Part of the allure of the Uwharrie Mountain Trail Run is that it’s on the Uwharrie National Recreation Trail, a 22.9-mile trail that’s always challenging but never ridiculously so. Part of an ancient mountain chain that may have climbed to 20,000 feet in it’s hey day (high day?), the Uwharries today fall short of 1,000. Quick climbs through this hardwood forest are greeted not with peaks but rounded ridgelines featuring chunks of exposed granite. Lower passages are often along several creeks that penetrate this mid-state national forest. Three roads cross the trail, making for shorter, shuttled options. A nice, long escape conveniently located to Charlotte, the Triad and the Triangle.
More info: USDA Forest Service, Uwharrie National Forest, Uwharrie Ranger District, 910.576.6391; “Backpacking North Carolina,” Trip No. 36.
Map: “Uwharrie National Forest,” USDA Forest Service.
Map of trailhead here.
View 20 Classic Hikes in North Carolina: Uwharrie National Recreation Trail in a larger map
/—/
Location: Uwharrie National Forest
Nearest town: Asheville
Latitude: N35 18.638
Longitude: W80 02.647
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 22.9 miles
Loop/one-way:One-way
Time to complete: All day