Fortunately, neither is the case with this year’s running of our Top 10 Cool Hikes with Water, because it includes some new entries from the last time we ran it. To keep the list at 10 — arbitrary, perhaps, but it keeps things manageable — we’ve had to drop a couple hikes from last year’s list, which you can read here. But that doesn’t diminish those hikes; after all, these lists are subjective anyway, so be content with 10.

Now, on to our Top 10 Cool Hikes with Water for 2024. Links with additional information, including trailhead directions, can be found at the end of this post.

1. Morrow Mountain State Park, North Carolina State Parks, Albemarle, NC (northeast of Charlotte)

Water feature: swimming pool

A scouting trip to Morrow Mountain twentysome years ago was, I’m certain, on the hottest day recorded on Earth. How hot it was I’m not sure because the profuse sweat filling my eyes keep me from reading a thermometer. When I was done slogging up Sugarloaf Mountain, then Morrow Mountain, I was desperate for relief — relief I found in the park’s swimming pool, a genuine cement pond that was closed for renovation but has reopened for this summer. Part of the park’s original Civilian Conservation Corps construction, the pool’s inviting blue waters offer soothing recovery from even the sweatiest of hikes. Fee: $6 per day for adults, $4 for kids 3 to 12.

2. North Mills River, Pisgah National Forest, southwest of Asheville, NC

Water feature: creek crossings

We did a GetHiking! trip here in 2016 that had us spending much of our time in the mercifully cool waters of burbling North Mills River and Big Creek. Our 5-mile hike from the campground up to Little Pisgah Mountain on the Blue Ridge Parkway saw us spending all but the last mile splashing as much as hiking (the last mile was a bearish climb to the summit). It also included a pass by the Hendersonville Reservoir (probably not for taking a dip). A great hike in the right water shoes.

3. St. Mary’s Wilderness, George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Raphine, VA

Water feature: multiple creek crossings

Every time I see this hike posted by our GetHiking! Charlottesville crew I’m reminded of why I love summer so much: 10 creek crossings on a relatively short (5 or so miles) hike! Don the water sandals and quick-dry shorts and wade in. With nearly 10,000 acres, St. Mary’s is the largest wilderness on National Forest (George Washington and Jefferson) land in Virginia. If you’re looking for a great summer escape in the Charlottesville area, this is it.

4. Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area, Pisgah National Forest, Burnsville, NC

Water feature: tubing, swimming holes

Could there be such a thing as a tubing and swimming hole resort? There could and there is: the Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area, which sits on a stretch of the South Toe River that has a ridiculous number of great places to wallow in the bracing waters that drain from the Black Mountains, the highest mountain range in the East with elevations approaching 6,700 feet. Wander through the Carolina Hemlocks Campground (36 campsites) and the majority will sport tubes and other gear suited to days on end spent frolicking in this mountain creek. And what a great carrot to dangle after hiking the Colbert Ridge Trail, which leaves from the west side of the campground, climbing 3.6 miles and gaining nearly 3,000 vertical feet on its way to Deep Gap on the crest of the Black Mountains.

5. Panthertown Valley: Schoolhouse Falls, Nantahala National Forest, Cashiers, NC 

Water feature: swimming

You have to hike in about a mile-and-a-half for this hole, but what a hike it is, past towering hemlocks and rock outcrops in an area described as the Yosemite of the East. The payoff is sweet: Schoolhouse Falls is a picturesque curtain of water dropping 20 feet into a luxurious pool, at the far side of which is a sand beach. Those of you who apply to the gradual immersion school will be especially pleased by the gentle incline that introduces you to the cold. Fed by the Tuckasegee River, it’s possible to walk behind the falls at lower flows.

6. Sliding Rock, Pisgah National Forest, Brevard, NC

Water feature: spectating

Spectating? The true joy of Sliding Rock is standing in the spectator area where this smooth rock waterslide empties into a small pool and watching the surprised sliders emerge from their ice-bath landing: all smiles going into the seven-foot-deep pool, an I’ll-never-be-warm-again look of horror coming out. Located on the upper reaches of the Davidson River (rent a tube and float the river several miles downstream), this is a definite must-do for anyone seeking Appalachian swimming hole cred. A fee area ($5), with bathhouse and lifeguard. Seasonal operation.

7. Gragg Prong, Wilson Creek area, Pisgah National Forest, Mortimer, NC

Water feature: swimming

Ah, Wilson Creek — probably our favorite summertime water escape in the state, in large part because it’s dang near impossible to avoid water (which is why we generally don’t visit in winter). From the Huntfish Falls trailhead hike down to the falls, then follow the Mountains-to-Sea Trail down Lost Cove Creek. Shortly, you’ll encounter Gragg Prong and after maybe a quarter mile of climbing, a series of cold pools encased in rock. Wade in, jump in, warm yourself on the surrounding rock. Read more in a blog we wrote about the area for our friends at Great Outdoor Provision Co. Read it here.

8. Hanging Rock State Park, Sauratown Mountains, Danbury, NC

Water feature: swimming in a mountain lake

OK, this one gets an asterisk since it’s not in what we typically think of as “the mountains;” that is, the Southern Appalachians. But it is in the ancient Sauratown Mountain range, which runs from Hanging Rock to Pilot Mountain, and it does have 18 miles of hiking that mimics the Appalachians, visible to the west. It’s also got a 12-acre lake with swimming beach, strategically located at the nexus of the park’s trail network. We especially love liking the 4.7-mile Moore’s Knob Loop Trail, working up a good glow, then dousing that glow in the lake’s cooling waters. 

9. Upper Whitewater Falls, Nantahala National Forest, Jackson County, NC

Water feature: waterfalls. 

You can’t talk about best water-based hikes in North Carolina without mentioning Upper Whitewater Falls, which plunges 411 feet (with its sister Lower Falls, they combine to make an 811-foot drop, making it the highest waterfall east of the Rockies). There’s an easy way to view the falls, via a quarter mile paved path to the upper overlook. Or, hike down to the lower overlook for better views, or hike down even farther to an area great for swimming and also to access the Foothills Trail, which runs 77 miles along the N.C./S.C. border.

10. High Shoals Falls, South Mountains State Park, Connelly Springs.

Water feature: waterfall

At just 60 feet, High Shoals Falls might not sound that impressive. But it’s not just the falls, it’s the quarter mile or so of jumbled boulders — and Jacob Fork trying to figure its way through them — that lead up to it that makes this hike so cool. Even the lead-up to the boulder field, a civil gravel path the parallels Jacob Fork, is pretty swell. It’s about a mile up to the falls (and a mile back), but the beauty of a visit to South Mountains is that there are about 40 miles of trail in all, most of which is also open to equestrians, some to mountain bikers. If you’re into solitude, once you get past High Shoals Falls, you pretty much have South Mountains to yourself.

* * *

Resources

For more information on the locations mentioned above, click the appropriate link:

1. Morrow Mountain State Park
2. St. Mary’s Wilderness
3. North Mills River

4.  Carolina Hemlocks

5. Panthertown Valley: Schoolhouse Falls

6. Sliding Rock

7. Gragg Prong/Wilson Creek

8. Hanging Rock State Park

9. Upper Whitewater Falls

10. High Shoals Falls

In addition, you can find details on trips 2, 4 and 7 in “Backpacking North Carolina: The Definitive Guide to 43 Can’t-Miss Trips for Mountains to Sea.”

The post 10 Summer Hikes with Cooling Water appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

It was a sign, a sign I always look forward to come August: that fall is on the way. 

It’s also a sign that summer will soon be over. 

While I so look forward to fall hiking after a summer of sweaty heat, I also get a bit nostalgic over the passing of summer. Especially if I haven’t taken one of my go-to summer adventures. That is, an adventure that’s best taken in the heat. Maybe because there’s an abundance of water to play in. Maybe because the elevation lets you escape the heat. Or it may be as simple as the fact the trail can be challenging to reach in the snow and ice of winter.

So what are my summer go-tos? Glad you asked. 

Here, in no particular order, are five of my favorite summer adventures — adventures you might consider putting on your list before summer bids farewell.

Wilson Creek

Water, water everywhere could be the slogan for Wilson Creek, which resides at the base of Grandfather Mountain’s southeast flank and is catchment for the massif’s ample runoff. Wilson Creek proper gets most of the summer attention: avoid it. Rather, take FR 464, a windy gravel road to two trailheads in the Lost Cove region:

• Hunt-Fish Falls Trailhead. Pick up the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and head downhill 0.8 miles to the trailhead’s namesake falls, a double drop that results in a sizable rock-rimmed pool. Continue downstream on Little Lost Creek on the MST, then upstream on Gragg Prong for about 2 miles where you’ll begin to encounter a series of falls and pools. So many that even on a gorgeous summer weekend you’ll have one to yourself. Challenging hiking with a more than ample pay-off. Details here.
• Big Lost Cove Trailhead: About 4 miles up from the Hunt-Fish Falls trailhead you’ll find the Big Lost Cove Trailhead. It’s a 1.7-mile hike in, with elevation in the first half mile. From there. it’s mostly ridgeline hiking before a minor descent and short hike to one of the best views in the state, including the valley below and Grandfather Mountain beyond. Details here.

Note: Because navigating the area can be tricky, you might make your first stop the Wilson Creek Visitor Center, 7805 Brown Mountain Beach Rd., Collettsville, 28611, and get directions for the 25- to 30-minute drive to the featured trailheads from there. Find a map to the VC here.

Mount Mitchell

Elevation and access drive the desire for a summer visit to Mount Mitchell, at 6,684 feet the highest point east of South Dakota’s Black Hills. Two recommended adventures

• Mount Mitchell Trail. Looking for a good workout and some climbing cred? The 5.6-mile Mount Mitchell Trail gains about 3,700 vertical feet in 5.6 miles, making it one of the more stout climbs in the Southeast. Yet with the exception of one short stretch two-thirds of the way up, well-designed switchbacks make the climb less onerous than it might sound. Start in a robust Southern Appalachian hardwood forest outside the Briar Bottom Group Campground, end in a boreal forest more common to Canada than the Carolinas. Details here.
• Black Mountain Crest Trail. If you’re not so much into a workout, drive to the top and, from the snack bar parking lot in Mountain Mitchell State Park, head north on the Black Mountain Crest Trail. Five, 6,000-foot peaks await in the first 3+ miles, to Deep Gap, but don’t expect to summit them all: hiking along the spine of the highest range on the East is slow going, with lots of up-and-down over rocky terrain. So many great views, though, and the best is the first, from Mount Craig, a mile in. Details here.  

Mount Mitchell State Park address: 2388 NC 128 (Burnsville is listed as the mailing address; it is, in fact, a good 45-minute drive, so don’t be deceived). Here is a Google Map .

Rocky Knob Recreation Area

Possibly my favorite summer hike is the 10.7-mile Rock Castle Gorge Loop in the Rocky Knob Recreation Area along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. For maximum enjoyment, start at the base, on the trailhead off VA 8 (CC Camp Lane), and hike counterclockwise. This gets the bulk of the climbing out of the way in the first 4 miles — though you likely won’t notice it as you start in a stunning mature Southern Appalachian hardwood forest, then hit the mountaintop meadows with miles of views (and cows). Several great places to stop for lunch before a rocky descent down to Rock Castle Creek. Your legs may be screaming uncle at this point, but worry not: the last three miles is a gentle descent on old roadbed back to the car. Details here. 

The trailhead has no address and can be tricky to find: Here are the GPS coordinates  — 36.80806, -80.33087 — and a map.

Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area

Have you ever been on a hike and thought, “Man, this is darn-near perfect”? That’s what you’ll find in the 7,580-acre Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area in Virginia’s George Washington National Forest. The-hills-are-alive meadows, tranquil forest, quiet and a great view from atop 4,071-foot Mount Pleasant make this a summer must (mainly because the Wiggins Spring Road access is windy, gravel and can be a challenge in snow and ice). From the main trailhead, you have two options:

• Mount Pleasant Loop. This 6.3-mile loop includes the view: about mid-way through there’s a short but challenging spur that leads you to the outcrop summit of Mount Pleasant. The rest of the hike ain’t too shabby, either, consisting mostly of intimate forest passage. Details here. 
• Cole Mountain Loop. From the same Wiggins Springs Road trailhead, hike west a short distance on the road to where the Appalachian Trail crosses, then head south. Switchbacks take you up to Cole Mountain, where you’ll hike a ridge for a bit before dropping down to the Hotel Trail. A mellow drop to a stream, a rise to a grassy meadow, a gentle drop back to the trailhead. Details here.

For more about the Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area in general, go here.

Appalachian Trail at Hot Springs

To be honest, we hike and backpack this stretch year-round — Hot Springs’ comparatively low elevation of 1,332 making it inviting regardless of the season. Two things we like most about the AT at Hot Springs: the classic AT experience, and the carrot at the end, which is Hot Springs and it’s brew pub, it’s great outfitter (Bluff Mountain Outfitters), and its diverse dining options, from burgers to bourbon glazed salmon. Our two favorite hikes:

• AT: Garenflo Gap to Hot Springs. Catch a shuttle from Hot Springs (lots of options; Bluff Mountain Outfitters can hook you up) to Garenflo and hike 7.4 miles back into town. There’s a little climbing, mostly at the beginning, but mostly classic southern AT beauty on a downhill-trending hike. Note that that “trend” becomes pronounced on the steep drop into town. Details here.
• Rich Mountain Loop. Starting and ending in Hot Springs, we suggest hiking this loop counterclockwise, sticking with the AT after crossing the French Broad River. There’s a good but short climb (0.8 miles total) up to Lover’s Leap, with great views of the French Broad valley, then more mellow climbing past Tanyard Gap (mile 5.5) and up to Rich Mountain. After checking the fire tower view atop 3,668-foot Rich Mountain, retreat a half mile and pick up Roundtrip Ridge Trail for a welcome descent back to the valley floor. A 12.3-mile loop that can be amended in various ways, including shuttling the short distance up to Tanyard Gap and hiking mostly downhill for 5.5 miles back into town. Details here.

Learn more about Hot Springs here.

Only 21 days remain until Labor Day weekend and the spiritual end of summer. Make the most of it.

The post Summer’s Last Call appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

This week, we take you to 5 of our favorite Basecamp Backpack destinations, including their location, distance you hike in in full pack, day hike options and recommended stay.

Doughton Park

Blue Ridge Parkway near Laurel Springs NC: Longbottom Road Access

Hike in full pack: 1.5 miles

Day-hike options: 2 (with three options on one hike)

Recommended stay: hike in Friday afternoon/evening, hike out Sunday afternoon.

After a flat 1.5-mile hike on on the Grassy Gap Fire Road (natural surface, closed to traffic) from the Longbottom Road Access, set up basecamp in the spacious primitive camping area along Basin Creek. From there you have two day-hike options. If you’re hiking the recommended two days, spend the first hiking up 4.4-mile Cedar Ridge Trail, which gains nearly 2,000 vertical feet (about 90 percent of the climbing on this hike). From there, hang a left and hike the Bluff Mountain Trail (which doubles as the Mountains-to-Sea Trail) for 6.4 miles through meadows and pasture before returning down Grassy Gap Fire Road to camp. (Note: there’s a water crossing just before Grassy Gap returns to camp; scout it beforehand to make sure it’s passable; if it isn’t, from the Bluff Mountain Trail take either the Bluff Mountain Primitive Trail [shorter, steeper], or the Flat Rock Ridge Trail. Total distance: 17.6 miles. Hike No. 2: From camp take the 3.3-mile Basin Creek Trail to the old Caudill Cabin at the base of the Blue Ridge Escarpment. 

Rock Castle Gorge

Blue Ridge Parkway near Woolwine, VA: VA 805 Access

Hike in in full pack: about a quarter mile

Day-hike option: 1

Recommended trip stay: Hike in Friday afternoon/evening, hike out Sunday morning

There’s only one day-hike option out of camp, but it’s a doozy. Hike the 10.8-mile Rock Castle Gorge Trail counterclockwise and you’ll start through a gorgeous old-growth forest; the hiking is mellow at first, then the climbing and a little rock scrambling begin. At the 3-mile mark reach the Blue Ridge Parkway and go southwest, through high meadows and pasture with some nice views. At Grassy Knoll, the trail descends back into the gorge, a rollicking, rocky drop that goes for about a mile and a half. You’re exhausted when you hit bottom — and you’re also rewarded with a downhill-trending 2.8-mile hike on gravel roadbed paralleling Rock Castle Creek. So why stay a second night if there’s not a second hike option? You’ll discover why when you finally drag into camp at the end of the day.

Wilson Creek/Hunt-fish Falls

Wilson Creek Wild and Scenic Area, Pisgah National Forest near Mortimer

Hike in in full pack: 1.2 miles

Day-hike options: 2

Recommended trip stay: Hike in Friday afternoon, hike out Sunday mid-day.

Wilson Creek is at the base of Grandfather Mountain, and as such serves as the drainage for the massive massif’s southeast flank: creeks, waterfalls and cooling pools abound here. In fact, head up early enough and after packing in the 1.2 miles to camp and getting set up, you can hike 0.4 miles back to Hunt-fish Falls for some stellar ogling and swimming. The long hike — about 8 miles — takes you up (and in) Lost Cove Creek for a mile before a 0.6-mile climb that gains 900 vertical feet. That’s the big climb of the day, though: after topping out at Bee Mountain it’s a gentle descent along Timber Ridge down to Gragg Prong and the return to camp. On Day 2, don your water shorts and grab a towel for the mile-and-a-half hike up Gragg Prong and the series of waterfalls and pools where, on a hot summer day, you will find unparalleled mountain bliss.

Birkhead Mountain Wilderness

Uwharrie Mountains southwest of Asheboro

Hike in in full pack: 3 miles

Recommended trip stay: hike in Friday afternoon, hike out Sunday morning

The 3-mile hike in is a bit longer and a bit more challenging than most Basecamp Backpack trips, but worth the extra effort. From the Tot Hill Access to the Birkheads on the north end of the Uwharries, hike a mile and three quarters on the Birkhead Mountain Trail, to the Camp 5 Trail. Here, you can either take that trail for a mile and a quarter to Camp 5 (which has water) or continue straight on the BMT to Camp 3, which has decent views (in the winter). Your day hike is about 9 and a half miles, on a loop consisting of the BMT, Robbins Branch and Hannah’s Creek trails. The Uwharries may not be as grand as the Southern Appalachians, but they’re also not a 3- to 5-hour drive for folks in the state’s three major population centers. It’s a good spur-of-the-moment destination for people in Charlotte, the Triangle and the Triad, and a great option for testing new gear. It’s also more accessible and hospitable in winter than a mountain hike.

Panthertown Valley

Panthertown Valley, Cashiers

Hike in full pack: 1 mile

Day-hike options: multiple

Recommended trip stay: Whatever works for your schedule; there are enough trails here to sustain you for 3-5 days.

We hate to be vague about options for hiking Panthertown Valley, but when you see the trail map, you’ll understand why. First things first: from the Salt Rock Access off SR 1121, hike the Salt Rock Trail 0.6 miles to Panther Creek Trail and go left for 0.3 miles, then right on Mac’s Gap: in less than 0.2 miles you’ll begin seeing multiple camp sites near Panthertown Creek. You’re smack dab in the middle of things, with great hikes out the front of your tent. Some things you’ll definitely want to check out: Granny Burrell and Schoolhouse falls, the Great Wall, Big Green and Little Green mountains, Blackroot Mountain, Panthertown Valley itself. You’ll definitely need a map. The best for exploring the area’s 30-plus miles of trail: “Burt Kornegay’s A Guide’s Guide to Panthertown, Bonas Defeat and Big Pisgah.”

* * *

Details, details

For more information on each adventure, click the link:

• Doughton Park
• Rock Castle Gorge
• Birkhead Mountain Wilderness
• Wilson Creek
• Panthertown Valley

Basecamp Backpack with us

We have trips upcoming to four of the locations mentioned today, all taking the Basecamp Backpack approach. Click the appropriate link for dates and details of each trip.

• Doughton Park, Oct. 22-24
• Rock Castle Gorge (VA), Nov. 19-21
• Birkhead Mountain Wilderness/Uwharries, Dec. 10-12.

The post 5 of our favorite basecamp backpack trips appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Some of us don’t mind hiking in the heat. Switch to cotton, freeze your water bottle overnight, use your trekking poles as spider web vanquishers … . Sure, you work up a nice glow. But you’re on the trail, and really, it’s not unbearable.

We recognize, though, that not everyone is inclined to keep on hikin’ between Memorial Day and Labor Day. We also recognize that along about the Fourth of July weekend, the aforementioned cool-weather hikers are starting to undergo withdrawal. They get out their phone and stare longingly at those photos from the beginning of the year, when you were bundled in fleece. Ah, the good cold days.

We can’t magically make it cold. But we can direct you to some hikes where it feels less like summer. In some cases, a lot less. As a rough rule of thumb, the temperature drops about 3.5 degrees for every 1,000 feet of elevation. So if it’s 90 in Raleigh (elevation 315 feet), it’s in the upper 60s atop Mount Mitchell (elevation 6,684 feet).

Lesson one: hike higher, hike cooler.

Lesson two: you needn’t go as high, provided you’re hiking near cool waters. Waterfalls, pools on mountain creeks, that sort of thing.

With those two guiding points in mind, we offer 5 high country spots where fair weather hikers can stretch their legs without working up a drenching sweat. You might even want to take along a fleece.

Learn more about those hikes, here. Or, consult the entries listed in either our “Backpacking North Carolina” or “100 Classsic Hikes in North Carolina.”

1. Shuckstack/Lost Cove/Lakeshore Loop

11.6 miles

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Fontana Village

Part of what makes this hike feel cool is that you start at the Fontana dam and climb immediately, gaining 2,280 feet in 3.5 miles. Yes, as you might suspect, you work up a good glow. But once you top out at Sassafras Gap, that glow becomes your cooling agent as you descend Lost Cove Trail through dense woods, then return via the Lakeshore Trail along the cooling waters of Fontana Lake. Unrelated note: I’ve seen both black bear (not uncommon in the Smokies) and wild boar (less common) on this hike.

For details: Trip No. 21 “Backpacking North Carolina”.

2. Hunt-Fish Falls/Gragg Prong Loop

7.3 miles

Wilson Creek area, Pisgah National Forest, Mortimer

Wilson Creek proper gets more crowded than a water park on a summer weekend due to the proximity of parking (if you can find it) to the water. But venture deeper into the Wilderness Study Area and you’ll find better water and fewer people. You’ll just need to invest a little sweat equity. Here’s what you do: hike the Hunt-Fish Falls Trail down to the Lost Cove Trail and go right. You’ll cross the creek, then keep an eye out for the Timber Ridge Trail on your left. Take it uphill (you’re investing in that sweat equity at this point), then go right on the Lost Cove Trail (it loops back around). Take it to Gragg Prong, hike downstream for less than a mile and you’ll have your choice of choice mountain pools to swim in. Related note: If you see a snake in the water, it is likely a harmless northern banded water snake; it is not a cottonmouth, which doesn’t live within a couple hundred miles. 

For details: Trip No. 8, Backpacking North Carolina.”

3. Basin Creek Trail

12 miles

Doughton Park, Longbottom Road access, Roaring Gap

The mile-and-a-half approach from Longbottom Road to Grassy Gap along Grassy Gap Creek is flat, a good opportunity to warm up the legs. There, pick up the Basin Creek Trail, which climbs in bursts along its frisky namesake creek (a creek that flooded in 1918wiping out the entire Basin Cove Community). Multiple crossings help you keep your cool; several pools along the way allow for a more immersive cooling event. Your carrot: the trail terminates at the Caudill Cabin, which survived the 1918 flood and was home to a family of 13. Stunning note: The Caudill Cabin is one room.

For details: Trip No. 11, “Backpacking North Carolina.”

4. Black Mountain Crest Trail

2-12 miles

Mount Mitchell State Park, Burnsville

This is cool hiking, guaranteed. With much of this hike above 6,000 feet (reaching 6,684 feet), you’re looking at temperatures in the 60s on a 90-degree Piedmont day. From the main parking area, make the short-but-obligatory summit, via pavement, to Mount Mitchell, then head north across the main parking lot on the Crest Trail to Mount Craig. Craig is only a mile out, but it’s a challenging mile and there’s no shame in topping out and proclaiming, “I’m good, heading back.” Big Tom, though, is just a short distance beyond, and that would give you your third 6,000-foot peak for the day. Balsam Cone, Cattail Peak and Potato Hill lie beyond, before the drop into Deep Gap at just over 6 miles. Warning note: Remember, this is an out-and-back; making it to Deep Gap with zero energy for the return is does not constitute a successful hike.

For details: Hike No. 65, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina.”

5. Pink Beds

5 miles

Pisgah National Forest near Brevard 

Look at a topo map of the Blue Ridge Escarpment north of Brevard and you’ll wonder, “What happened there?” Amidst a sea of tight, brown topographic lines is a sea of nearly unblemished green, a flat ledge on the escarpment known as Pink Beds. It’s a rare Appalachian bog through which the South Fork of Mills River runs, occasionally stopping to collect itself in a series of small ponds. A 5-mile trail circumnavigates Pink Beds, the wetter spots navigated via boardwalk. There’s the occasional meadow, some dense woods, precious little climbing. At just below 4,000 feet there may be cooler mountain climbs, but none as flat. Geographic note: Pink Beds got its name after early settlers cleared the land for farming, exposing an abundance of pink wildflowers. 

For details: Hike No. 80, “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina.”

GetHiking! Southeast Podcast

This week on the GetHiking! Southeast Podcast we explore one of the iconic backpack trips in the Southeast, the 35-mile Virginia Triple Crown. Give a listen here.

The post Defeat the heat with these 5 N.C. mountain hikes appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

GetBackpacking! Appalachian Trail from Carvers Gap to US 19E

• July 16-18
• $145

The 14-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail between Carvers Gap and US is perhaps the most scenic stretch of the AT in the Southeast. We take our time and savor this hike, over Round and Jane balds, over Hump and Little Hump mountains, and past all the scenic hardwood splendor along the way on this 3-day, 2-night backpack trip. Includes shuttle and post-hike shower.

Learn more here.

GetBackpacking! A Wilson Creek Water Adventure

• Aug. 6-8
• $125

Join GetBackpacking! and beat the summertime crowds that descent on Wilson Creek area of the Pisgah National Forest with this summer visit. On this two-night, three-day backpack basecamp trip we’ll hike 4 miles in full pack and about 14 in day packs, exploring Hunt-fish Falls, Gragg Prong, Bee Mountain, Lost Cove Creek, South Harper Creek Falls, Harper Creek Falls, Harper Creek and Persimmon Ridge.

Learn more and sign up here.

GetHiking! New River Paddling and Hiking Weekend

• July 30 – Aug. 1
• $185

Enjoy a mountain weekend of paddling on a placid stretch of the New River in North Carolina, and hikes up both Mount Jefferson and Elk Knob, both with sweeping views of the North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee mountains. This is a basecamp weekend with meals included.

Learn more and sign up here.

GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods

• Eno River State Park, Durham: June 13
• Umstead State Park, Raleigh: July 11
• $65

In just two weeks you can become a bonafide backpacker in time for the prime fall hiking season. We start with a gear session via Zoom, then meet for a 5-hour in-field training session before our weekend graduation trip to South Mountains State Park.

• Learn more and sign up for the Eno River State Park class here (SOLD OUT)
• Learn more and sign up for the Umstead State Park class here

GetBackpacking! Intro to Backpacking class

• Sept. 8, 11, 24-26
• $225

In just two weeks you can become a bonafide backpacker in time for the prime fall hiking season. We start with a gear session via Zoom, then meet for a 5-hour in-field training session before our weekend graduation trip to South Mountains State Park.

Learn more and sign up here.

GetBackpacking! Basecamp Weekend in the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock/Citico Creek Wilderness

• Sept. 16-19
• $195

Enjoy a four-day wilderness immersion, exploring the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock/Citico Creek wilderness areas of North Carolina and Tennessee. We establish basecamp a mile and a half in, then do a pair of 12-mile daypack hikes exploring this 33,000-acre wilderness straddling the North Carolina/Tennessee line.

Learn more and sign up here.

The post GetBackpacking! Summer 2021 appeared first on GetGoing NC!.