trail

Pisgah National Forest

Location: 18082 US-276, Canton, NC 28716. GPS: 35.365956,-82.8198767

Type of hike: Out-and-back

Distance: About 7 miles

Difficulty: It’s not the elevation gain, but the rocky passage along the creek that makes for challenging — and sometimes slow — going. You’re not likely to cover the entire distance of the trail; it’s best to set a turnaround time and stick to it.

Alternative to: Graveyard Fields

I haven’t hiked this trail in the fall, but I have hiked it in the inverse season: early spring, when sprouting leaves reflect the color they’ll turn come fall. The color from my visit 20 years ago remains burned in my brain. So does the wild nature of this hike, which begins from a trailhead off U.S. 276 2.8 miles north of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The trail spends its time along, and in, the Big East Fork of the Pigeon River, on a comparatively (for the region) flat run that gains just 800 vertical feet. With multiple creek crossings, this can be a wet hike and one hard to follow: just remember the trail sticks to the water. In addition to the rich color from the dense hardwoods overhead, you’re treated to waterfalls along the way.

More info here. 

2. Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Holloway Mountain Road

Blue Ridge Parkway

Location: From Milepost 298.6 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, head west on Holloway Mountain

Road for about a mile, to where the MST crosses. GPS: 36.13978, -81.75740

Type of hike: Out-and-back

Distance: 3.8 miles (7.6 miles roundtrip)

Difficulty: Moderately easy: trail is in good shape, the elevation gains moderate

Alternative to: Rough Ridge and Price Lake

Heading west on the MST from Holloway Mountain Road, the trail goes uphill into an open pasture, then spends a mile or so noodling through smaller pastures; the edge forests through here should be good for early color. Note: when you enter one of these clearings, the trail may not be obvious; if not, take a moment to survey across the way for the next visible white-dot MST blaze. These pasture pockets give way about midway to dense forest, where the evergreens should provide nice contrast to the emerging hardwood color. We suggest turning around just shy of the Boone Fork Parking Area, a popular access spot along the Parkway.

More info here, at the Mountains-to-Sea Trail online grail guide for this section.

3. Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Devil’s Garden Overlook

Blue Ridge Parkway

Location: Devil’s Garden Overlook, Milepost 235.7, Blue Ridge Parkway. GPS: 36.43404, -81.10429

Type of hike: Out-and-back

Distance: 3.6 miles (7.2 out-and-back)

Difficulty: Relatively easy: good trail surface and moderate elevation change

Alternative to: Doughton Park

This 3.6-mile stretch may get the award for least appreciate stretch of the MST in the high country. For starters, the turnaround point, at Brinegar Cabin, essentially marks the turnaround point for people hiking east from Doughton Park. The cabin is a carrot: they’ve walked 3 miles from the main parking area to see it — time to turnaround. Devil’s Garden Overlook itself should provide a good view of color cascading down the Blue Ridge Escarpment. From there, take the MST west, and in a mile-and-a-half, cross the Parkway to Air Bellows (as opposed to Doctor Bellows) Gap for great views of color cascading downhill to the west. Much of the rest of the hike involves intimate passage through quiet woods on the way to your turnaround at Brinegar Cabin (which is well worth the visit).

More info here, at the Mountains-to-Sea Trail online grail guide for this section.

4. Big Lost Cove Cliffs

Wilson Creek area, Pisgah National Forest

Location: Trailhead is along FR 464 about 4 miles west of NC 90, near the town of Mortimer. GPS: 36.0081995,-81.8706308

Type of hike: Out-and-back

Distance: 1.7 miles (3.4 miles out-and-back)

Difficulty: Relatively easy: there’s a good climb at the beginning of the hike, a steep but short climb on the hike back.

Alternative to: Wilson Creek gorge

Wilson Creek gets loved to death — the main gorge, at least. But venture into its side attractions and you’ll find hidden treasures galore, one of which is the 1.7-mile trail leading out to Big Lost Cove Cliffs. The beginning of the hike is less-than-inspiring, a climb, steep at times, to a ridge. But then, it’s a mellow ramble through tight woods until the trail dips into an open hardwood forest and then, shortly, deposits you at Big Lost Cove Cliffs. Come prepared to spend some time on this ample rock outcrop that offers great views of the valley below and, on a clear day, of Grandfather Mountain and the Blue Ridge beyond. Against a blue sky, it’s one of the best views around.

More info here.

5. Rock Castle Gorge

Rocky Knob Recreation Area, Blue Ridge Parkway (Virginia)

Location: Primitive camping trailhead at the base of the gorge, off VA 8. From the Blue Ridge Parkway near the Rocky Knob Campground, take VA 8 headed south. After 3.6 miles, go right on Rock Castle Road, which will terminate shortly at the trailhead. Hike in about 200 feet to pick up the trail.

Type of hike: Loop

Distance: 10.4 miles

Difficulty: Hard. There are climbs at the beginning, steep drops about two-thirds of the way in, some scrambling.

Alternative to: Trails along the Parkway

Wait, if this trail is along the Parkway, how is it an alternative to trails along the Parkway? Good point. And for maybe a mile and a half, where access is made easy along the Parkway, it’s not an alternative. But for the most part, this is one gorgeous hike that the masses aren’t likely to undertake. And they certainly aren’t going to pick it up from this hidden trailhead at the bottom of the gorge. Pick up the trail and hike counterclockwise, hiking up Little Rock Castle Creek through a spectacular hardwood forest. Mellow at first, the trail has a steep climb requiring some scrambling, before entering another mature hardwood forest and, shortly, reaching the Parkway. From there, it’s about 3.5 miles along the ridge, through several open meadows, before descending back into the gorge. The last 2.5 miles is a relaxing downhill along Rock Castle Creek.

More info here.

* * *

GetHiking! with Co-workers and Friends

Speaking of this incredible fall weather and the resulting color, wouldn’t it be great to have your own, personal hiking group — with friends or coworkers — that got together and hiked once a week? A hike that lasts an hour or so, is geared toward your group’s ability, that’s near where you live and that’s planned and led for you? That’s our GetHiking! with Co-workers and Friends hiking program! Learn more about the program and how you can get started with a group of up to 10 co-workers or friends, here.

The post 5 Fall Blue Ridge Hikes: Great Color, No Crowds appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Not surprisingly, some of North Carolina’s more popular state parks filled to capacity again this weekend. Pilot Mountain, Hanging Rock, South Mountains, Raven Rock, Stone Mountain, Occoneechee, part of Eno River all had to shut down at one point because they had reached capacity. 

On our scheduled 5-mile GetHiking! hike Sunday afternoon, we didn’t see a soul.

We’ve been focusing our efforts of late on the region’s lesser-explored gems, the trail’s less traveled. Sunday, at the Butner-Falls of Neuse Game Land, we hit the jackpot. At 1 p.m., when our socially distanced, 10-foot-spaced group of 12 hit the trail, there wasn’t a soul in site. And we never did see anyone outside our group during our nearly two hours on the trail.

I reckon there’s a good 15 miles of hiking, possibly more, on this 40,000-acre spread of land, mostly on the north side of Falls Lake. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission gives general direction to its 2 million acres of land in the state; it’s up to you to flesh out the trails, mostly in the form of closed-to-traffic gravel access roads. It’s a truer form of exploration, the kind a bottled-up-soul is particularly in need of right about now.

If you plan on getting out today, Memorial Day, we refer you to last Wednesday’s post on seeking solitude in a time of trail saturation. You’ll find guidance on how to find your own trails less traveled. As incentive, we provide a video peek at our hike yesterday on the peaceful paths above Falls Lake.

GetOut! and enjoy!

The post Sunday solitude on the Trails Less Traveled appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

From the N.C. State Parks and Recreation Facebook page on Sunday:

• Occoneechee State Natural Area full as of 11 a.m.
• Eno River State Park’s Cole Mill and Fews Ford accesses closed as of 1 p.m.
• Raven Rock State Park is full as of 10:00 a.m.
• Hanging Rock State Park is full as of 10:40 a.m. Main restrooms are closed due to sewer failure; restrooms are open at the lake parking lot. There were 1,000 more visitors at Hanging Rock yesterday than ever recorded before.
• Pilot Mountain State Park is full as of 10:40 a.m.

A thousand more visitors at Hanging Rock State Park “than ever recorded before.” That is a stunning statement if you’ve ever been at Hanging Rock on a gorgeous spring or fall afternoon. A thousand! Where on earth would an extra thousand fit?

With fewer entertainment options available, more people are continuing to discover trails. And the trails they’re discovering tend to be the more obvious ones. In State Parks, for instance.

On May 8, we wrote about how to avoid the crowds. Friday, we’ll elaborate on the topic in the hopes that: a) we can avoid the overcrowding that threatens to close trails, and b) you, the dedicated hiker, can find solace on the trail.

In the meantime, we revisit another way you can make that happen: by hiking in the rain. You’ll find some tips on wet-weather exploring in a post from April 13, and you’ll find incentive in this brief video shot this afternoon. The good news: the rain continues at least for the the next three days! 

Get out and enjoy some liquid solitude.

The post On fair weather crowds, foul weather solitude appeared first on GetGoing NC!.