Destinations

Buffalo Creek Preserve, a 393-acre preserve in Cabarrus County. Acquired by the Catawba Lands Conservancy in 2011, this location serves as a home to a restored piedmont oak savanna, several...

Bakers Mountain Park, located in Hickory, NC, is comprised of nearly 200 acres of scenic views and wildlife. This park offers the perfect observational platform to take in the views...

The Broad River Greenway is truly the place for all seasons. It's also proven to be the place for all outdoor enthusiasts with a variety of trails for mountain bikers,...

This 5-miler begins from the Visitor Center through a hardwood forest, crosses busy Sparrow Springs Road, then disappears back into the woods. You’re in for another mile and a half...

The two-state Ridgeline Trail, joining Crowders Mountain State Park to the north in North Carolina with Kings Mountain State Park in South Carolina, offers a 12-mile training run that’s just...

Hanging Rock’s 18 miles of diverse trail make it a hiker’s paradise, especially for campers. Rock climbing is allowed in the park; there’s scenic paddling on the Dan River, which...

Kings Mountain State Park adjoins the Kings Mountain National Military Park and is connected to North Carolina’s Crowder’s Mountain State Park via the 12-mile Ridgeline Trail. A living history farm...

Lake Norman State Park is located in Iredell County. The lake is the largest man-made lake in the state, and hosts nearly a million visitors a year. This spot is...

On the Catawba River below the Lake Wylie dam, water levels (or “lower,” perhaps, since the river is dam controlled and thus doesn’t get that low) the rocks that dot...

Mount Mitchell, at 6,684 feet above sea level is the highest you can get east of the Black Hills. Of course, at this altitude (above 6,000 feet) the forest is...

Located at the foot of 5,721-foot Mount Pisgah, this is one of the highest campsites in the state and one that all but assures of a cool night’s sleep. Privacy...

Many an unknowing camper has had his or her weekend plans dashed by arriving at the popular Davidson River Campground a few ridges over only to find out that it’s...

Usually when something is described as a “best kept secret,” red flags pop up. Rocky Bluff, though, is a well-concealed gem, just three miles down NC 209 from Hot Springs....

Rocky Face Mountain, a former rock quarry from the early 1900's, is located in Alexander County and sits 600-feet above the surrounding countryside. It became a climbing location in the...

From the Black Balsam Access of the Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 420.2), a vast trail network fans out exposing you to some of the most exposed hiking in the Southeast....

Twice, when there was no openings in the surrounding Shining Rock area, we found space at Sunburst. All 10 sites are first-come first-serve; the lack of reservations keeps this intimate...

You like the idea of getting away for a weekend escape, but you just don’t feel good about being completely detached from work. We’re not crazy about this type of...

The 70 miles of navigable Haw River, from north of Greensboro to Jordan Lake, is a study in contrasts: dammed sections offer flat water paddling, rocky stretches where Class III...