Blog

A favorite Smokies adventure is this loop that starts near Fontana Dam and follows the Appalachian Trail up for 3.7 miles. It’s a steady climb, never grueling and the pay...

January can be a dicey time of year for exploring in the mountains. The higher you get, the greater the chance for snow and ice — more a problem for...

A popular hike for so many reasons. One, with the trailhead at about 5,900 feet, you’re looking at minimal elevation gain. The views are are everywhere as the trail spends...

This loop off the Blue Ridge Parkway on the edge of the Shining Rock Wilderness is ideal because it is on the edge of the Shining Rock Wilderness, the big,...

This hike is a high-country favorite. For one, it’s easy and accessible for most folks, even the non-hikers in the crowd (read: something active to do with your more sedentary...

The 88-mile stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Grandfather Mountain area north to Stone Mountain has several memorable stretches. A favorite is this nearly...

Out-of-town visitors are always looking to do “name” adventures — a place the folks back home probably have heard of and would likely be impressed by. Linville Gorge is one...

Like a good stream crossing to cool off in on a summer’s day? Then you’ll love this loop: in the first 8 miles or so there are 16 crossings of...

This is a classic warm-weather water hike, the first mile of which is quite popular. That’s where the trail encounters Harper Creek Falls, which plunges 65 feet into one of...

“Backpacking North Carolina” refers to the 21,000-acre Fires Creek area as “a backpacker’s playground.” For similar reasons, it’s also a hiker’s playground. A 25-mile trail traces the horseshoe-shaped rim of...

When Elk Knob first opened in the mid-2000s, the climb to the summit was straight up a draw littered with boulders. Thanks to more than 6,000 volunteer hours invested over...

This trip has several options. Starting from Longbottom Road at Basin Creek you immediately have three: To the north, Cedar Ridge Trail takes you up to the Parkway near the...

Possibly 13.5 of the easiest miles you’ll find in the Smokies. This lollipop loop heads up Deep Creek, the first mile or so of which is popular with tubers (not...

The Cataloochee Valley sits isolated on the northeast end of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, its flat valley floor encircled by ridgeline that gives the feel of an old-time...

This popular 14-mile hike, more frequently done as a two-day backpack trip, is one of the best hikes in the state (to be geopolitically correct, it dribbles over into Tennessee)....

The beauty of this hike is that it escapes the maddening crowds of Mount Mitchell State Park, yet embraces the 6,000-foot hiking that makes the Black Mountains special. From the...

Oyster Point The Oyster Point Campground provides the perfect base camp for exploring the 20-mile Neusiok Trail, which runs from near the campground north to the Pine Cliff Recreation Area....

The park has two lakes, one 20 acres, one 12, good for bass, bream and catfish. And, every winter the lakes are stocked with trout. The park also has six...