Blog

Sugarloaf and Morrow Mountain trails It may sound funny to speak of a hike in the Piedmont that “bags” two peaks. But your legs won’t be laughing by the time...

Ever wonder what it might have been like to take a stroll through the Piedmont before the time of Columbus? Occasionally, you’ll find a spot where you can wander through...

Uwharrie National Recreation Trail Nestled in the heart of the Piedmont is the ancient Uwharrie Mountain Range and 51,000 acres of national forest. And nestled in the heart of the...

There are precious few hiking opportunities in northern Durham and Orange Counties counties, which is unfortunate. The Piedmont hills here rise a little higher, the air temperature a wisp cooler...

There’s hiking in the Piedmont and there’s hiking along the Haw River. But wait, isn’t the Haw in the Piedmont? Technically, yes. Look at a map and there it is,...

OCCONNEECHEE MOUNTAIN LOOP TRAIL You’ll find more ecological escape packed into this 190-acre preserve on the outskirts of Hillsborough than anywhere else in the Triangle. Occoneechee Mountain has five distinct...

Difficulty: Strenuous (length) Distance: 30 minute drive from downtown Chapel Hill Time to complete: 3 to 4 hours Address: 6101 Cole Mill Road City: Durham State: N.C. Zip: 27705 Latitude:...

Johnston Mill Nature Preserve is like a “best-of” of hiking in the western Triangle. It’s got the requisite rocky creek: a 2-mile stretch of New Hope Creek penetrates this 296-acre...

Company Mill Trail (see related entry) may be Umstead State Park’s most popular trail but largely because of a lack of competition. From the park’s Harrison Avenue entrance off I-40,...

Company Mill has long been the most loved trail at Umstead State Park, and for good reason. In part, because it begins from the park’s popular main entrance off Harrison...

There’s something very preserv-y about this preserve. There’s the Stevens Nature Center that greets you, complete with educational facilities and a gift shop. There’s the tastefully cultivated gathering area near...

How quickly you’re able to hike this trail depends upon how susceptible you are to letting a tree bend your ear (and you know how those beeches can be when...

Sarah Wilson in the Smokies Fall is a beautiful time of the year to be outside and catching the peak of our state’s leaf change is a highlight. Howard S....

Sarah Wilson in the Smokies Fall is a beautiful time of the year to be outside and catching the peak of our state’s leaf change is a highlight. Howard S....

Joe Miller (of N&O Fame) has a new blog. Here’s the scoop: Hiking, biking, paddling, climbing – you can do it all in the Triangle and North Carolina. So the...

Call 1-877-7-CAMP-NC or select a park at www.ncparks.gov.

My friend Gary came up with a new twist at Umstead. Our Wednesday group has traditionally run the Company Mill Trail. Gary came up with “The Gauntlet” for something new....

After living in the Falls Lake area for several years, I recently started exploring the extensive trail system for day hiking. For years I have used Falls Lake as a...