It’s been — and continues to be — a rough week for a lot of folks in North Carolina, especially down east. For the weekend, we recommend the best therapy we know: a walk in the woods. Today, we pull hikes from Hike NC!, our statewide hiking collaboration with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. For more information on Hike NC! go here.

Coast | Coastal Plain

Somehow, Carolina Beach State Park near Wilmington managed to escape the full wrath of Hurricane Matthew and quickly reopen. Saturday, the park will host a hike on the Sugarloaf Trail, which passes through a variety of habitats, from its start along the banks of the Cape Fear River, to its inland passage through a pine savanah, to its climb up a 60-foot dune festooned with a maritime forest.

The hike is listed at 2 miles and rated Easy.

Logistics: Saturday, Oct. 15, 2 p.m., Carolina Beach State Park. To register for this hike and for more information and to register, go here.

Saturday forecast: High of 73, mostly sunny.

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Looking ahead: Night Hike at Halyburton Park in Wilmington, Oct. 28, 6 p.m. More info here.

Piedmont

Of the five Hike NC! hikes in the Piedmont this weekend, we’re especially excited about the one on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along the Haw River Sunday because we’re leading it. Our hike starts out of Glencoe, an old mill village, and heads downstream for a couple of miles, taking in the river’s rich history as home to roughly two dozen textile mills, back in the day. We’ll get up close and personal with both the Haw River’s natural and human history.

Logistics: Sunday, 1 p.m., MST out of Glencoe. For more information and to register, go here.

Sunday forecast: High of 75 and sunny.

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Looking ahead: Climb to the Clouds, “meet an Environmental Educator at the Moore’s Knob Observation Tower and learn to identify the surrounding landmarks, wildlife, and vegetation visible from the park’s peak closest to the clouds,” Saturday, Oct. 29, 11 a.m. More info here.

Mountains

Think of Chimney Rock and you tend to think of its touristy side: the gift shop, the lounge and deli, the elevator that takes you do the top. But Chimney Rock State Park also has its kinder, gentler and wilder side, which is the side Hike NC! will explore early Saturday morning (not too early: 8 a.m., to be exact). On our 1.5-mile hike, we’ll hike the base of Rumbling Bald Mountain and its stark cliff face and its huge boulder fields. (On this hike, you might get up close and personal with rock climbers who especially love the cliffs southern exposure in cooler weather.)

Logistics: Saturday, 8 a.m., Chimney Rock State Park. For more information and to register, go here.

Saturday forecast: High of 71, mostly cloudy.

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Looking ahead: The Life and Death of Elisha Mitchell, Sunday, Oct. 30, Mount Mitchell State Park. More info here.

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

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