Hiking Doughton Park

Doughton Park, located between milepost 238 and 246, is the largest recreation area along the 469 mile of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It also happens to be one of the most spectacular locations to soak up fall color changes in area.It’s easy…

Elk Knob State Park

The nearly 3,500 wild acres of Elk Knob State Park, which includes the second highest peak in Watauga County, was nearly lost to developers in the early part of the 21st century. The area was being considered for the construction of a summer…
Image for Profile Trail to Calloway Peak

Hiking Calloway Peak

What Makes It Great Grandfather Mountain's forests house plenty of wildlife and almost 200 different species of birds. Profile Trail hikers can spot woodland species such as warblers (especially in spring), scarlet tanagers, Louisiana water…
Even on otherwise temperate days, Grandfather can be frigid and frosty

Winter Hiking at Grandfather Mountain

The wind just always seems to be blowing at the top of MacCrea Peak. The bare rock that caps the roughly chimney-shaped precipice offers no protection from the frigid gusts of the season. Just below, a ring of alpine forest (a biome common…
mount mitchell winter 3

4 Reasons to Hike Mount Mitchell in the Winter

Thousands of years ago, when extreme cold gripped the North American continent, flora and fauna most suited to northern latitudes migrated south, covering what is now North Carolina. As the cold retreated and temperatures climbed, the trees…
Chimney Tops

Hiking Chimney Tops

Intro The twin-peaked, rugged profile of Chimney Tops gained infamy with its appearance on the cover of Horace Kephart's classic, Our Southern Highlanders. The summit of this 4,724-foot peak has weathered away over the centuries leaving behind…
The grassy summit of Max Patch is a beautiful place to play in a windstorm.

7 Short Hikes with Spectacular Views Near Asheville

If it seems too good to be true, than it probably is. These are wise words to live by, yet living in Asheville is the rare exception to this rule. In the Blue Ridge Mountains, you can find wild, rolling meadows, exposed peaks of bare rock,…
Trashcan Falls

4 Frozen Waterfall Hikes in Western North Carolina

While subzero temperatures and dwindling daylight can really put a damper on our motivation to hit the trail, the Blue Ridge Mountains are never quite as dramatic and ethereal as they are in the depths of winter. Familiar trails are transformed…
Nothing beats a boozy winter warm up.

4 WNC Winter Hikes + Their Perfect Beverages

Among the many perks of winter hiking (fewer people, the sweet silence that a blanket of fresh snow brings to the mountains, the diamond sparkle of frost on the grass), none can compare to the bright taste of a well earned hot toddy, the…
Devil's Courthouse

Hiking Devil's Courthouse

Intro Devil's Courthouse towers ominously above the beautifully delicate pink beds of Pisgah National Forest. At its summit, a sinister looking rock formation is the stage for a devilish local legend. Folklore tells of a cave at the cliff's…