January 19, 2023 I really like this trail. Huskey Gap starts off Newfound Gap Road, not too far from Gatlinburg. As you climb the first part of the trail, look back and you will have some splendid views of Bull Head, which is just one of best-looking mountains in the region. The first two miles … More Huskey Gap Trail
January 15, 2023 Twentymile Ranger Station is tucked away, well out of cell phone range near Fontana Dam and Lake Cheoah. The Benton Mackaye Trail did run through this area, before a reroute that now sends hikers over Yellow Creek Mountains. If it is solitude you seek, this is the place. I started at the … More Twentymile Trail
November 13, 2022 Oconaluftee River Trail is an easy, level trail located near Cherokee (Qualla Boundary) and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. From a turn of the (past) century farm that was transported and reconstructed near the center, the trail follows the river before reaching the boundary. Elk, mountain dog hobble and clear skies were abundant … More Oconaluftee River Trail
October 29, 2022 I intended to hike a huge 20 mile loop at the Road to Nowhere, Noland Creek to Springhouse Branch Trail to Whiteoak Branch Trail, but two things went against me. First, I woke up late and didn’t get to the trailhead until 10:00 am. Secondly, I felt my body getting sick that … More Noland Creek Trail (last mile), Tunnel Bypass Trail
June 9, 2018 Stone Mountain S.P. is located in the middle of nowhere. Nestled in between Alleghany and Wilkes counties in the northwestern portion of North Carolina, it took us nearly an hour and a half of back roads driving to find it. I remember going to the park about 15 years ago, but that … More Stone Mountain State Park
June 8, 2018 There are a number of trails located at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, off the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) outside of Blowing Rock, N.C. I would classify most of them as very family-friendly. They are nice, gradual uphill hikes, the trails are essentially wide carriage trails and the views are outstanding. The … More Flat Top Mountain Trail
May 13, 2018 I disdain mountaintop development. Many times I have told my wife that if I was a billionaire, I would buy the eyesore known as the Sugar Mountain Resort and tear it down. There is nothing worse than climbing a peak and gazing upon the horizon to see a gaudy mountain chalet’s window … More Elk Knob State Park
October 1, 2017 The countdown to finishing the Pisgah 400 (all the trails of the Pisgah Ranger District in North Carolina) has begun. Emily and I concocted a great plan: we would stay for the week at her family’s house in Hendersonville and I would spend the days hiking, and then spend the nights with … More Biltmore Campus Trail, Forest Festival Trail, Forest Discovery Trail
August 6, 2017 It’s been a month since my last posting, which is quite unusual. This is primarily because of the weather and family. Kids are in camp, we took a vacation to Charleston and the weather has been unbearably hot. Secondarily, September and October will be filled with backpacking trips: I’ll be finishing the … More Grandfather Mountain State Park – Nuwati Trail
July 4, 2017 We chose to forego the parades and fireworks and sales and consumer-driven madness this 4th for the refuge of nature. Nature’s soothing calmness knows not of the hubbub of societal flow. Its pathways and forests are a refuge for us. The Profile Trail at Grandfather Mountain State Park is a wonderful path. … More Grandfather Mountain State Park – Profile Trail
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