How about Transylvania and Jackson counties, and their respective basecamps of Brevard and Sylva?

From Tuesday, Sept. 9 through Sunday, Sept. 14, those communities along with the State of North Carolina’s Department of Natural and Cultural Resources are sponsoring two events under Gov. Josh Stein’s Rediscover the Unforgettable campaign. That campaign aims to let folks know that Western North Carolina is rebounding from last September’s Hurricane Helene and is eager to welcome tourists.

A disclosure before pressing on: My day job is with the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and a good deal of my time lately has been spent helping to put these events together. Thus, I’m exceptionally excited about both events, which you can find out more about by clicking the links below:

• Rediscover the Unforgettable: The Art of Exploring Brevard (this event coincides with Brevard’s second annual Plein Air Festival), Sept. 9-10
• Rediscover the Unforgettable: Sylva Adventure Sampler, Sept. 12-14

Both events include a smorgasbord of adventures, from rafting, paddling and tubing, to mountain biking, waterfall chasing and Forest Bathing.

And, of course, hiking.

There are 7 hikes as part of both events. And because the events are back-to-back, that’s nearly a week’s worth of continuous hiking. All the incentive you need to make a getaway out of it.

The hikes

The hike schedule follows. Although most hikes are free, space is limited; If you see a hike of interest, click the link and sign up. Additional information — trailhead location, weather forecast two days out, what to wear and bring — will be sent upon registration.

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  Tuesday, Sept. 9, 10 a.m. John Rock Hike, 4.7 miles, moderate difficulty. This lollipop loop hike starts and ends from the Fish Hatchery near the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education, and includes a break atop the trail’s namesake, a rock outcrop offering stellar views. Learn more and sign up here.

• Tuesday, Sept. 9, 4 p.m., Pink Beds Loop, 5 miles, moderate difficulty. A surprisingly flat hike, this trail spends much of its time navigating a rare mountain bog, elevated in the swampy parts by strategically placed boardwalk. Learn more and sign up here.

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  Wednesday, Sept. 10, 10 a.m., Sam Knob Hike, 8.7 miles, moderate difficulty. This hike includes great views of the Shining Rock Wilderness and passage along mountain streams, a waterfall, through a high-altitude Balsam Forest and more. Learn more and sign up here.’

• Friday, Sept. 12, 9 a.m., Pinnacle Park in. Sylva.  This 6.2-mile up-and-back hike on the Pinnacle Trail will be led by Jackson County Parks and Recreation. It gains 2,000 vertical feet and is recommended “for those who have previous experience hiking, although anyone is encouraged to try.” Learn more and sign up here.
• Saturday, Sept, 13, 9:30 a.m. – noon, Forest bathing at Pinnacle Park, If you’ve heard of forest bathing, the Japanese practice of restoring your soul through nature, here’s your chance to check it out. This hike will be led by Mark Ellison, a certified forest therapy guide and forest therapy trail consultant by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. Learn more and sign up here.
• Saturday, Sept. 13, 5 p.m., Late Day Walk on the Jackson County Greenway, Sylva, 5 p.m. We wind down the day with a mellow 2.3-mile walk on the Jackson County Greenway in Sylva. Learn more and sign up here.
• Sunday, Sept. 14, 9 a.m., Hike the Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Soco Gap to Waterrock Knob, 8.8 miles. moderately difficult. On this out-and-back hike we will ascend to the highest point on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, 6,692-foot Waterrock Knob, then descend back to the trailhead. Learn more and sign up here.

This is a great lineup of hikes and the perfect opportunity to reintroduce your hiking self to Western North Carolina. Not a bad way to get a jump on the fall hiking season.

Hope to see you there!

The post Rediscover Western NC with a week of great hikes appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

I didn’t have to think long: the mountain portion of the statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

Now, I hike the MST nearly every day, since I can pick it up a couple blocks from my front door in Hillsborough. And while I never tire of this stretch, nor of the other 120 miles I hike with some frequency through the Triangle, there’s something about the MST’s nearly 350-mile run through the mountains that’s especially enchanting — and diverse, capturing both the rugged beauty of the Southern Appalachians and its moments of intimate calm. Here’s a look at three favorite sections, all along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Waterrock Knob to Pisgah Inn

63.6 miles

I fell in love with this stretch in an unexpected way: by getting lost. I was leading a hike here a decade ago where we inadvertently veered off the MST on its way through the Middle Prong Wilderness. Down, down, down, we went — and, subsequently, back up, up, up after encountering a foursome that assured us we were on the wrong trail. I loved the wild nature of this section, one of the rare untamed stretches of the MST as it passed through un-blazed wilderness. Then, magically, crossing into the Sam Knob/Black Balsam area, which was a bit more civilized, as it made its way through balsam woods on its way to Graveyard Fields and Yellowstone Prong, then escaped that popular area by crossing US 276 and dipping over the south side of the Blue Ridge escarpment above Pink Beds and on to Mount Pisgah. Great views and classic high mountain terrain, then long stretches of escape with no other hikers in sight. 

Beacon Heights to Trout Lake

20 miles

This is the glitzier stretch of the 90-mile run the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail refers to as The High Country. From Beacon Heights at Milepost 305.2 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the trail wastes no time delivering what you came for, passing through a dark evergreen forest, over a bridged waterfall, then under that engineering marvel, the Linn Cove Viaduct. You’re on the southeast flank of Grandfather Mountain, a tumble of rock and verdant hardwoods with a curious “Appa-tropics” feel. You’ll gain elevation and find yourself atop the Rough Ridge rock outcrop, with views and plenty of spots to stretch out and enjoy them. Descend to the Rough Ridge parking area, then head through an intimate forest of towering hemlock and hardwoods. Marvel at the quiet; “marvel,” because you’re not more than a half mile from the Parkway on this hike. You’ll emerge into small mountain meadows, you’ll follow rough-and-tumble Boone Fork, where you’ll need to navigate a ladder or two. Cross Boone Fork on a footbridge, make a steep climb, then descend to the dark green waters of Trout Lake.

Doughton Park area: South Laurel Fork Road to Devils Garden Overlook

18 miles

Most folks would say the highlight of this stretch is the roughly 2 miles through mountaintop meadow at Doughton Park, where you can see in all directions, a rarity in North Carolina hiking. And it is pretty special, especially the view from the Wildcat Rocks Overlook just down from the old lodge. From it you can look nearly straight down the Blue Ridge Escarpment to the tiny Caudil Cabin below, further down the Basin Creek valley, and on to the Piedmont beyond. But it’s the more subtle, subdued stretches that I find especially appealing. You cross the Parkway several times, and there’s a run-in with minor civilization. But for the most part the trail makes its way through woods undisturbed for more than a half century. You may not come away with searing memories of specific scenery, but you’ll definitely find the sense of serenity that drives so many of us into the woods. 

All 347.4 miles of the mountain MST are worthy of exploring this summer. But if you don’t have that kind of time, these three sections provide a worthy snapshot. 

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Explore with us!

You didn’t think I’d explore these sections on my own and leave you behind, did you? This summer, our GetHiking! Weekend Escapes will focus on the three sections mentioned above. For each Weekend Escape, we’ll do a short hike Friday evening, spend the day on the trail Saturday, and do a short-ish hike Sunday before heading out around 1 p.m. Each Weekend Escape is camping based, but if you’re not a camper, worry not: each basecamp isn’t far from roof-over-head lodging. Each escape includes breakfast Saturday and Sunday morning, lunch Saturday and Sunday, and dinner Saturday night. Here’s a quick description of each hike; click the link for more info and to sign up.

• Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Doughton Park, June 10-12, 18 miles of hiking. Go here.
• Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Mount Pisgah, 22.5 miles of hiking, July 22-24, go here.
• Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Price Lake, 20 miles of hiking, Sept. 9-11, go here.

Explore on your own

If you’re interested in exploring these sections on your own, you’ll find helpful information for planning your hike at the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail website. Click the appropriate link.

• Segment 2: Waterrock Knob to Pisgah Inn 
• Segment 5: The High Country (including 90 miles from Beacon Heights to Devil’s Garden Overlook). Find descriptions of 18 day hikes here.

The post This summer, hike the mountains of the MST appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

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For the latest information on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail route in the mountains, read this recent entry in the Great Outdoor Provision Co. Blog. For an update on the MST from the Triangle to the coast, go here.

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Coast

So here’s a plan: Sunday, Dismal Swamp State Park will conduct two of its popular Wagon Rides, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The ride lasts about an hour, covers a couple miles on the Canal Road, there are several educational stops along the way.

Go on the ride, get educated, then rent a kayak at the park for $5 for the first hour, paddle the canal and put your newfound knowledge to practical use. Exploring an area is all the better when you know a thing about it.

Logistics: Sunday, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills. Wagon ride is free, kayak rental is $5 for the first hour, $3 each hour thereafter. 252.771.6593 to reserve a spot on the wagon.

Sunday forecast: High of 83, chance of thunderstorms.

Piedmont

This weekend, The LandTrust for Central North Carolina celebrates its Third Annual Naturalist Weekend at its 1,300-acre Low Water Bridge Nature Preserve on the Uwharrie River. Hikes both days at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. will be lead by John Gerwin, ornithologist at the N.C. Museum of Sciences in Raleigh, while the Sunday hikes will include local rattlesnake expert Zach Orr. There’s a canoe trip as well, at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

A gorgeous area, a great organization.

Logistics: Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., canoe trip Saturday at 2 p.m., Low Water Bridge Nature Preserve, Troy.

Weekend forecast: High of 86 both days, chance of thunderstorms both days.

Mountains

Love to explore new trail? Not all of Sunday’s hike by the Carolina Mountain Club is on fresh trail, but a fair amount is.

Hikers, lead by guidebook author Danny Bernstein, will start at Waterrock Knob and hike the Mountains-to-Sea Trail mostly downhill to Balsam Gap. The hike will pass through the Middle Prong Wilderness and stands of black balsam. Special guest hiker appearance by Kate Dixon, Executive Director of Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

Logistics: Sunday, May 10, 8:30 a.m. Waterrock Knob. Contact Bernstein at 828.450.0747 or danny@hikertohiker.com to sign up and for additional details.

Weather: High of 80, chance of thunderstorms.

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

The post This weekend: A swamp tour, a naturalist weekend, a hike on new trail in the Mountains appeared first on GetGoing NC!.