Labor Day weekend is still nearly four weeks off, which leaves plenty of time to get in an adventure unique to summer. Here are 10 suggestions:

1. Hike a high mountain trail. It may still be summer at lower elevations, but atop 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell, home to the highest hiking east of the Black Hills? Earlier today, while the Piedmont was simmering in 90-degree heat, the temperature atop Mitchell was a crisp 68.6 degrees (after dropping to an overnight low of 56.7). Hike the three-quarter-mile Balsam Nature Trail, hike the 4.3-mile Deep Gap Trail taking you over three 6,000-foot peaks. 

2. Hike a high Piedmont trail. Don’t have time to drive to the mountains? Piedmont residents can hike a higher, and a little cooler, trail close to home at Pilot Mountain State Park (elevation  2,421 feet), Hanging Rock State Park (2,579 feet), or Crowders Mountain State Park (1,706 feet). Details at ncparks.gov.

3. Hike, then swim. One of our favorite summer hikes is the 4.7-mile Moore’s Knob Trail at Hanging Rock State Park north of the Triad. Hiked clockwise from the bathhouse there’s a long climb up a rocky spine through Virginia pine to the summit and great views to the south (Winston-Salem), west (Pilot Mountain and the Blue Ridge beyond), and north (Virginia’s George Washington and Jefferson National Forests). But it’s what awaits at the end of the hike: a refreshing 12-acre lake with a sand beach. A great carrot to motivate you through the heat.

4. Hike a mountain trail while it’s still accessible. We love the Shining Rock area: 18,500 acres of wilderness, more than twice that much surrounding non-wilderness in the Pisgah National Forest. The best way to access Shining Rock is via a mile-high section of Blue Ridge Parkway, a section of the parkway often closed by snow and ice come winter. It’s a great time to visit. More info here.

5. Explore Wilson Creek. We were at Wilson Creek this past weekend: it was everything you’d want in a summer adventure. Trails with multiple stream crossings (North Harper Creek Trail), trails with lots of pools to swim in (Hunt-fish Falls via Gragg Prong), trails that end in a waterfall (South Harper Creek Falls), trails with incredible views (Big Lost Cove Cliffs Trail). Tip: avoid Wilson Creek proper, which becomes overrun on a hot summer weekend.

6. Go car camping in the mountains. Warm days, cool nights, access to great hiking, rafting, mountain biking, fishing — you’ll find it all from your basecamp in a mountain campground that will likely close for the season soon. Check out some of our favorites here.

7. Hike a waterfall on the cusp of the coastal plain. One of the last things you’d expect to find in the flattest part of the state is a geologic feature associated with the state’s most mountainous sections. Yet there, on the north bank of the Cape Fear River at Raven Rock State Park is JumpingFish Falls, where Avents Creek makes a 5-foot drop, forms a pool, then drops another 3 feet before forming a second pool. Lots of rock, lots of cool water and rocks to dry on. Check it out here.

8. Follow the water to a piece of history. At Doughton Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway, avoid the crowds along the ridge by starting at the base, from the Longbottom Road Access. Hike Grassy Gap Road for 1.5 miles, then pick up the Basin Creek Trail which follows its namesake creek for 3.6 miles to the Caudill Cabin, one of the few structures in the canyon to survive a devastating flood in 1918. Think about that as you walk about the one-room structure, and think about the fact that a family of 13 once shared the cabin. Check out the hike here.

9. Hike high, hike flat. Like the idea of a mountain hike but not so much the elevation change? Elevation isn’t an issue on the 5-mile trail circumnavigating the Pink Beds area of the Pisgah National Forest. Located in a rare Southern Appalachian bog, Pink Beds does a great job of avoiding the mush (well-placed boardwalks help), while taking a surprisingly flat route through an area that flirts with the 4,000-foot elevation mark. Learn more here. 

10. Smell the mountains in the Piedmont. Sometimes one sense can fool another. Take the case of Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, where if you stop on the Eno River stretch of the Mountain Loop on a hot summer day, close your eyes and inhale deeply — you might swear you’re in the mountains. That’s because you’re inhaling the skunk aroma of galax, a ground cover rarely found outside the Southern Appalachians. It’s found here because the 30-foot, north-facing cliff wall sheltering it keeps the ground and air cool enough to support this fair-weather plant (mountain laurel and rhododendron, too). Learn more about Occoneechee Mountain here.

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GetHiking! Southeast Podcast

This week on the GetHiking! Southeast Podcast we talk Basecamp Backpacking, a trail reopening, waterfall repair and await an 82-year-old’s completion of the Appalachian Trail. Check it out here.

The post August: summer’s home stretch appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

There’s swimming, of course. At your local pool (search for local parks and rec departments with pools at the North Carolina Recreation & Parks Association Web site), at a trusted swimming hole (find 76 in North Carolina at SwimmingHoles.org), at the coast (find Outer Banks beaches here, Wilmington area beaches here and assorted other beaches here.

There’s paddling. If you have a canoe or kayak, check out our list below of 21 state parks that have canoe/kayak access. If you don’t have your own boat, there’s always our trusty list of 35 Places Where You Can Rent a Canoe or Kayak in the state. If you’re up for a guided trip — from a quiet journey through a black water swamp to a rollicking romp down Class II, III and IV water, check out this list of outfitters statewide.

Or maybe you’re just looking for an excuse to go wading. Saturday, get your feet wet in the cool waters of the New River during and Aquatic Sampling program at 1 p.m. (336.982.2587 for details on this trip, which meets at the Wagoner Access Area), while Sunday at 2 p.m. at Stone Mountain State Park there’s Aquatic Wild, a chance to poke about the East Prong of the Roaring River for wet wildlife.

Whichever wet option you chose, don’t forget the sunscreen, a hat, protective clothing, bug spray, perhaps a snack or two. And fun, don’t forget to have fun.

Enjoy!

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State Parks where you can float your boat

Piedmont

Eno River State Park – Canoe access, river fishing.
Falls Lake State Recreation Area – 10 boat ramps, privately operated marina nearby.
Hanging Rock State Park – Lake swimming and fishing, rowboat and canoe rentals; boat access to nearby river.
Jordan Lake State Recreation Area – Lake fishing and swimming, 32 boat ramps, privately operated marina nearby.
Kerr Lake State Recreation Area – Lake fishing, accessible fishing pier, 14 boat ramps, two privately operated marinas nearby.
Lake Norman State Park – Boat ramp, lake fishing. Rowboat, canoe and pedal boat rentals, swimming and fishing on 33-acre lake inside park.
Lumber River State Park – Central State natural and scenic 115-mile black-water river, 81 miles also designated national wild and scenic waters. Five canoe-in campsites, boat access.
Morrow Mountain State Park – Pool, boat ramp, lake fishing, canoe and rowboat rentals.
Pilot Mountain State Park – Two canoe-in campsites; river fishing, canoe access.
Coast/Coastal Plain

Carolina Beach State Park – Marina with concession area; river fishing from accessible dock. Boat ramps to river; intracoastal waterway and ocean minutes away.
Hammocks Beach State Park – Accessible only by boat: park operates a seasonal passenger ferry and there’s a canoe paddle trail.
Jockey’s Ridge State Park – Swimming, fishing, kayaking and sailboarding in Roanoke Sound.
Dismal Swamp State Park – Rent kayak and take a trip on the Dismal Swamp Canal.
Goose Creek State Park – Canoe access and trail, boat ramp, river fishing and swimming.
Jones Lake State Park – Lake swimming, fishing, canoe and pedal boat rentals. Access for boats with 10-horsepower motors and below.
Merchants Millpond State Park – Seven canoe-in campsites and three canoe-in group campsites. Lake fishing, canoe access, canoe trails, canoe rentals.
Medoc Mountain State Park – Canoe access, creek fishing.
Pettigrew State Park – Fishing pier, boat ramp.
Singletary Lake State Park – Lake fishing and swimming, canoe rentals.

Mountains

Lake James State Park – Two boat ramp areas, canoe rentals, lake fishing and swimming..
New River State Park – National Wild and Scenic River, more than 30 canoe-in tent campsites, canoe access, river fishing.

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